I think that you have it backwards Iceman-01. It is the Republican hard-liners who have bolstered the Democratic Party in Hawaii. With Eric Ryan and Bob McDermott as the face of the Republican Party, the downward spiral will continue. Sam Slom stated that his Party had shifted too far to the left. He was voted out of office, while a relatively moderate Republican, Charles Djou, came within a few percentage points of winning the non-partisan Mayoral race.