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What do the websites of the three leading Hawaii governor candidates tell us?

Can we learn anything that might help us make a decision about whom to support from how they present themselves online and how adept they are at using the medium?

We take a look at the campaign websites of Democrats Mufi Hannemann and Neil Abercrombie, and Republican James "Duke" Aiona in the days immediately following the July 20 election filing deadline.

Each page has a wealth of information about the candidate's background, lots of pretty pictures, glowing testimonials from supporters, and information on how to contact the campaign and invite the candidate to speak.

Where they differ significantly is that Hannemann's and Aiona's websites are very light on platform details — what they say they will do as governor — while Abercrombie's is highly specific.

While all three men identify education, energy and the economy as top issues, Hannemann's "vision" page contains only 266 words; a campaign brochure available for download includes a 324-word "Priorities for Hawaii" that is a rehash.

Aiona's issue section, meanwhile, comes in at about 970 words.

By contrast, Abercrombie's exceeds 9,400 words and includes bulleted points and action plans. Another 1,000 words addresses issue such as civil unions and firearms.

Abercrombie also scores points with Pau Hana 2.0, a statewide virtual coffee hour hosted by the candidate online on Aug. 18. He's the candidate who most prominently takes advantage of the interactivity of the web.

In short, if voters were to learn about a gubernatorial candidate only through the Internet, they would come away far more informed about the former congressman than the former mayor and current lieutenant governor.

Aiona's page includes an awkward "Invite Duke Aiona to Your Event" form that asks things like "Lt. Governor to be seated at head table?" and "If other speakers, who? (500 character limit)." Not exactly inviting for a candidate who is known for having personal warmth and charm.

As for Hannemann, visitors to his website can download a picture of the candidate on a red hibiscus for a computer desktop background. All Mufi, all the time, it seems.

Learn more about each candidate's website:

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