Gov. Neil Abercrombie has backed out of three of the four AARP Hawaii debates with state Sen. David Ige before the Democratic primary.
Earlier this month, Abercrombie had agreed to AARP Hawaii debates in Maui, Hilo, Kona and Honolulu, a decision that surprised some political analysts, who questioned why the governor would give Ige, his largely unknown challenger, new opportunities to appear together before the election.
Political analysts were also curious why Abercrombie would agree to so many AARP Hawaii events, since both Ige and AARP Hawaii had successfully fought the governor’s pension tax proposal in 2011 and Ige has made the pension tax an issue in the campaign.
The Abercrombie campaign, citing "scheduling difficulties," informed AARP Hawaii on Friday that the governor would appear only at the Kona event on July 29, the same day the candidates have a forum before the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce.
The only other debate set between the two before the primary is a Waimea Community Association forum on Hawaii island on July 23.
"We’ve run into some scheduling difficulties and will be unable to attend all of the forums originally planned by AARP," William Kaneko, Abercrombie’s campaign manager, said in a statement Saturday. "Fortunately, Hawaii voters will have many opportunities to see both candidates engage before the primary election. Gov. Abercrombie has emerged as a clear leader with his continuing plan to grow our economy, his advancement of preschool for all children, and his advocacy of the environment."
Ige said he is disappointed, adding that more debates are better for voters. "I think it’s important that the voters get to see both of us side by side," he said.
Barbara Kim Stanton, the AARP Hawaii state director, said she hopes Abercrombie reconsiders.
"AARP Hawaii is deeply disappointed that the governor will not be taking part in three of the four debates that his campaign had agreed to," she said in a statement. "We hope the governor reconsiders his decision and honors his debate commitments. This is a critical election and the issues require thoughtful deliberation. Campaign ads are a poor substitute for giving voters every opportunity to make informed decisions based on side-by-side comparisons."
Abercrombie and Ige have appeared in three debates: a forum sponsored by the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce in June, and televised encounters hosted by PBS Hawaii’s "Insights" and Hawaii News Now and the Star-Advertiser in July.
While Abercrombie has proven to be the more confident and experienced debater, Ige has turned in steady performances, challenging the governor on his stewardship over state finances and his leadership.
Ige does not have high name recognition with voters or the money to raise his profile through advertising, so he has relied on the debates to help introduce himself to voters who might be unfamiliar with him and to present himself as an alternative to the governor.
Some political observers, speaking on background, were stunned Abercrombie would consider giving Ige four chances in front of AARP Hawaii audiences to remind seniors of the governor’s pension tax and his proposal to end state Medicare Part B reimbursements for retired public workers and their spouses.
Both ideas were part of Abercrombie’s prescription to reduce a projected budget deficit during his first year in office.
Most states tax pension income, and the Tax Review Commission has recommended in the past that traditional defined-benefit pension plans be treated the same as defined-contribution plans, such as individual retirement accounts and 401(k) plans, which are subject to taxation. But AARP Hawaii opposed any pension tax, even if narrowed to only higher-income seniors.
