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Ah, the good old mainland card. It's as popular as the race card! Please, there is no such thing as mainland people. If there were, then the citizens of Wichita, Kansas would think like the people of Berkeley, Ca. Or people from Knoxville, Tn would be like people from Miami, Fl! Does anyone in their right mind think that the citizens of San Francisco vote like they do in Richmond, Va? I suppose the folks in the Hopi Nation are like everyone else too, right? What the heck, they're on the mainland. This is the sort of minor league thinking that used to drive me up a wall when we lived in Hawaii. There's just so much lack of critical thinking that drives people's opinions. Always blaming the white people, the Asians, the mainlanders, etc for their own problems, Ah well, it's always easier to blame someone else than to look at yourself I suppose.
Politics In Hawaii, in general, is Democratic, but people tend to vote, when they do vote, for individuals. It's not like Florida or Texas, where a fence post running as a Republican will get more votes than a brain surgeon running as a Democrat. And people in Hawaii DO vote along racial lines. I would venture to say that nearly everything in Hawaii is about race, despite the mythical Aloha business.
Yes there is such a thing as mainland people. For example, an Asian born and raised in Ca has nothing in common with an Asian born and raised in Hawaii. Every Asian mainlander that comes here will fell like a fish out of water, excpetions only if they have local family connections to integrate with. Culture, lifestyle, attitiude, perspectives are polar opposites. You just don't know that because you're on the outside looking in and only seeing the superficial side of Hawaii people. You will never understand, unless you marry in or have deep interpersonal relationships with people born and raised here.
You moved here thinking "oh, what a great environment to live in, so much natural beauty" then you realize the things that irritate you about Hawaii is that its nothing like life in the maindland. So you get tired if it then "meh" leave bitter.
Just amongst the 7398579750937932 mainlander that came and went. Hope you bought a lot of stuff and paid taxes to support our rail, it costs a hella lot of taxpayer money!
Oh and by the way yes I agree, Hawaii people do hold a "minor league thinking" when it comes to politics but we don't have much issues to be too concerned about (as I opinionated in the previous post), except when we voted for a Haole female for Governer 2 terms in a row. The female Japanese democrat challenger was too much of an idiot for people to put up with so the trend was bucked!
Last edited by lost_traveler1; 08-08-2014 at 03:42 PM..
You will never understand, unless you marry in or have deep interpersonal relationships with people born and raised here.
Hmmmm, I married and Asian "local", most of my friends are "local" (and Asian) - and quite frankly, going on 6 years here, I don't see any difference in our day to day interactions than when I lived in the Bay Area.
It doesn't surprise me that Hawaii politics are different then the mainland, no other state can relate to being so isolated, except for Alaska. I also don't see a lot of racism, there seems to be a lot of racial diversity in elected offices. Most of the US has low voter turnout, and many people escape to Hawaii to relax and retire, part of that includes getting away from politics. So the assumption that many haoles don't vote could be true, but I have nothing to back that up. The people who seem to move to Hawaii in the greatest numbers are retirees, minorities, and younger people. These groups are know for voting Democrat. I doubt many business people who may tend to be Republican move to Hawaii. From my outsider perspective it doesn't seem the Hawaiian government does much better then mainland states.
Oh and by the way yes I agree, Hawaii people do hold a "minor league thinking" when it comes to politics but we don't have much issues to be too concerned about (as I opinionated in the previous post), except when we voted for a Haole female for Governer 2 terms in a row. The female Japanese democrat challenger was too much of an idiot for people to put up with so the trend was bucked!
So it seems that the people of Hawaii tend to be more liberal, but are not consistently voting democrat?
There are 7 elected state representatives who are Republican and 28 elected Democrats for Oahu. Oahu is a Democratic stronghold, is it liberal, I would assume so, but I don't know.
The Governor position has a more immediate and significant impact on Hawaii than does a seat at Washington. Case in point, Akaka held the spot for over 2 decades and did nothing of importance to my life, neither will Hirono.
When Lingle's term finished, the perspective on her as a senator changes when she becomes part of the GOP and the association of the teabaggers. They are all about race, guns, and religion, all things not so important to Hawaii.
Hmmmm, I married and Asian "local", most of my friends are "local" (and Asian) - and quite frankly, going on 6 years here, I don't see any difference in our day to day interactions than when I lived in the Bay Area.
Well if you think "day to day interactions" are equal to "culture, lifestyle, attitiude, perspectives" than one can see that its the same.
Sure we have 2 eyes, we eat food, and breathe air, "whats this bulls@#t with mainlanders are different than local people." If thats your logic than go and feel all warm inside. There is a huge difference between being born and raised on an lsland where all your friends, all your family, all the people you ever meet since your developing brain could retain and recall memories live within a 20 mile radius of you, than being from the mainland and downsizing to a smaller demographic.
Just a question because im here to learn too and i haven't been home in along time. There is also another aspect to hawaii politics, that is community activism. I believe balancing growth and preserving communities and lifestyles is important to local hawaii residents. I remember a friend of my ohanas told me his tutu and others in the community where part of the big fight in pearl city to keep big box stores from moving in. They gathered a ton of signatures and where ignored. I also understand that this is also part of why people don't get involved in politics in Hawaii? They don't believe politicians listen or care about local issues?
I believe balancing growth and preserving communities and lifestyles is important to local hawaii residents. I remember a friend of my ohanas told me his tutu and others in the community where part of the big fight in pearl city to keep big box stores from moving in. They gathered a ton of signatures and where ignored. I also understand that this is also part of why people don't get involved in politics in Hawaii? They don't believe politicians listen or care about local issues?
Are you sure you aren't taking about Oregon? Because the same things are happening here.
It's not just Hawaii. It's politics everywhere.
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