Abercrombie has the power of incumbency in his favor

It has been a slow climb up, but Gov. Neil Abercrombie is starting to show just why dislodging a sitting Hawaii governor is so tough.

Before looking at his positives, examine Abercrombie’s challenges.

For three years Abercrombie has struggled with both his popularity and effectiveness. His job performance rating is still hovering below 50 percent, according to recent polls. During his first legislative term, Abercrombie captured the title of the most disliked governor in the country during the October 2011 sampling by Public Policy Polling, a Raleigh, N.C., firm. It put Abercrombie’s job approval at 30 percent.

It has since climbed, but not above 50 percent.

His relations with Democrats in the Legislature may be better than those experienced by former Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican, but today the legislative-gubernatorial warmth factor is somewhere between tepid and lukewarm.

"I would say it has gotten better, but there are a lot of concerns that his programs are too expensive," said one Senate leader.

A House leader called the relationship with Abercrombie "fair to good."

Both leaders said Abercrombie still has problems communicating or organizing his legislative agenda.

"He has an aggressive and abrasive leadership style," one House leader added.

A succession of communications and public relations teams has sought to keep both Abercrombie’s temper and unpredictable explosiveness under control during his public speeches and news conferences.

All those negatives, however, have to be measured against the power of the office and Abercrombie’s savvy knack for delivering the political promise.

The re-election campaign started last week as Abercrombie held a series of public events across the state.

On Maui, there was a "meet the governor and his Cabinet" evening meeting that worked to open lines of communication.

On Kauai, Abercrombie was an April Santa Claus, dropping presents at several meetings. Kauai’s Garden Island newspaper reported Abercrombie told the president of the Kauai Philippine Cultural Center that he had just approved a $1.5 million grant in aid for the center.

Then Abercrombie told the Garden Island Racing Association he was coming to Kauai with a $1 million authorization for the release of funds for improvements to the Kauai Raceway Park.

At Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, Abercrombie doled out more than 50 awards to the middle school’s students and staff.

"Rituals are the perpetuators of value," Abercrombie told the students, noting the Hawaiian words of character surrounding the walls of the CKMS cafeteria. "This is a ritual and it perpetuates the values and good work you do."

Abercrombie could have been referring to the value to his own campaign by indulging in the ritual of handing out political treats.

The power of Hawaii’s Office of the Governor goes beyond school awards, as the hundreds of state appointments and jobs mean that the continued viability of Abercrombie as governor is of interest to state workers across the islands.

In fact, when Abercrombie held his first Oahu campaign rally in Kakaako on Sunday, many of those attending were family members of Abercrombie appointees.

All of the power that comes with the office, but can be used by the officeholder, is what U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa must consider as she ponders whether to run in next year’s Democratic primary for governor.

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Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.