GOP split could give isles clout on the national stage
KAT WADE / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Diane Hunker signs for her ballot from volunteer Christon Ruff to vote in the GOP caucus at Mililani Mauka Elementary School on Tuesday in Mililani.
For the first time in many decades, Hawaii Republicans could make a dent in national politics. The plan would be both simple and complex.
It depends on Hawaii’s GOP going to the July national convention in Cleveland with a national party that has no clear presidential nominee.
If billionaire reality TV star Donald Trump has it locked up by this summer, then forget it, Hawaii doesn’t get to play. But if no one is winning, the dance is on.
A so-called brokered convention means that the front-runner has not been able to snag the required delegate total of 1,237.
Hawaii’s Republican establishment last night went to their party caucuses hoping for a split vote.
“If there is an open convention, I want to be there,” said former GOP state legislator and party leader Barbara Marumoto, who at first supported Jeb Bush then, after he dropped out, went with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.
“I’ve attended five national conventions, and for the most part, they have been well-orchestrated programs made for TV,” Marumoto said, clearly hoping for real intrigue in Cleveland.
The chance for 19 Hawaii GOP delegates to trade their votes in return for presidential help for the state makes a brokered convention open to wheeling and dealing for even the tiny Hawaii delegation.
Former GOP U.S. Rep. Charles Djou said: “Hawaii clearly has an exciting role to play as every delegate at a convention will have an important part in selecting the nominee. A delegate from Hawaii will carry as much weight as a delegate from Iowa or New Hampshire.”
Djou is relishing the chance for Hawaii to be part of a historic convention.
“While Hawaii is often thought of as an afterthought in the nominating process, we can be an integral part of selecting the nominee in 2016,” Djou said.
The reason why is that denying Trump a first-ballot win means the delegates can pick anyone as the presidential nominee.
For instance, as the last GOP nominee, Mitt Romney, pointed out on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he’s ready if the GOP wants him.
“I don’t think anyone in our party should say, ‘Oh, no. Even if the people of the party wanted me to be president, I would say no to it.’ No one is going to say that,” Romney said.
At the same time, the GOP will have to deal with the perception that if delegates don’t go with the candidate with the most votes, it is just wrong.
State Rep. Beth Fukumoto Chang, the state House GOP leader, worries the GOP could be inviting a November disaster: If “the party needs to backroom-deal at an establishment level to undo the work of local party voters, then we’ve already lost.”
“I think if the popular vote gets overruled in a brokered convention, people are going to feel disenfranchised. It would be well within the rules, but if this primary season is showing anything, it’s showing that people are tired of establishment politics,” said Fukumoto Chang (R, Mililani-Mililani Mauka-Waipio Acres).
Still, former U.S. Rep. and GOP Chairwoman Pat Saiki said: “It looks like we’re headed for an open convention, and after the first ballot, all bets are off.”
Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.
31 responses to “GOP split could give isles clout on the national stage”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Too bad the real election that counts in Hawaii will give the nod to Hillary. The Hawaii GOP’s only hope is the rest of the nation for a GOP white house victory. No matter what GOP candidate is running too.
Dream on. Hawaii will just be Hawaii. A speck in da ocean. Go home cook rice.
Lucky Hawaii is just Hawaii. We love our rice, especially with spam and the potato heads can’t stand it. We eat “white” rice and expel it with rest of the garbage like we do with the racists like you.
LOL Another racist comment from the tail. What else can we expect? His “we” should be “I”
You should learn how to read first, potato head.
Since you have difficulties in comprehending English, I’ll make it really clear to you. GO HOME COOK POTATOES. Now you get it?
Who are WE? Speak for yourself.
My, my, what thin skin we have. How do you know the comment wasn’t sexist instead?
I’m laughing at Marumoto, Djou, Psyche, and other RINOs. They would so dearly love to go to the national convention. Such fun! But would they be willing to do what Hawaii Republicans have very clearly commanded them to do — vote for Trump? *LOL And I’m laughing at Borreca who grossly exaggerates the ability of Hawaii’s 19 delegates to influence a convention where a couple thousand delegates will be jockeying for power. I look forward to seeing Nathan Paikai heading up the Hawaii delegation, telling Marumoto and Djou where to sit. Nathan Paikai. Hoodat? Read the article and watch TV news. Hawaii has a new generation of Republican activists, who are mad as hell at the old dinosaurs and aren’t going to take it anymore.
The turnout for the Republican caucus was HUGE! And lots of former Dems signed up as Republicans just so they could vote for Trump. The excitement for Trump in Hawaii this year resembles the excitement for Obama 8 years ago. It reminds me of my youth when the slogan was “Rise up and overthrow the Establishment.” Well, that’s what’s happening, and the Establishment just can’t tolerate it and doesn’t understand what’s happening.
I was considering signing up and voting for the Donald. The Donald is the only republican willing to increase taxes, (Hedge fund managers) and willing to call GW a disaster. This is heresy for a republican but refreshing. Shame he is so out to lunch on most everything else. Poor Rubio. I got a call from Mitt personally asking me to go vote for him. I wonder if he has dropped out already?
Boots; Hedge Fund Manager–you know you are talking bout Hillary’s son-in-law–father of the ex-con Congressman???
Chelsea’s Father-in-law, after serving as a Congressman became hedge-fund manager and like Maloof, his ponzi scam went belly-up and was convicted. He was able to get a lighter sentence, where Maloof got 150 years, of course it was a $50 billion scam.
Turnout was “huge”? Trump turned out LESS people across the entire island than Norm Chow did! How is that huge? LOL!
Well, said Ken_Conklin.
RINO’s are whistling past the graveyard and their fear is authentic.
The Donald has lanced this putrescent boil known as the GOP and in the process ignited a long overdue RINO-cide battle for the soul of the party.
If he becomes POTUS 45, a lot of comfy, over paid “experts” and other cronies inside the beltway are going to be tossed out on their well upholstered kiesters.
Yet, it could be worse? Eminent Domain will be the law of the land to the benefit of real estate developers. Mom and Pop business real estate properties will disappear.
Thank you Dr C – very well said.
TRUMP 2016. Time for establishment career politicians to GET THE H#LL OUT and RETIRE !!
Yeah, right. Ask Italy how that went when they tried that approach with Berlusconi, the original Trump…
I thought you were going to say Benito Mussolini – – as so many of your ilk are saying in a vain attempt to make light of the Trump Tsunami.
That’s why Bernie the socialist won’t work. Capitalism and Christianity is the key for success, Great point HIE about Berlusconi and sanders.
And, I continue to support Ted Cruz and even to Cleveland, Ohio.
And that is why the Hawaii GOP is still out of touch with reality.
I would be happy with Cruz. Trump has publicly said he needs to select a VP who is knowledgeable about Washington and good at politics. So if Cruz doesn’t win the nomination for President, he might make a good VP. Trump can be the bull in the china shop, having big ideas and running rampant through the Establishment, while the VP can work on getting those big changes implemented. Whether as President, or working behind the scenes, I’d like to see Cruz deciding who should be nominated to replace Scalia on the Supreme Court.
I’d like to see Cruz and Scalia’s replacement on SCOTUS.
For that reason, I’d like to see Trump totally upset the apple cart by selecting Tulsi Gabbard as his running mate. Why? Because she has publicly broken with the current occupant of the White House on matters of war and peace; she has resigned her high viz DNC post and in so doing took a public swipe at Hillary. Tusli knows a lot of the intra-beltway nuts and bolts of how to get things done and has a lot of contacts on both sides of the aisle. And – – unlike Trump who has never served – – she knows veteran issues up close and personal.
Never happen of course, but still . . . .
erratum: I’d like to see Cruz AS Scalia’s replacement …
Put Tulsi in the Supreme Court?……just thinkin’ out loud.
So……….Trump triumphed last night, ……alot can happen between now and Nov 2016, stay attentive and alert……….and stay in the boat with both hands on the rope!
Hawaii could get CLOUT????? Golly, how we forget history from just a few years ago. Senator Dan was the MOST POWERFUL person in the Senate. Chairman of the Ways and Means committee–he held the purse strings for every project, everything in the senate. And what did he do with the CLOUT??? Sure, he used it to have the government bail out HIS personal bank—Central Pacific Bank to the tune of $150 MILLION dollars–and then the government gave them the sign of the cross and forgave it. Keep voting Democratic–they are for the people who elect them!! NOT!!!
I think the GOP needs to embrace Trump, even if they don’t want to. A brokered convention will guarantee Hillary wins the general election. Because even if Trump doesn’t get over half the vote, he will probably have more supporters than any other candidate. So whoever the GOP picks, Trumps supporters will feel betrayed. Many of them will stay home. And because the GOP needs all the votes it can get in the general election, alienating a large chunk of their constituency will be a disaster for them. But nominating Trump would also be a disaster. Well, the GOP brought this on themselves.
Trump success is derived from electorates that have refrained from voting in past elections to demonstrate to disapproval of the Washington beltway insiders, the establishment. With Trumps emergence these same disgruntled voters have emerge to support Trump as an anti-establishment demonstration. Thus, Trump supporters have not been able register over 50% of the Republican registered voters. Basically his support is from the disgruntled part members. If he could win both Florida and Ohio he may be able to pull it off.
The sub title would be “and monkeys might fly out of my okole.” Boreca must have been against a deadline to push this fantasy.
So our do called GOP Hawaii delegates are hoping for a brokered convention so they can disregard the popular votes or the will of the people. This is exactly why Trump won Hawaii, because people are fed up with establishment politics, and these moro-s are doing exactly what the voters were against. They make the voting process useless and worthless if this is what is going to happen.