AHC: Republican Hawaii

[Will Kürlich Kerl]

Challenge: Have Hawaii be a safe Republican state instead of a safe Democratic state.

 

[1.36]

Pretty much impossible unless the Republican Party becomes as Liberal as the Democratic Party is (or let me rephrase that, the more liberal of the two political parties in America)

 

[Zacoftheaxes]

The only way I can think of doing this is FDR's Japanese internment camps eventually become labor camps and border on death camps, possibly to a prolonged Pacific campaign and failed New Deal. FDR is associated with bigotry and not New Deal politics.

And how to get that result, I have no clue, maybe someone else besides FDR could do that but I have no idea who.

 

[Fenrir_Angerboda]

Challenge: Have Hawaii be a safe Republican state instead of a safe Democratic state.

I'm going to post the stuff from the last time this question popped up:

.

Hawaii is difficult.

The Reform Party, which had taken control of the state after the overthrow of the kingdom was largely associated with the Republican party, as the republicans supported annexation.

Between that, and their promotion of white supremacy, many people turned away from the Republicans, supporting either the Democrats or Home Rule Party, which was formed after Native Hawaiians felt neither party would be able to properly represent them.

The Big Five were affiliated with the Republicans, so the Democrats went after the cane field workers.

By the 1950s, the Democrats were largely associated with the Native Hawaiians, while the Japanese were largely ignored by both parties.

Prevent the 1954 Democratic Revolution, which brought the Japanese into the Democratic fold, and you'll probably keep the Republicans dominate longer.

Then it comes down to which party goes after the Japanese first.
Personally though, I think the Republicans might have some trouble getting their votes, due to the situation between the White plantation owners and the poorer Japanese.

So while I think it's possible that the Republicans could get the Japanese under their wing first, I don't think it's possible to make it a safe state for the republicans, without a POD during the Kingdom.

 

[Plumber]

Do you mean on the federal level, or the state level? Because the federal level isn't so difficult. Hawaii was the closest state in 1960, and was awful close in 1976 as well. It was only when Republicans marked their campaigns by race-baiting that they did terribly (1968, 1980). And then Republicans finally won it in 1984.

So the clear solution is to keep the Dixiecrats in the Democratic Party. Nixon wins in 1960. As for the state level, that's more difficult, because of the Hawaiian Democratic Revolution of 1954, where the Democratic-leaning workers in the islands finally told their Republican sugar cane lords where to stuff it.

 

[David S Poepoe]

Do you mean on the federal level, or the state level? Because the federal level isn't so difficult. Hawaii was the closest state in 1960, and was awful close in 1976 as well. It was only when Republicans marked their campaigns by race-baiting that they did terribly (1968, 1980). And then Republicans finally won it in 1984.

So the clear solution is to keep the Dixiecrats in the Democratic Party. Nixon wins in 1960. As for the state level, that's more difficult, because of the Hawaiian Democratic Revolution of 1954, where the Democratic-leaning workers in the islands finally told their Republican sugar cane lords where to stuff it.

The Democratic Revolution of 1954 would be hard to short-circuit. The post-WWII GI Bill is credited by many Japanese in Hawaii as the what really opened the door to both their education and political motivation.

 

[thekingsguard]

Have FDR push even more for the internment camps, and make several bigoted statements about Asian-Americans on record.

Have the Republicans capitalize on it by courting them as a voter block - maybe President Eisenhower works to see the Nisei soldiers like 442nd Regimental Combat Team recognized for their valor, saluting such valiant American boys as the paragon of the citizen soldier, and a certain Daniel Inouye eventually runs and is elected as a Republican. Given his status as a war hero, and influence in the Senate, I could see him selected as Reagan's Vice President - how's a President Inouye (R-HI) in 88 sound for one hell of an interesting detail

The WWII veterans were a big reason Hawaii is so deeply died blue - if any Republican can get them to vote for the GOP, it's Ike.