Hawai'i Democrats believe Barack Obama's presidential campaign may be an appealing recruiting tool among young people and independents, two coveted demographic groups that might be drawn to the party before the state's caucuses next February.

Obama volunteers and other Democratic activists, including many who favor Obama's rivals for the nomination, said they detect an interest in the Hawai'i-born Illinois senator among people who are not traditionally active within the party.

Many of the party's key leaders are aging and, while Democrats have politically recovered, even thrived, under Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, they recognize a need to attract young people and the growing segment of voters who describe themselves as independents.

Will Grosswendt, of Kailua, an economics major at Georgetown University, saw something in Obama's personal history that made him want to volunteer.

Obama's success at Harvard Law School and his experience as a community organizer in Chicago were interesting. But there was something else. Obama, he believes, has an ability to bring people together.

"He doesn't seem like he was groomed to be a career politician. It seems like it was something where he had a calling to make a difference," Grosswendt said. "I think Obama is able to bring new people into the fold."

Rob Alston, vice president of operations and general manager for Access Information Management, a records management company, said he has done some political fundraising in the past but has been motivated by Obama's campaign to become more involved.

"Politics is so polluted. It can be toxic, and he's looking to improve that, to improve the way we talk to each other and communicate," said Alston, who lives in Kailua. "And then there is the obvious Hawai'i tie. It makes me relate to him even more, even though he wasn't here for his entire childhood."

Democrats pushed up their caucuses by a week, to Feb. 19, so the state might have a role in selecting the nominee.

Several Democrats said Obama, who was born here and graduated from Punahou School, has an advantage because of his Island roots and the early organizing being done by an aggressive corps of volunteers.

But U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawai'i, and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Nanakuli, Makaha), have endorsed U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., who could do well among traditional Democrats likely to participate in the caucuses. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, could also have a strong presence in the Islands.

The Obama campaign may mean more to Hawai'i Democrats as a recruiting opportunity than Hawai'i Democrats mean to Obama's chances.

If the campaign is still competitive by the Hawai'i caucuses, an Obama victory could be written off nationally as expected, while a defeat could open Obama to digs that he failed to win the state where he was born.

Obama has often been referred to as Hawai'i's third senator, but his background in the Islands has not been a campaign theme. The senator announced his presidential bid in Springfield, Ill., in February, with no lei or mention of Hawai'i. He has often spoken of the value of Hawai'i's diversity and his family ties bring him back for holiday visits and outings with old friends. But, politically, the Islands are more like a distant cousin in a wedding photo.

Turnout at Hawai'i's Democratic caucuses has been poor — about 4,000, or about one-fifth of registered Democrats, in 2004 — but Democrats believe the strength of the field, and Obama in particular, may increase the number next year.

Although Democrats dominate state politics, there are only about 20,000 card-carrying Democrats among the state's more than 662,000 registered voters.

Mike McCartney, the party's state chairman, likened the support for Obama, on a larger scale, to the progressives who got more involved with the party four years ago to back Kucinich, who finished a strong second in the caucuses to U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

"These are people who are Democrats at heart but who have not traditionally held the party card," McCartney said.

APPEAL TO THE YOUNG

Several Democrats said they are interested in Obama because of what they think he represents — a vision of hope and optimism — rather than any specific policy issues. Many also mention his Island ties, which is natural in a state that can be possessive of hometown heroes.

Lance Holter, the party's chair on Maui, who is officially neutral but likes New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, said Obama may be a refreshing change for young people who view politics as too polarizing. "Young people, I think, want to see something that will instill in them a hope for the future," he said.

Bart Dame, a progressive Democrat who backed Kucinich in 2004, predicted that thousands of newcomers would likely join the party because of Obama. But Dame and others said they do not know whether the recruits will stay active if Obama fails to get the nomination or after the glamour of a presidential campaign wears off.

"I'm expecting that we're going to have the biggest caucuses yet, because there is a lot of enthusiasm out there for Obama," Dame said. "I think the only question is who's going to come in second."

Hanabusa, who, like Inouye, may have the ability to pull many Democrats toward Clinton, believes the caucuses will be much closer. Clinton, she said, has the experience that national Democrats have recognized in making her the front-runner in public-opinion polls.

Hanabusa said Native Hawaiians have also not forgotten that it was President Bill Clinton who signed the historic 1993 resolution apologizing for the U.S. role in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.

"I think when you measure it all up it's going to be Hillary Clinton, but Barack Obama is going to help us build the party," she said.

CAMPAIGN GROUNDSWELL

Brian Schatz, a former state representative organizing the Obama campaign in the Islands, said the campaign has already identified 2,000 possible volunteers and supporters and hopes to register thousands of new Democrats before the caucuses. Local organizers also hope to raise $500,000 to $1 million for Obama, which is small by national standards but significant for Hawai'i.

Schatz also believes the Obama campaign will treat Hawai'i with importance given the symbolism of winning the state where he was born and went to high school. But he is even more enthusiastic about Obama's potential to revitalize a party that, while still dominant, has had difficulty with generational change.

"For all of the hand-wringing about how we bring new people into the party, it always comes down to candidates," Schatz said. "It always comes down to leadership. It did with John F. Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy, and with John Burns.

"The way to build the party, the way to engage people in politics, is to find the candidate that captures people's imaginations. And, locally, I've never seen anything like this."

Deva Gatica, a graduate student in global leadership and sustainable development at Hawai'i Pacific University, was among the Obama volunteers in the campaign's national "Walk for Change" on yesterday, going door-to-door to recruit other volunteers.

Gatica, who lives in Manoa, said she supported Ralph Nader's Green Party presidential campaign in 2000 and worked with the Democratic National Committee in 2004. Her politics, she said, are moving from the far left closer to the center, and she sees in Obama a candidate with depth.

"As soon as I heard him speak I realized I was looking at someone who was different," Gatica said. "He's a politician, but he has integrity. He has a broad vision, a hopeful vision, a positive vision. He's solution oriented."

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.