Coattail riders are confident but they are not Dan Inouye

It has been 2-1/2 years since U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye died, and Hawaii has yet to come to terms with the loss.

Not just the emotional loss — the mention of his name can still make die-hard Dems choke up — but the loss of his leadership (dictatorial though it was), his vision and his gravitas.

Inouye was a hugely influential man, but his power went with him. Still, there are people who seem to believe that, like Obi Wan Kenobi, he can speak through the Force to his jedi acolytes.

Why else would Council Chairman Ernie Martin hire Peter Boylan, a former newspaper reporter who suddenly is being called a “political operative” even though his last two jobs were running Colleen Hanabusa’s losing campaign and serving in Mayor Billy Kenoi’s office while Kenoi was busy running his political career into the ground? Boylan’s most impressive credential is that he served as Inouye’s press secretary in the last years of the senator’s life. He brings no expertise in solving homelessness to this job, but he does bring essence of Inouye.

Why else would NextEra hire Jennifer Sabas to try to right their sinking attempt to buy Hawaiian Electric? The hope is that Sabas can wield some Inouye-like jedi mind tricks and change the minds of the governor, the consumer advocate and the long list of others who think it’s a bad deal. Hard to imagine NextEra pursuing the local utility in the Inouye era if the senator didn’t give them his blessing.

Then there’s Colleen Hanabusa, who was recently appointed to the boards of both Hawaii Gas Co. and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. Hanabusa has political credibility all her own, but she has made the most of her connection to Inouye.

Hiring someone who knew Inouye is now the next best thing to having the esteemed senator’s support.

His absence is felt in myriad ways.

If he were still with us, would there be protests about the Maui Daniel K. Inouye telescope? It was named for him posthumously, yes, but it’s difficult to imagine he’d let things get to this point.

Inouye would find the second $5 billion to extend rail if it suited him.

If Inouye were alive, David Ige would know better what to do and how to do it. Ige might not have even run for governor if Inouye had a different plan.

Inouye might not have been able to wrest the Obama Presidential Library away from Chicago, but he might have been able to arrange a satellite branch.

The paternal Inouye made things too easy for us. Now we’re on our own, and despite those with overblown ambition, there’s no heir apparent. Without him there’s dysfunction.

Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.