Political races always come down to turning out your voters. The difference this year is finding a way to first fire them up.

Republicans and Democrats appear to be marching into the closing days of the race for governor with much of the same game plans that have brought Democrats success and Republicans defeat in past years.

The difference is that Democrats must campaign without their go-to motivator: a sitting governor to rally the troops and raise the money.

The absence shows because both former Govs. George Ariyoshi and Ben Cayetano are out campaigning — but the unpopular and defeated Gov. Neil Abercrombie is ruled out of the equation.

Over on the Republican side, the strategy appears to be trying to link Democratic state Sen. David Ige to the out-going Abercrombie.

If Ige is so close to Abercrombie, however, why did Ige run against Abercrombie?

Why did Ige win a primary election with the theme of "I don’t like the way Abercrombie is running Hawaii," if he and Abercrombie were teaming up to plot tax hikes?

Instead of relying on help from Abercrombie, the Ige campaign is getting major help from the Democratic Governors Association and now the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

The independent expenditure committees are using their television time to hit Aiona’s stance on abortion and the arrest of parents staging a sit-in in former Gov. Linda Lingle’s office to protest state teacher furloughs.

The tactic is intended to keep women voters engaged in the race and keep them from going over to the Aiona camp.

Over on the GOP side, some strategists are concerned that Aiona missed his chance to define his candidacy about being against the vote legalizing gay marriage a year ago.

Voter motivation on the Democratic side is about firing up the women’s vote; the GOP side could have been about getting a passionate core of conservative Christian voters to turn out for Aiona and his lieutenant governor candidate, Elwin Ahu.

If the two former state judges share a rock-star persona, it is among conservative Christian groups.

One year ago, that community was ready to mobilize because of the Legislature’s same-sex marriage special session.

This year, however, Aiona, who as a former judge runs a marriage service, downplayed the issue and even answered "Yes" when asked by a television reporter if he would marry a gay couple.

"Aiona’s only shot was to drive the same-sex marriage wedge but he surrendered the issue, so his numbers are sinking because his base is unmotivated to show up," said a GOP strategist.

Meanwhile in debates across the state, Independent candidate and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, is sharpening his attacks against both Ige and Aiona.

Hannemann has been running a textbook campaign. He is out front with an organized set of issues, and against Aiona and Ige, does well in public appearances.

Coherency is not Hannemann’s challenge; it is firing up voters so much that they will leave their Democratic and Republican parties and vote for an Independent.

In a general election that has failed to ignite much passion or even voter interest, expecting fire when there is not even smoke may be too much to ask.

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