The Familiar and the Fresh From Mufi and Neil

The occasion was a gubernatorial forum held at Kealakehe High School in Kailua-Kona. It was the first gubernatorial forum on the Big Island's west side this year.

The leading Democrats in the race, former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and former Congressman Neil Abercrombie, had their talking points down and delivered them within the 90-second time limit — and if they went over, they ignored it.

By now, their answers are often boilerplate, rehashed in this case for an audience of several hundred that probably hadn't heard them yet.

For example, when asked what they would bring to the job, they answered this way:

Mufi: It's about management, this is not a legislative job, county mayors love him, he left Honolulu better than he found it.

Neil: He's been having a conversation with the state, water connects the islands, diversity does not divide us, no more politics as usual.

But both men also demonstrated knowledge of pressing issues for local residents, like fixing Honokohau Harbor and Kona International Airport, and improving health care access for rural communities.

Civil Beat recaps the Kailua-Kona forum, a casual but substantive affair.

Loading