Prof. Milner explains a very salient point as to how political action becomes effective. His explanation of the TEA party movement and his comparison to the Trump backlash movement could be easily overlaid onto Hawaii's political culture. As history puts it, a group of unified, somewhat homogeneous and well organized individuals in Hawaii got together, and over a period of a couple of decades overthrew the party in power that was, in itself, homogeneous and somewhat organized also. The deal is that the Democratic Party in 1954 was more organized than the Big 5 Republicans of 1954. 

And it only got better for Democrats in Hawaii and worse for Republicans, as the Democratic wave and philosophy stuck, bringing in thousands of voters, while the Republicans couldn't unwrap a new policy out of a open paper bag. 

Thus what is happening on the mainland. Republicans kept disciplined and kept to a theme, while the Democrats keep on yelling at each other, figuring out what is more important.