Hawaii is a lot more socially conservative than people realize.
Hawai'i is peak "socially right, culturally left" as far as US states are concerned.
I'm not really sure I agree with this assessment. I would say there are a number of reasons why the state is so Democratic:
1. Inoue, who was an institution, especially for the Japanese-American population
2. Unions
The perception that the GOP has become the "white peoples party" has become a factor in recent years, but I would say it's affecting all voters equally, regardless of ethnic background. I would even argue that white voters are more likely to be affected by this and vote Democratic because of it.
This is of course a generalization, but I would say that Hawaii's white population (as well as the small black and hispanic populations, who are in the same circles as the white population) belong to the following categories:
- Hippies, and neohippies (of all ages)
- Military or former military, who are not always as conservative as people think
During the pandemic, a 3rd category would be tech bros/remote workers, who in many cases bought property, although I am not sure if they will stay there long term.
I would say that, especially the new generations of Hawaiians are more politically aware (US politics have almost always been an affair far from what actually happens on the islands, as can be seen by the voting participation rate), and I would say that nowadays Democratic voters have become more progressive. There are a number of reasons why this has been happening, but I would say the biggest is environmental concerns. A 2nd one would be the enormous cost of living, and the fact that more and more people are making the connection between Republican/big business/big real estate-friendly policies, and the income inequality that exists everywhere on the islands.
Having said all that, I would say that Hawaii is still less progressive than its voting record would indicate, but the gap is closing quickly.
