Welcome to HONOLULU's Politics Blog
Election time rolls around every two years and HONOLULU wants a piece of it. As a city magazine, HONOLULU covers the big picture stories of our community, we chart trends, we respect history, and tap the heartbeat of our diverse and fascinating city. Now, we want to do that with politics.
We know our readers are savvy folks who keep up with news, many subscribe to the daily newspaper, benefiting from the intensive coverage available there and just-the-facts approach.
Our political team is a little different. Sure, we’re talking about the critical issues. We want to know why Hawaii’s voter turnout plunged in recent years to dismal lows, the worst in the nation, even! We want to know what issues you think are most important. But we’re also following our instinct for the quirky things that might not get much ink from a newspaper. We’re starting today and planning to update the blog at least twice a week, ramping up as the election draws near.
Our mix of blog entries today gives a taste of what’s in store. It includes a fresh approach to the do's and don'ts of sign waving (including what to do when a bug flies in your mouth). What’s coming up? We will check out the food and the fashion that goes into a successful political campaign (Aloha shirt challenge: Sig Zane vs. Reyn Spooner smackdown, anyone?).
Pundits will tell you that all politics is local. Former U.S. Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill gets the credit for coining that phrase, which means that politicians had better remember the everyday concerns of the voters who put them in office. As a monthly magazine, our deadlines dictate that our printed work be prepared weeks before publication. But our web site gives us the chance to write about politics on a more timely basis.
This is HONOLULU Magazine’s first deep dive into continuing political coverage. But our team has been writing about politics for a total of about half a century. I’ve spent 25 years writing about state, county and federal politics in Hawaii. Covering those races as a newspaper and television reporter has taken me from the state Capitol and Honolulu Hale to Capitol Hill to cover the late Sen. Daniel Inouye’s leadership.
I am fortunate to be joined on the blog by two writers with political junkie status of their own: Loren Moreno, who’s covered public education and local politics for five years; and Treena Shapiro, who brings 15 years experience covering state and county government. And we’ve pulled in our managing editor, Michael Keany, who brings 10 years of magazine experience to our mix.
What other politics do you want to read here? Let us know at politics@honolulumagazine.com.
