Well since you mentioned it, there really is "no bigger picture" to see........as neither party has the ability to claim "victory" in this state as the poltical landscape continues to be in flux and ever changing.  What we have in Hawaii is another example of a "failure to communicate" or in essence a "lost in translation" situation that has been an ongoing saga with the democratic party saturating the political scene and slowly squeezing out the republican party and effectively silencing their message and voice; leaving us with only a mediocre democratic party option to pick from.  As for Linda Lingle, she was not that bad as governor's go; but she had to deal with a recalcitrant legislature packed with democrats..........nothings changed much since then, just the names on the 
gov's door.........as the state legislature is still "a lame duck!"