HAWAII REPUBLICAN CAN'T EVEN TOP BUSH'S 2004 TOTAL IN HIS DISTRICT

Righty bloggers are beside themselves with glee because Republican Charles Djou just won a special election in Hawaii's First Congressional District -- but please note that this isn't exactly a suddenly lurch in a red direction for the state, or the district. Djou got just 39.7% of the vote (in a crowded field with several challengers, including two Democrats who totaled approximately 59%). That means Djou's vote percentage was about 5 points less than George W. Bush's 45% in the state in 2004 (and, according to Wikipedia, Bush's total in the district was, even better, 47%). And, of course, the state has had a Republican governor, Linda Lingle, for years -- she was first elected in 2002, and in 2006 -- which was otherwise a wave year for the Democrats in congressional races -- Lingle won reelection with 62% of the vote.

So Hawaii isn't an extraordinarily blue state these days, and it didn't suddenly get redder after the Hawaii native became president, no matter what the GOP spinners tell you.