 This is State Tech Hawaii. Community matters here. I'm Marcia Joyner and we are navigating the journey. Today's journey is one of those that is familiar to all of us and most of us know nothing. We are talking today pure politics, pure politics. And as you know, I'm a political junkie. So we are talking to my dear friend, Sam Iona, who was, are you ready for this? The ex-chair of the Republican Party. And the friend of Marcia Joyner. Thank you, Marcia. Welcome, Sam. Thank you. Welcome. We asked Sam to do this because it's all over the news. Where you turn, it's about the Republican Party. And Sam is, like you said, ex. And what happens? Did the Republican Party, did you leave the Republican Party or did the Republican Party leave you? Let's start there. All right. Well, thank you, first of all, for letting me have this little time with you, Marcia. I always enjoy discussions with you. It's been political junkie myself, it's great. I think there's a little bit of both that the Republican Party left me or I left the Republican Party. I just, people get so wrapped up in the R and the D that they forget the real reasons why we run for office, why we serve. And so I got a little fed up with the Republican Party just the way it was being run, the way it was running the past, the way it's currently being run. And so I think that I could make more of a difference in politics if we stopped the labels, stopped the R, stopped the Ds and just worked for the people instead. And so I decided maybe if I left the party and helped anyone and everyone who agrees with the same principles as I do, we can make a difference. So for our audience who probably doesn't know, there was a time in Hawaii's history where we had a multi-member district. And everybody voted for the best guy and then you voted for your friend. And so it kind of came down that you had almost the same number of Republicans as you do Democrats. And people talked to each other. There was a civility between the Democrats and the Republicans and at one point it was all Republicans and then by 1961 the Democrats had real power for the first time. So in that time when we had, we could talk to each other as a civil and then something happened. What went so terribly wrong that there's this angst even to say I'm a Democrat or I'm a Republican and you get the other person. What happened? What went so terribly wrong? You know, I think back then when you had your multi-member districts and as you said, they were friends. They were civil back then. I've heard stories about it. Pat Psyche is my mentor and still a good friend of mine even though I left the Republican Party. When you're friends, you're friends and so she's still a friend of mine. She would tell me about those days when she was in the Senate and they had that coalition of Democrats and Republicans with Pat Psyche and the Anderson and Mary George and you had Dickie Wong and you had others on the Democrat side and they could talk to each other and they would argue with each other on the floor of the house or floor of the Senate and then after that said okay, let's go have lunch. What went wrong I think is people kind of dug their heels in this partisan-ness and maybe it was the lust for power. I think people instead of helping, we're losing focus on really why we serve, why they serve and it's to help the people and I think my idea is better than your idea and I don't like you because you're a Republican, I don't like her because she's a Democrat and people got so wrapped up in that that now we get to 2016 and 2018 where I only support Democrats or I only support Republicans and people I think lost sight of why they serve. In 1974 I think they all came together to give Hawaii their very first prepaid medical plan and it was the Pat Psyche's and Ann Kobayashi and the unions and all of them came together to give us this. We couldn't do that anymore. We can't. No. Yeah. Not unless you know it's all Democrats or all Republicans that don't want to agree with it. You know I mean Hawaii is, we always say Hawaii is different and it is different but take a look what's happening in Congress. I mean I think it's you know the party politics are destroying America. It is. It really is. You know when Barack Obama proposed certain initiatives as well as Donald Trump, when the President Obama or President Trump introduced his legislation there's this divide. I mean you can tell what the vote's going to be even before they introduce it you know it's why I got to believe Marsha that with President Trump's tax cuts let's say there are some Democrats that had to have agreed with that and some Republicans who had to have been opposed that. Why would it just pass along party lines? I mean you'll get your one or two you know people that have the courage to stand up against their party but they don't always you know why is it always along party lines? Why is it when you nominate someone, the President nominate someone, why is it always along party lines? You know and I think that's why we have this mess in Congress you know and that's why I left the Republican Party because I just think that's not the way to do things. Again let's for anybody that doesn't know what we're talking about we are operating since when there was a Jefferson, not Jefferson, Jackson we have a two-party system that is supposedly and theoretically it was supposed to be the checks and balances that's the way it was supposed to be it never worked never but it it got sometimes it was better than yes than not and the old idea let me skip over to here a bit when people say that for instance the about the blacks being the Democratic Party the Democratic Party did not say open the doors they y'all come they broke down the doors in 1964 and 1968 and then it was in those moments with Fannie Lou Hamer that the Democratic Party changed opened it up to more than white men because the convention was all white men they didn't even have their wives you know or if their wives were there they were just there and that changed the party forever allowing people not only blacks Hispanics everybody and women then we get to we're talking about making change within the party now I have nothing I know nothing about the Republican in the 80s when Jesse Jackson ran for president the at that time if you won any part of the state in the primary you got the whole state which left out a lot of people so he moved to make changes within the party well he ran again the next time and he got enough new people in the party that joined the party to support him that for the first time they had a black chair the party they had a woman Hispanic woman as the vice chair and all of those positions within the party changed because he was out campaigning and people signed up to be a part of the party and so that is how the change in the party happened now where we are today when you look at the progressive which I'm not sure that I understand all of what that's about except that it seems that there is this even within the party that they are trying to hold on and the rest of you go away which isn't going to work so if that's going on over here what's going on over there I think you know you could almost say the same thing happened and probably about the same time and Kobayashi Donnie Kiera Republicans and in 1988 when Pat Robertson was a nominee for the Republican Party they had Robertson the Christian coalition was tried to change what in fact was pretty successful to change in the party and as they tried to change a party similarly to what Jesse Jackson was trying to do on the Democrat side the alienated a lot of people which is why I know because I took and Kobayashi and said come with me I'll get your party card but it was easy because they were trying to change it and so I agree that you know if you disagree with what's happening at the Democrat Party what's happening with the Republican Party you can't change it from within or you should at least try to change it from within and and they have but you know to some degree but today though Marsha today it's you know with the Republican Party that's for example you've got your ultra-right wing conservatives that you know do not like the middle at all and on the Democrat side you have your you know middle of the world Democrats and you got your progressives all of you on the left I should say I should be see right the left here but and they're trying to change it within the party but the I think the problem today is that my way is better than your way and if you don't like it you can get out yeah you know and instead of saying be more inclusive at that time you know the the tents the tents have gotten smaller I mean here in Hawaii obviously the Democrat tent is bigger than the Republican tent but I think even though on the Democrat Democratic Party the Hawaii Democratic Party has still you know sort of wanting to have control it's all about control but there are any number of people elected officials who take the D in order to get elected when in fact at their heart they are Republicans of course and why not I mean you if you want to get elected and again I hope you're doing that because you want to serve the people and you tell yourself listen if I become a Democrat it's I have a better chance of getting elected and a better chance of serving the people not it's not about you know just being a Democrat or just being a Republican and of course you've got your Republican ideas any Democrat ideas you have a platform that you have to agree on and and that's that's fine it's you know that's the way the system is set up but I think it's that again he said lots for power and control of the party and it's my way or the highway and it's in both sides it's in both sides and that's why I left her in a party because I you know it's because it's my way of the highway there is they weren't open-minded enough well that's what Beth Foucaumogo said that they complained because she said something unkind about Trump which of course is easy to do but why not why should that correct mean that she had to leave the party correct now you know I was I wasn't I was left the party before all of this happened in Beth Foucaumogo but I can see how that played I mean I saw how that played out and I know why that played out is because you know Beth should have been allowed to say look I disagree with a certain certain people within the party and I disagree with certain of the platformers to the party fine let's move ahead Linda Lingo did that she disagreed and she tried to change the platform it should have a lot of pushback and so forth but I think you ought to be allowed to do that and representative Foucaumogo should have been allowed to say I disagree much like much like the Democrats who disagree with their platform or the people within their party it seems to me and this is from afar just watching the Republicans that there are several women who are elected now or have been elected that got out of the Republican Party it's almost like the Republicans are pushing out really smart women and it's like well that could be the change yeah what's her name Kim Kimberly pie she's a graduate of Berkeley very pretty lady they just pushed her out I don't know if it's so they're pushing out because the woman I mean well of course I know you know that's the way I see it yes but it's true or not but they're not well they pushed out Aaron Johansson you know I mean but they're I don't think they look at it that way I don't think they're savvy enough to do something like that to be honest with you but they are pushing out people just because you don't agree with what we said if you're you're you're not far enough to the right then you don't belong in the party and we're gonna push out and so you know I wish to be honest with you I want to show that people like my good friend Aaron Johansson and Beth Foucaumogo would have stayed within the party and tried to change it because that party needs me yes that party needs change I mean obviously when you got it when you got zero senators in the state Senate and you know five six in the house you gotta change it and I wish they had stayed to change a party so we have to take a break okay and when we come back we will do more politics this is stink tech Hawaii raising public awareness some say scuba divers are the poor man's astronaut at dive heart we believe that to be true we say forget the moon dive heart can help children adults and veterans of all abilities escape gravity right here on earth search dive heart org and imagine the possibilities in your life hello everyone I'm DeSoto Brown the co-host of human humane architecture which is seen on think tech Hawaii every other Tuesday at 4 p.m. and with the show's host Martin Desbang we discuss architecture here in the Hawaiian Islands and how it not only affects the way we live but other aspects of our life not only here in Hawaii but internationally as well so join us for human humane architecture every other Tuesday at 4 p.m. on think tech Hawaii I'm Marcia and we are back with my dear friend Sam Iona and Sam and I have known each other for I don't know how long and we love playing this game of being political junkies so as a real junkie I will defer to you because you're the pretty one now we is pretty anyway you are now supporting representative Haribusa the congresswoman for governor and as we see now there aren't many choices in who you're there are are there any Republicans running for governor well yeah there's a couple of them but you know I'm one of the other reasons why I left the Republican Party was because I knew I was going to be helping congresswoman Hanabusa and I didn't want her to be you know have people saying oh there's a Republican helping you not that she would mind cuz she's a brilliant lady and a very smart woman but I'm helping her Marcia because you know in this day and age it's not about being a Republican or Democrat as I said it's about helping the people and you know I told someone just yesterday I said you know they told me well it's not about me Sam it's not about you it's about clean I said it's not even about clean it's about her becoming governor so she can help other people I saw someone at we are headquarters by couple on the canal I saw someone as I was driving in and I said you know this is why I'm helping clean cuz I think that she would be the best person to help people who are homeless to help people who need affordable housing to help people who are economically disadvantaged and so you know it doesn't matter that she's a Democrat to me she happens to be one engine and a good Democrat at that but that's not why I'm helping her I'm helping her because you know I think she is going to make the right decisions for the state and you know and if and if there were a Republican that I felt that would be the same in some other office I'd help he or she because you know I think that's what we need to do that's I wish Congress would learn that you know it's not about well what I have noticed of the the Democrats that are running is how she steps up to the plate whatever the issue is she will take a stand it's real leadership and goodness knows we need real leadership we talked earlier today with the mayor of Kauai and even though the governor E. Gay was helpful showed up that we but we don't know that we didn't get to see that we got to see the mayor doing everything but and we know the governor was there but we didn't get to see any leadership and I think people need to see that's what and all the facts in the world don't mean anything it's all emotion and if people see that you are on their side then they feel connected and I have seen her because I've known her since she first came to the legislature and I have seen her take a stand even when it's not popular exactly take a stand and so in in that I I have to say that I think that's what people vote for the emotion right and people do want to see someone who is going to take the bull by the horn and make those decisions and you know it's always it's always about me whether I live in Hawaii in Waipahu in what and I you know it's it's politics or elections always about me and there's an issue that I feel strongly about that's front and center in that in that particular direction I'm gonna vote right and so I you know I would I was so candid it's always about me so you know you take the missile alert that happened you know I know where I was I know what I did I was affected by it because you know either I'm a student trying to get to my soccer practice or or I'm a grandparent trying to take care of my mohopunas or whatever the case may be I was affected by it's about me to our friends on Kauai right now it's about me I made my home was flooded you know something was happening and so I want to see leadership right I want to see someone help me I mean in Niki we saw a lot of politicians who were elected officials you know who were affected by it in a negative way because they weren't helping right and so you take a situation like this you know the the floods the waters don't know no no Democrat or Republicans they don't the floods don't know you know whether you're incumbent or not we need leadership at these certain times and you know and that's why I'm helping someone like clean hanabusa but in has nothing to do with their political affiliation well yeah and I live in Hawaii Kai and we had blood right but our mayor not a word yeah not one word exactly people and we had flood and I have a sinkhole in my front yard the ocean that goes by was mud brown we had people whose houses totally destroyed not and the highway was a mess for two days not one word from the mayor from Hawaii's mayor I mean oh oh all whose mayor again you know I need help it's about me I want my tax taxes cut I want my gas prices to be lowered and I can go on and on and I want my children to be educated in a school system you know that I can be proud of but when I see or hear a elected official saying that I'll support them all the way and right and again we're going back to you know I know this program is about navigating the Republican Party with the Republican Party you don't you don't see that now you know you just don't see that you don't see the number on the leadership you know they got the same people leading that that party has they've done for decades now but you know you got to show people you care Marshall you know if you're gonna serve in office show that you care when there's a flood in Hawaii get out there show the residents that I care where when there's a missile alert show that I carry enough that I'm gonna take care of you immediately and fix this problem that's what people want to see they like the official and so when when a candidate like Colleen Alibusa comes around and I see that she'll make those decisions because she's a smart lady I mean there's I've sat with her on many occasions I'm thinking how do you know all this information she's just so smart but you know and even though she's smart you have to have the ability to care about people and act on it and I think she will do that which is why I'm supporting her but again you know it's when you show that people will respond and will gravitate towards you as they have to the Democratic Party here in Hawaii so unless and until the Republicans in Hawaii learn that and and embraced that attitude about you know caring for individuals and wanting to help them and and it's about them not about me not about my issues not about the Republican Party platform it's how it's been interpreted to others and it's how others perceive of it and how they can benefit from it and until you learn that the Republicans will always will have zero in the state Senate yeah because we should know the name of the chair of the Republican Party we don't I understand it's a brilliant woman with great credentials but I don't know her name do we see her or does she know press conference no no articles in the paper we don't see the leadership of the Republicans do they take a stand where were they on the the floods because it wasn't just me but statewide where where are they where are they on the issues with the telescope where are they on these issues that all of us read about every day and and I think they're missing an opportunity and so we we came to think of oh well it's just the Democrats and then we say well not very many people vote well hell no what is there to vote for when you have 51 House members and 30 of them ran unopposed yeah what is there to vote for that's leadership so there you go again it's just showing us job certainly by the way the chairman of the Hawaii Republican Party but what's your name Shirley Nostoff you know hear about her because again you know it's it's it's the leadership and if you get out there and say look I'm here because I care and here's how we can help you you know she might find a lot more people gravitating towards the Republican Party but you're right you just don't see that she gets criticized by the way for the people the far right wing of the party for not speaking up enough for not attacking for not you know standing up there and and and criticizing but it's not always about criticizing I'm sure it's not it's not about attacking again it's about serving the people helping those who cannot help themselves you know it's helping people at home is helping economically disadvantaged helping immigrants that come to Hawaii helping people that need government assistance and and you cannot you know put yourself in a little box like how the Republicans would say no that's the only way we're gonna do it and that's the way it should be done and you know and and leave everyone else out and and to you know I'm learning that to a certain degree the Democratic Party has people within a Democratic Party I think the same way to you know and so I see that in both parties you know the the the difference I mean a lot of times I say the difference between the two is just that the Democrats control everything and Republicans control nothing but you do have within the party those that will say the party leadership is not doing enough or should be doing this and should be denied and that's you know I guess that's their their they can do that at least yes and that that is true however if there is an issue the media immediately knows to go to them and they will make a statement yes they don't have that same luxury with the Republicans and that is what I'm talking about if if they were visible then it might be different right now we have a two-party system in Hawaii it's a Democrat establishment and a Democrat progressives you know and that's that's only two parties we have right now you know I know Frank Fosse told me many many years ago he said oh we do have a two-party system they're both Democrats listen you know our time is now thank you so much for coming to visit with us and as always it's a pleasure and again thank you so much