Against Schatz, Hanabusa applies guerrilla tactics

When Linda Lingle, Hawaii’s former Republican governor, launched her 2010 campaign for the U.S. Senate, it stood as a model for pitch-perfect political rollouts.

Lingle was on KSSK with Perry and Price, made a speech at the Pacific Club, hired top-notch television aides and just blanketed the state.

This week, Democratic U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa is continuing her somewhat unconventional campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Lingle’s campaign was something like the British Redcoats during the American Revolution: It was just great to see all those bright red coats lined up — they sure march straight.

So far, Hanabusa’s somewhat muted campaign is more like the Swamp Fox, Francis Marion, who was credited with starting modern guerrilla warfare for his exploits during the same revolutionary war.

When Hanabusa announced her decision to challenge appointed Hawaii U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, she did so without even a press release — just a series of press and TV interviews.

Tonight Hanabusa is expected to host a campaign rally of sorts at the Bishop Museum. As of Monday, there was no press release, no Internet chatter, not even a Facebook page.

A campaign spokesman said about 150-175 community leaders are expected to attend. Former Govs. George Ariyoshi and Ben Cayetano are slated to speak in praise of Hanabusa. Also, Hawaii businessman Walter Dods and Irene Inouye, U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye’s widow, will be there lending support.

"It is basically to get them plugged into our message and let them know this is moving. This helps get people motivated, so they share the story and spread word," said the campaign spokesman.

It also speaks to the low-key nature of Hanabusa’s campaign that the spokesman asked that he not be quoted by name.

All of this stands in contrast to Schatz’s campaign, which was launched in March with a Farrington High School campaign rally and has featured an energetic round of labor union endorsements and near-constant pleas for funds.

The Schatz campaign is emphasizing that even though he was appointed to replace Inouye in December, he has already built up seniority that would be lost if he was not returned to the Senate next year. Also Schatz’s progressive style of liberal politics is likely to mesh with many expected voters in next year’s Democratic primary.

In contrast, Hanabusa has much support within the Inouye wing of the Democratic Party and it is likely that Inouye’s supporters will actively back Hanabusa.

Her campaign themes are to continue the work of Inouye "to share the vision we have of Hawaii as a special place," and also to compare her public service record to that of Schatz.

"Look at our records," she says. She notes she and Schatz were both first elected in 1998 and while she chaired major committees, formed effective political coalitions, became state Senate president and then a U.S. representative, Schatz chaired the House economic development committee, his highest post was lieutenant governor before being picked by Gov. Neil Abercrombie for the U.S. Senate.

Schatz was also Hawaii Democratic Party chairman and co-chairman of Hawaii’s 2008 Barack Obama for president campaign.

In something that now amounts to political foreshadowing, Hanabusa at Inouye’s request led the local Hillary Clinton campaign in Hawaii.

As much as Schatz’s campaign tactics are ramping up the latest in both modern voter identification and social media awareness, there is something to be said for the pre-Internet and cell-phone campaigns of Ariyoshi, Hawaii’s only three-term governor.

Without a public notice or even a press release, his supporters would repeatedly hold huge rallies at Aloha Tower and Aloha Stadium with more than 10,000 supporters who were equally engaged, ready to work and determined to vote for Ariyoshi.

Campaign consultants called them the "little sparrows." The Hanabusa-Schatz race will show if the flock is still here.

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