Having to resist the power of the plantations, labor unions in Hawaii became a potent force that was supported and cultivated by the Democratic party.
Over the years, the Democrats abandoned labor for donations from the monied interests culminating under Clinton. In Hawaii, this went unnoticed and a sentimental loyalty to the Democrats continued like a bad habit. 
2016, the Democrats embarrassingly lost to a bombastic clown because of party corruption, and lost many congressional seats across the country. Democrats just installed Perez, a party loyalist over a progressive as it's new leader.
Both Republican and Dems elected representatives who are in opposition to the needs of the people and have become agents of the monied interests, and until everyone recognizes this obvious fact, we will continue to have faulty analysis of a failed political system that has corrupted the 2 party system beyond repair. 
Change has to begin from the bottom up, not top down!