Is Ed Case the Democratic Party's newest Frank Fasi?

That thought keeps cropping up when you talk to people about the contest between Case and Daniel Akaka for the Democratic senatorial nomination.

The differences between Case and Fasi are manifest, of course.

Fasi was openly combative and routinely dismissive of other Democrats, particularly those from the mainstream of the party, the group he would describe as the "machine."

He recognized the disenchantment and anger of those who felt they had been left out of the game, including newly arrived Mainlanders and ethnic groups that were not major players in the first Democratic "revolution."

Unfortunately, this politics of resentment never translated into an electoral majority, at least on a statewide basis.

Case is a bit more circumspect, and his analysis is a bit more subtle. He talks about his differences with the establishment in terms of demographics and changing historical trends. On a personal basis, he is quite respectful to Akaka, although his political rhetoric has heated up as the campaign wears on.

At a campaign appearance before the Hawai'i Publishers Association the other day, Case had some harsh things to say not so much about Akaka but about the political forces that back him.

There is a "culture," Case said, that Akaka is beholden to. It is, he said, a "self-interested culture fighting to hold on to a diminishing power base."

Can we say "machine," boys and girls?

There are any number of specific issues dividing Case and Akaka in this campaign, ranging from the Jones Act to tax policy and the war in Iraq.

But Case has rolled his dice on a larger, and somewhat more tricky issue: The "culture" of politics in Hawai'i and a discussion of who best represents, not its past, but its future.

The election, Case said quite bluntly, is a "referendum on this culture."

That's a high-stakes approach, and one that did not succeed for Fasi over the years. It also echoes the theme advanced by Republicans such as D.G. "Andy" Anderson and Pat Saiki.

Fasi, Anderson, Saiki and others campaigned on the idea that the mainstream (or machine) Democrats were a tired, out-of-touch group more interested in maintaining their power and perks than on serving the needs of a changing public.

It was a powerful argument, but one that did not succeed election after election.

This theme did work for Linda Lingle, who finally convinced enough voters that "change" is preferable to the status quo. But it took her two tries to make it happen, and she succeeded only when there was no incumbent to face off against.

That makes this primary election the best test yet of whether the political culture in Hawai'i has truly changed, or whether we are still ready to dance with those who brought us to this point.

Reach Jerry Burris at jburris@honoluluadvertiser.com. Read his daily blog at blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.