Who Won What Where and Why?

          On November the 6th Mazie Hirono became the first Asian-born senator in America.  Mazie Hirono defeated the GOP candidate Linda Lingle 62.6% to 37.4%, by a margin of 107 thousand votes (2012 Presidential Election).  But what propelled Mazie to her substantial lead and victory?
          It is difficult to pinpoint why Mazie Hirono was so successful as a candidate.  Many aspects of her personality and her stance on prominent issues make her and appealing choice for the Senate.  It is my hypothesis that a combination of several smaller factors created the correct political climate that enabled Mazie Hirono to win her seat in the Senate.
         I believe that Hawaii being the home state of current President Barrack Obama was a powerful and positive influence that supported Mazie Hirono's campaign (Barack Obama Biography). The President's ties back to his home state motivated voters and aroused waves of Democratic sentiments;  the waves that Hirono rode to victory.  Like the President, Hirono is an advocate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and places a high priority on issues of education (Mazie Hirono on the Issues).  Their agreement on issues such as these allows Hawaiians to channel their enthusiasm for Barrack Obama into his Hawaiian Senatorial candidate counterpart.
        Another important link Mazie Hirono shares with President Obama is that both she and he are visible minorities.  This visible connection between Hirono and Obama can only strengthen their inherent association,  and by extension aid the propagation of her campaign to Democrats already supporting Obama.  These supporters recognized the similarities, and likely lent their support to Hirono on the day of the election.  Although, this association may have influenced Democrats or those leaning Democrat to cast their ballot for Hirono, it is doubtful the presidential correlation had a positive voting influence on more right-wing Hawaiians.
         I do not think the influence of Mazie Hirono's ethnic origin ends with just a coincidental presidential correlation. The interplay of Mazie Hirono's ethnic origins and the demographic of Hawaii also came into play when determining the outcome of this election.  Hawaii's population is comprised of 38% asian citizens, a sleeping giant akin to latino populations in other states (Enloe and Seager 108)(US Census Bureau).  These Asians-Americans are the majority ethnic group in Hawaii, which gives them much power in determining the which political agents they are going to elect to represent them.  No one was better suited for representing the interests Asian-American Hawaiians than Mazie Hirono, who bore the potential of being the first Asian-American Senator.
        Due to this ethnic bias, I believe Mazie Hirono was able to clinch the votes of those who were more focused on candidate characteristics than their political platforms.  This ethnic trend of voting is correlated ideas of candidate centered voting, and in the case of Hawaii's visible majority it is a short-term strategy that holds the power to decide the outcome of an election (Berry et. al 226).  These ethnic similarities coupled with Hirono's presidential correlation were key components in securing her victory against Lingle.






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<http://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/>.

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<http://www.biography.com/people/barack-obama-12782369>.

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

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Print.

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.

"Hawaii US Census Bureau." USA Census Bureau. N.p., 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012.

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

"Mazie Hirono on the Issues." On the Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2012.

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

Whose Side Are You on Anyway?

          It is not be uncommon for a Democrat Senate candidate to receive endorsements from other Democrats.  However, it is not only Hirono's fellow Democrats who are wholeheartedly endorsing her campaign, but Republican candidates and congressmen are rallying behind her cause as well (Garcia). Hirono's support across partisan lines was shocking, and will prove useful for the Hawaii candidate as the election draws nearer.
         John Carroll, Linda Lingle's former opponent in the Hawaiian Republican Primary Election, kissed Hirono on the cheek and offered her a few kind words (Garcia).  Carroll continued his endorsment of Hirono by publicly saying that "(Hirono is) the only option for Senate in my book right now"(qtd. in Garcia).  Though these comments may have been sincere,  Lingle's campaign could justify them being a bitter attempt to get even with Lingle after having been defeated by her in the primary election.  Regardless of what Carroll's words are construed to mean, his actions initiated a quick backlash from the Lingle's campaign.  Lingle's campaign spokesperson retaliated, stating that the endorsement Carrol made "[doesn't] mean a hill of beans"(qtd. Garcia).
        On what grounds can the Lingle campaign be so dismissive of their fellow party member's opinion?  The decline of partisanship in America is bears some of the responsibility (Berry et. al 226).  As more voters and even more candidates are beginning to lose their fierce partisan loyalty, it becomes easier to disagree with the party that candidate belongs to (Berry et. al 226).  Because of this shift in how candidates perceive themselves and their role in parties, political barriers that previously preventing this kind of criticism are being knocked down.  Lingle 's mockery of Carrol is an example of how his weak Republican identification lead to the endorsement of an opponent and then his ridicule at the hands of a fellow Republican.
        Weakening party identification is also a driving force in Hirono's second Republican endorsement, this one from Alaskan Congressman Don Young (Responds to Attack Ads).  The advertisement highlights Hirono's past bi-partisan accomplishments, and her ability to work with Republicans and achieve results.  Don Young fully endorses Hirono as the Senator Hawaii needs, although maybe not the one it deserves.
          Don Young's endorsement will be difficult for Lingle's campaign to ignore. Young is a reputable and conservative Congressman his home state of Alaska, a Republican stronghold that has only conceded once to a Democrat presidential candidate (Alaska 270 to win).  Young's status as a Republican politician will make dismissing his endorsement a difficult task for Lingle.
           Young's cross-partisan endorsement is yet another example of the weakening of partisan alignment in America.  Weaker partisan ties have lead to the current political social context in which Young  is able to speak freely in favor of Hirono, without fearing retribution from his fellow Republicans. Yet this weakening in partisan alignment also gives more leeway for other Republicans, such as Lingle, to disassociate with Young if they do not agree with the ideas he is espousing.  Such disassociation might be instrumental for Lingle if she wishes to recover from Hirono's very successful advertisement.

"Alaska 270 to Win." Alaska Presidential Election Voting History. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2012.

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

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

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Print.

Garcia, Oskar. "Hirono Endorsed by Lingle's GOP Primary Opponent." Washington Examiner. N.p.,

24 Aug. 2012. Web. 4 Nov. 2012. <http://washingtonexaminer.com/hirono-endorsed-by- 

lingles-gop-primary-opponent/article/feed/2027395>.

"Responds to Attack Ads." Mazie Hirono Videos : Firstpost Topic. N.p., 3 Nov. 2012. Web.

<http://www.firstpost.com/topic/person/mazie-hirono-barack-obama-responds-to-attack- 

ads-video-CtSk3nwhdzY-62233-1.html>.

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.





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Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Print.

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

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<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.
     




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.

"Hawaii US Census Bureau." USA Census Bureau. N.p., 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2012.

<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>.

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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