Gubernatorial candidates sell themselves on YouTube

There was a time when a newspaper urging readers to watch television approached treason, but today we can just watch along safely inside the Internet browser and nobody strays.

So let’s take a look at how the candidates for governor are using the tube to get your votes.

First, understand that good television must appear natural, unrehearsed, understandable but not patronizing. The natural look is not cheap.

Sixty seconds of TV time costs thousands so don’t waste it. Pick a message, wake up the audience, drive home the message and make the viewers remember it — that’s effective TV.

Former Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona’s first spot (http://goo.gl/OeWsFF) shows that one of his strengths is his close-knit, photogenic family. His new 30-second spot is so warm and comforting, watching it is like spreading soft butter on hot toast.

Aiona’s defining quote is, "Watching my family together puts life into perspective."

The spot has no talk about the wedge issues of gay marriage or being linked to the last years of GOP Gov. Linda Lingle’s eight years in office.

Instead, Aiona is playing with the kids, the grandkids, working in his office and then recalling the difference he made being a sensitive, but firm, drug-fighting family court judge.

Using lots of tight, warmly lit face shots of Aiona and family, the commercial’s effect is to calm viewers into accepting Aiona’s slogan of "Trust, Respect and Balance."

If Aiona’s spot strives to make you forget about furlough Fridays, Gov. Neil Abercrombie (http://goo.gl/ JaVlpx) is driving straight for damage control.

The February Hawaii Poll shows that against challenger Sen. David Ige, Abercrombie’s campaign is weakest with older voters and Americans of Japanese ancestry. The controversial and somewhat unpopular governor needs to polish his image with older AJAs, hoping they will forget that he started his governorship with plans to tax the pensions of seniors.

So here we go into a sweet local family’s home, louver windows, but with a killer view. The daughter is worried because as her dad, Mr. Saito, ages, he needs help. We watch Mr. Saito polish the car, fiddle with his plants and then shakily climb the steps — you get the picture and are ready to identify with everybody.

Then suddenly, there’s Abercrombie popping into the Saitos’ living room.

In hushed tones, Abercrombie says he’s there to help.

"During the past three years, we have been able to get more assistance for in-home care because all our Mr. Saitos deserve to be stay-at-home dads if they want to be," Abercrombie assures us.

Just in case AJA seniors were thinking about straying from the incumbent, we are reminded that we already have "The right values, the right priorities, the right Governor."

Democrat Ige doesn’t have enough campaign cash to run any TV commercials and he actually has said he thinks he can win the primary without them.

Instead, if you want a glimpse of the real Ige, the campaign offers you a sit down YouTube chat (http://goo.gl/FMlQ3y) with former Gov. Ben Cayetano at his most avuncular.

"The contrasts between David and Neil are so great, that even though David doesn’t have the financial resources that the governor has, I think that he will prevail in this election," says Cayetano, who appears to be sitting among some hastily arranged orchids at Ige’s campaign headquarters.

"He (Ige) doesn’t lecture people. Unfortunately, Neil does," Cayetano says of his former friend, the governor.

Ige’s campaign is so minimalist that the closest thing it has to a political tagline is a plea to "like us on Facebook."

The final major candidate for governor is former Mayor Mufi Hannemann. He hasn’t run any spots because he is expected to advance to the general election. Hannemann doesn’t need to spend much until after the August primary.

Hannemann’s tagline sums up his campaign strategy. He’s running in the newly formed Independent Party and hoping to get both Republicans and Democrats to vote for him in November, so he is just saying: "Think independently … come home to the middle."

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