Finances and The Overuse of Advertising

        Financially, the contenders for Hawaii's open Senate seat are standing on equal ground (Total Raised and Spent).  With Hirono having raised $5.1 million and Lingle having raised $5.4 million, the margin remains small and neither candidate is being offered a serious financial advantage (Mazie K. Hirono)(Total Raised and Spent).  As there is no significant gap in the funds both candidates were able to amass, it is interesting to cross-examen how each candidate thought it best to spend their available resources.
        Linda Lingle's campaign opted to purchase a cable channel to broadcast endorsements and advertisement 24-hours a day (Nagourney). This rather ambitious tactic exemplifies the idea of name recognition, which plays on undecided voter's memory to bring to mind the candidate that they most remember.  A 24-house news advertisement channel is an example of how the idea of name-recognition is being taken to the next level, providing a constant stream of stimulating propaganda.  This channel, situation only one station above Fox News, provides biased perspectives as seen through the eyes of the republican party, and would mislead any viewer to stumble upon it expected an objective perspective (Nagourney)(Berry et. al 142).
          Because of this over-zealous attempt to seize public attention, more timid voters might shy from its sheer audacity, thinking the channel to be a blatant waste of money or simply too forward in promoting Lingle's campaign. Is the channel even effective enough to justify 2.5 thousand dollars in expenditures every week (Nagourney)?  Political scientist Neal Milner answers that "most people people who are likely to watch [Lingle's channel] are people who have already decided to vote for her (qtd. in Nagourney).  If so, perhaps Lingle is just preaching to the choir and this channel is nothing more than a narcissistic release for the Republicans of Hawaii.
          In contrast, Hirono not strayed far from the beaten track in terms of advertising technique.  Any eccentricity in her campaign pales in comparison to the Lingle channel. As such, it is sufficient to say that Hirono has been more orthodox in her advertising campaign.  This makes Hirono's campaign less likely to alienate voters than if the bombarded them with an excess of advertisements.
         The Hirono and Lingle campaigns have both been diligent and reported to the best of their abilities their respective financial records to the Federal Election Commission (House and Senate Campaign Finance).  The money raised by both parties is in accordance with the Federal Elections Campaign Act, and no major discrepencies have yet been identified (House and Senate Campaign Finance)(Total Raised and Spent)(Berry et. al 221).  However, it is noteworthy to mention  that, as of october 17th, Hirono was only able to fully disclose  73.9% of her funds raised, while the origins of 26.1% of her funds remains incomplete. (Total Raised and Spent). Lingle's records were are much more transparent and accurate, as she was able to fully disclose the origins of 95.7% of her funds.
        Although it may amount to little more than slow accounting, the lack of transparency in Hirono's fiscal sector may be enough to cause Republicans, and even undecided voters, some grief.  There is still time for the Hirono campaign to get its finances in order before the mandatory submission of records to the FEC in November (Berry et. al 221).  It will be worthwhile to follow-up on these events and discover if the Hawaiian Democrats have indeed been fiscally responsible.
        Hirono received more donations, 21% of her campaign funds, from smaller individual donations (Mazie K. Hirono).  Lingle only received 7% of her overall campaign funds from small individual donations, and instead relied more heavily on larger and fewer donations (Total Raised and Spent). Observing this trend, and operating under the assumption that contributions are correlated to average household income, it becomes clear that Hirono is more popular among the majority of lower income households while Lingle is popular among the more wealthy households. These indicators based on campaign contributions are congruent with the national norms of partisanship and the role that income and socioeconomic status play in deciding elections (Berry et. al 173). Such partisan alignment determined by donation is a tool that can be used to gain insight into the candidates popularity, and to measure their success across different socioeconomic classes.





Berry, Jeffrey, Kenneth M. Janda, Jerry Goldman, and Kevin W. Hula. The Challenge of Democracy.

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Print.

"House and Senate Campaign Finance." Federal Election Commission. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.

<http://www.fec.gov/disclosurehs/HSCandDetail.do>.

"Mazie K. Hirono." Campaign Finance/Money. N.p., 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.

<http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00028139>.

Nagourney, Adam. "A Candidate Whose Ads Are Never Off the Air." The New York Times. The

New York Times, 09 Aug. 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. 

<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/09/us/politics/linda-lingle-turns-hawaii-tv-channel-into- 

24-hour-campaign-ad.html?ref=lindalingle>.

"Total Raised and Spent." Total Raised and Spent. N.p., 16 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.

<http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=his2>.

Voting History and Demographic of Hawaii

       The state of Hawaii is home to only 1.37 million Americans, and is allotted 4 electoral college votes to contribute to each presidential election (Hawaii US Census Bureau)( Hawaii 270 to Win).  In it's first year as a State, Hawaii was originally allotted 3 electoral college votes in 1959, which was been raised to 4 electoral votes in the year following the 1960 election, and it has remained unchanged since then. (Hawaii 270 to win).
        Hawaii has remained a Democratic stronghold since its inception, with the exception of having conceded two victories to Republican presidential candidates (Hawaii Presidential Voting History).  Ronald  Reagan and Richard Nixon were the two non-Democrats presidential candidates to steal Hawaii, but not since then has it shared its electoral votes with a Republican (Hawaii 270 to Win).  This long-standing Democratic winning streak has created strong Democratic tone in Hawaii, one that may prove difficult for candidate Lingle to overcome.  Though Lingle did win her election against Hirono in 2002, her victory was the result of Hirono's last minute entry into the race and her slim victory over  the opposing democratic nominee, Ed Case. Hawaii
         Unlike other States, Hawaii is home home to a majority of ethnic minorities (Enloe and Seager 108).  Caucasians occupy only 24.9% of the population of the Hawaiian islands, and are vastly outnumbered but other ethnic groups (Enoloe and Seager 108).  Asian-Americans represent the largest ethnic group in Hawaii, contributing to 38% of the population (Hawaii US Census Bureau)(Enloe andSeager 108). As Mazie Hirono was born in Japan, her racial and ethnic congruency with a plurality of the population has the potential to be a political tool.  It might be easier to for Hawaiians to empathize with a candidate of the same ethnic origins, an advantage that might give Hirono an edge in the her campaign.  This unorthodox balance in ethnic distribution is likely to play a role in influencing the decisions of Hawaiians come November the 6th.
     




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of the United States. New York, NY: Penguin, 2011. Print.

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<http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html>.

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<http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/pre/HI/history.html>.

"Hawaii 270 to Win." 270 to Win. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2012.

<http://www.270towin.com/states/Hawaii>.

Promotion of Women's Rights and Hirono's Publicity

          Mazie Hirono is a fervent protector of civil rights, specifically when pertaining to achieving equality between the sexes.  Hirono co-sponsored the re-introduction of the Equal Rights Act, which was initially brought into effect in the 1960's, to help with issues such as discriminatory wages (Mazie Hirono on Civil Rights). The re-introduction of this legislation would equip congress with greater power to address and combat infractions on existing regulation regarding discrimination based on sex or race (Mazie Hirono on Civil Rights).
          But is discrimination based on sex still an important issue in America? Though certain among us may contend that it is not, women currently only earn on average 77% of what their male counterparts earn in the same occupation (Cheeseman and Downs). This significant gap of 33% percent illustrates a clear lack of equality in the current socioeconomic system, not congruent with the founding notions of freedom, order and equality for which America strives (Berry, et al.).  As such, Hirono became a combattant of such shortcomings, using her influence in the political sphere as well as her personal experience as woman in politics as political weapons in her arsenal.
          The state of Hawaii itself is represented by a legislature comprised only 33% of women (Enloe and Seager.  It is of little surprise that Congresswoman Hirono has been such a strong supporter of equality when her State legislature is dominated by a 2/3 majority of men. This inequality of representation can be addressed by breaking down barriers, such as sexual discrimination and wage gaps, that would discourage women from seeking public office.  Though never explicitly stated by Hirono, it is likely that gender parody in politics is a long-term goal.
          The discussion of gender discrimination in politics does raise questions about how Hirono is portrayed by the media.  Many articles regarding the Congresswoman go on in length on the subject of the ongoing struggles of two women vying for control of Hawaii's second district (Gaddis).  The articles heavily broadcast the significance of the sex of both candidate and its importance for the state of  Hawaii.  Though multiple female candidates is an excellent indicator for the progression of equality in politics, it may cast a shadow over the issues the candidates themselves are advocating.  Although some news outlets, such as Honolulu's Civil Beat, are maintaining an objective perspective, it becomes easy for to lose sight of candidate's issues and in favor of what might be considered a more appealing topic of sex in politics (Blair).
          I do not mean to say that broadcasting the success of two prominent female candidates should be frowned upon, rather that such information should be released in a responsible manner in tandem with other relevant electoral information.





Berry, Jeffrey, Kenneth M. Janda, Jerry Goldman, and Kevin W. Hula. The Challenge of Democracy.

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Print.

Blair, Chad. "Lingle and Hirono, On The Attack." Honolulu Civil Beat. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2012.

<http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2012/10/31/17488-civil-beat-poll-hironos-double-digit- 

lead-over-lingle-holding/>.

Cheeseman, Jennifer, and Barbara Downs. "Examining the Gender Earnings Gap: Occupational

Differences and the Life Course." US Census. N.p., 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. 

<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/ioindex/GenderEarningsGap.pdf>.

Enloe, Cynthia H., and Joni Seager. The Real State of America Atlas: Mapping the Myths and Truths

of the United States. New York, NY: Penguin, 2011. Print.

Gaddis, Nate. "Lingle vs Hirono: An Historically Rare, Important Election." Maui Now RSS. N.p., 22

Aug. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://mauinow.com/2012/08/22/lingle-vs-hirono-an- 

historically-rare-important-election/>.

 "Mazie Hirono on Civil Rights." Mazie Hirono on Civil Rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.

<http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Mazie_Hirono_Civil_Rights.htm>.

Hirono's Conservation and Environment Effort

          Environmental protection is one of the primary goals of Congresswoman Hirono as she battles for the vacant senatorial position.  (Congresswoman Mazie Hirono).  There is much natural land in Hawaii's second district, therefore it is no surprise that Hawaiians would consider environment protection to be a key issue.  Hirono might simply be espousing environmental protection to gain favor, although it is possible she believes it to be in the nation's best interest to preserve the local flora and fauna.

          Hirono is  known for her voting on clean energy initiatives but primarily on numerous policies regarding wildlife conservation initiatives, having co-sponsored several of these projects herself.  She bears a clear concern for wildlife, particularly animal wellbeing where it is threatened by human interference (Mazie on the issues). 

          Among the long list of the animals Hirono has petitioned to save are polar bears, bluefin tuna, foxes, wolves and horses (Mazie Hirono on Environment). Along similar lines she also co-sponsored PUPS, legislation that increases the regulation of dog kennels to decrease the mistreatment of puppies (Mazie on the environment). Her support of animals has been consistant throughout her terms in public office, and she was awarded  a rating of 75% by the Humane Society Legislative Fund on issues concerning the well-being of animals (Mazie onEnvironment)(Humane Society Legislative Fund).

        Hirono's humanitarian views are endearing to the public and make her an appealing candidate for citizens concerned about animal rights.  Hirono's activism portrays her seemingly caring nature by showing her concern for less fortunate animals.  Demonstrating such a strong sense of character is highly appealing in the current political age, where a candidate's personality can have such a large impact upon their support base (Barry et. al 223).  Combatting animal cruelty and fighting to protect endangered animals is therefore an excellent method of improve a candidate's image.

          The production of clean energy is another issue that relatively high on Congreesowman Hirono's list of priorities.  She is against  unregulated pollution of the environment, and supported enforcing limits on CO2 emitions in 2009. She also believes that Americans need "to wean [themselves] from imported oil"(qtd. in Mazie Hirono on Energy and Oil).  Her left-wing views regarding environmental policy are likely to gain her favor in a state that traditionally leans democratic.
         The natural persona exuded by Hawaii is most likely a cause for Hirono's stances on environmental issues. Her advocacy of pro-environmental policy will earn her votes from concerned Hawaiians.

Barry, Jeffrey M, Jerry Goldman, Kevin W. Hula, and Kenneth Janda. The Challenge of

Democracy American Government in Global Politics. United States: Wadsworth, Cengage  

Learning, 2012. Print.

"Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono." Malama 'Aina. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012.

<http://hirono.house.gov/issues/issue/?IssueID=57981>.

"Humane Society Legislative Fund." Humane Society Legislative Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

<http://www.hslf.org/>.

"Mazie Hirono on Energy and Oil." Mazie Hirono on Energy and Oil. On the Issues, 14 Oct. 2012.

Web. <http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Mazie_Hirono_Energy_+_Oil.htm>.

"Mazie Hirono on Environment." Mazie Hirono on Environment. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

<http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Mazie_Hirono_Environment.htm>.

Hirono's Stance on Education

Congresswoman Hirono is a staunch advocate of improving child and youth education.  During her term in office she has supported several legislative propositions put forth to ameliorate and renovate outdated schools and also to support teacher development.  Her stances on education are liberal, as she places more value on positive interaction between teachers and students than complex and rigid structures of standardized testing.
           Congresswoman Hirono stands behind her ideas when it comes time to vote. She was notably opposed to the No Child Left Behind policies proposed under the Bush administration (Mazie Hirono on the Issues). The principals of NCLB were an increased focus on the standardization of testing of students across America (Rotherham). Hirono felt these measures undermined the purpose of teaching and warped notions of education by enforcing stricter guidelines.  She would instead have funds relocated to teacher development programs, ensuring teachers can reach their maximum potential in terms of quality so that they might better instruct and nurture their students. (Mazie Hirono on the Issues).
          In order for a proper and efficient education system to be maintained, more funds are needed from the federal government.  Hirono voted in favor of an omnibus bill, the HSS Labor Education appropriations bill, which would have given 10.2 billion dollars of federal support to schools (H.R. 3043 (110th)). Though the bill had a majority of the support and passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it was vetoed by president Bush because of its extensive costs (H.R. 3043 (110th)).
          In contrast, both Mazie Hirono and challenger Linda Lingles are in favor of increased federal expenditures on education, though their views on the implementation of these funds differ.  Former governor Lingles believes that higher pay should be available to teachers, and should be awarded depending on personal performance and merit, which would be determined by the state (Linda Lingle on the Issues).  This more regimented approach of Lingle's is counterintuitive to the style espoused by Hirono, as it encourages professors to focus on academic results and ignore individual student needs.
          Hirono's strong commitment to improve education is unorthodox from a state such as Hawaii,  as it boasts excellent standards of education (Enloe and Seager 108).  Hawaii is already leading the nation in regards to students completing high school, with over 90% successfully graduating (Enloe and Seager 108).  In addition, Hawaii also spends in excess of 10 thousand dolars per pupil every year; again setting an example for the rest of the country (Enloe and Seager 76).  With such a high standard of education, perhaps making education related legislation a priority is over zealous.  On the other hand, perhaps she policies and experience from her home state as an example with which to improve other states lacking in educational expertise.
          It is no secret that Congresswoman Hirono is a powerful supporter of education, with an emphasis on the necessity of early childhood education (Mazie Hirono on the Issues).  She believes that by beginning learning at  a young age, and being taught by capable and well-developed instructors, that the youth will develop into a strong generation capable of steering America in the right direction.
         Hirono will likely continue to her fervent support of education policy as a member of Senate if re-elected.






Enloe, Cynthia H., and Joni Seager. The Real State of America Atlas: Mapping the Myths and Truths

of the United States. New York, NY: Penguin, 2011. Print.

"H.R. 3043 (110th):"  Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related

Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 (2007; 110th Congress H.R. 3043). N.p., n.d. Web. 

15 Oct. 2012. <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/hr3043>.

"Linda Lingle on the Issues." Linda Lingle on the Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. \

<http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Linda_Lingle.htm>.

"Mazie Hirono on the Issues." Mazie Hirono on the Issues. On the Issues, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. \

<http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Mazie_Hirono.htm>.

     
Rotherham, Andrew J. 'Lets Not Weaken It' An Exclusive Interview with George W Bush on NCLB.

Times, 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://ideas.time.com/2012/01/12/lets-not- 

weaken-it-an-exclusive-interview-with-george-w-bush-on-nclb/>.

Background of Hawaii's Second District Congresswoman

               Mazie Hirono is the current Democratic congresswoman in Hawaii's Second District . She is a challenger for the open senate seat left by retiring Senator Daniel K. Akaka, and is competing with her former GOP rival, Linda Lingle (Washingon Post).
               Born in 1947, in Fukushima, Japan, Mazie Hirono lead a difficult childhood.  She suffered from an abusive father before fleeing with her mother and older brother to the United States at the age of eight (Washington Post).  They made Hawaii their home, and she became an official citizen in 1959 (Biography).  Congresswoman Hirono attributes much of her tenacity and determination to the challenges and discrimination she felt as both a young woman and a foreigner during her formative years in Hawaii (Washington post). As such, she is strong advocate for the protection of women's rights and has shown powerful support in favor of pro-choice legislature for her constituents.
               Mazie Hirono attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa, majoring in psychology, and was initiated into the Phi Beta Kappa society, which honors excellence in liberal arts and social sciences (Biography). She continued her education to Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, where she focused administering public law (Biography). Although Mazie excelled in her education, her brother had difficulties with his academic success (Mazie for Hawaii).  His struggles played a role and influenced Hirono's to push for increased pre-K learning to assist youth with difficulties like her brother.
             After law school the young Asian-American became Hawaii's deputy attorney general, after which she left to practice in the private sector as an attorney (Washington Post).  Congresswoman Hirono's career in the political office began in 1980, when she was elected to the Hawaiian House of Representatives (Mazie for Hawaii). During this time she chaired the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committees.  Following her time in the Hawaiian House of Representatives, Congresswoman Ms. Hirono went on to serve two full terms as lieutenant governor under Governor Cayetano (Washington Post).
            Hirono's political career almost run its course in 2002, when she was defeated by GOP candidate Linda Lingle, who became Hawaii's first female governor (Washington Post). This loss is attributed to Hirono's slender victory over other democratic candidate nominee Ed Case in the primary, which was seen as a lack of support (Dipietro).  However, Ms. Hirono proved resiliant and recovered the title from the incumbent in 2007.  Congresswoman Hirono is the first female and buddhist, although non-practicing, congresswoman to be elected into the house of representatives (Washington Post).
          Hirono was married to Leighton Oshima in 1989, and currently has one step-daughter (Biography).
 





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