Interest high in Hawaii caucuses Feb. 19

[Omaha Steve]

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Feb/04/ln/hawaii802040345.html/?print=on

• Poll shows Dems tied, GOP led by McCain
• Clinton is topic No. 1 as campaigns reach crescendo

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Government Writer



Hawai'i Democrats usually draw less than 5,000 people to their presidential caucuses, but Florence Kong Kee, the party's political director, has already ordered 12,000 ballots for the caucuses this month and is worried that may not be enough.

Over the past several months, as interest in the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination has peaked, more than 1,200 people have joined the party. Local volunteers for Hawai'i-born U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York are bringing in dozens more blue membership cards to party headquarters at Ward Warehouse.

The anticipation in the Islands could be over by tomorrow — Super Tuesday — if Obama or Clinton clinches the nomination when more than 20 states hold primaries and caucuses. But Hawai'i Democrats are preparing as if their caucuses will matter.

If Obama and Clinton are both still viable after the delegate count tomorrow — a day many analysts believe will seal the nomination — the presidential campaign will immediately turn to the remaining states. Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington state Democrats vote on Saturday. Maine Democrats are up on Sunday. Washington, D.C.; Maryland; and Virginia Democrats vote on Feb. 12.

And Hawai'i and Wisconsin Democrats are waiting on Feb. 19.

"I just think it's a matter of seeing how it goes. If it's still close, Hawai'i is definitely going to be a player," said Kong Kee, who estimated that turnout could double the roughly 4,000 who participated in the 2004 caucuses.


FULL story at link.

[ellisonz]

1. It could get interesting.

"Anybody who's supporting Obama that thinks we waltz to victory when we have HGEA, Sen. Inouye and Sen. Hanabusa on the other side, I think that they are fooling themselves"

On the ground here, not that much is going on, I've seen 1 yard sign for Hillary and 1 for Obama in Honolulu. I think the Obama campaign is really relying on word of mouth and home field advantage which could be difficult to pull off in a caucus situation. I also think Clinton will have an especially hard time creating new Clinton voters here. I don't think the Apology Resolution will matter that much. We also don't really have the infrastructure to accommodate large numbers of caucuses. Parking will be an issue.