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Hawaii roots made Obama’s presidency special — ‘Mahalo, Mr. President’

ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Barack Obama laughs with his daughter Malia as they eat shave ice in front of Island Snow Hawaii in Kailua, Hawaii, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016, during the first family’s annual vacation.

Almost nine years ago, then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in giving his campaign-defining “More Perfect Union” speech set what many hoped would be the course to a new United States.

In discussing race and answering the critics of his former pastor, the man who would make history as the U.S.’s first African-American presidential nominee and two-term president, talked of racial tensions, white privilege and black anger in a manner so compelling, inclusive and direct that it filled supporters and voters with hope.

“I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together — unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction — towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren,” Obama said.

It is one of the cruelties of American politics that the next person to occupy the White House does so with a campaign based not on eloquence and reasoning, but on tweets — 140-character consolidations of insults, racism, misstatements and prevarication.

While President-elect Donald Trump campaigned with a slogan of “Build the wall,” it was the 2008 Obama campaigners shouting “Yes, we can!” in Spanish: “Si, se puede!”

Obama now remains near to us this Christmas, with the 55-year-old Punahou School grad elevating his own legacy and with it, Hawaii’s connection.

Back in March, Obama said “Hawaii is home to me,” but suggested, according to reports, that Chicago was his real home.

“I spent almost 30 years in Chicago. It’s where Michelle grew up, where our daughters were born,” he said.

Still, when the Mars simulation team popped out of their huts on the Big Island after spending a year in isolation, Obama tweeted: “Congrats to NASA and the scientists taking us a step closer to Mars. Now enjoy Hawaii and get a shave ice.”

And speaking of the need to protect the oceans in a September speech, Obama recalled the importance to those of us living in Hawaii’s place surrounded by the vast ocean.

“This is also personal for me. I grew up in Hawaii. The ocean is really nice there. And anybody who grows up on an island — certainly those of us who grew up in Hawaii — learn to appreciate very early on its magic, how it inspires awe, and sometimes, if the waves are a little too big and you’ve gone a little too far out, how it inspires fear and a healthy respect.

“And the notion that the ocean I grew up with is not something that I can pass on to my kids and my grandkids is unacceptable. It’s unimaginable.”

Despite the kabuki drama, Hawaii was never going to be the home of the Obama Library, which is destined to be one of the signature spots in any tour of Chicago. According to University of Hawaii officials, the Manoa campus where Obama’s parents met is still expected to somehow be in the mix.

Dan Meisenzahl, a UH spokesman, described the relationship now as a “conceptualization,” but said he was sure that there would be some “presence on campus.”

We in Hawaii know Obama’s historic presidency was all the richer because of his Hawaii roots.

As much as Obama praises and proudly shares his love for his birthplace, it would be good for Hawaii to take time this Christmas to say, “Thank you, Mr. President.”


Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808politics@gmail.com.


33 responses to “Hawaii roots made Obama’s presidency special — ‘Mahalo, Mr. President’”

  1. Ken_Conklin says:

    Sorry Borreca. The Obama you describe is not the Obama who became President. “I will fundamentally change America” he promised. Thank God he failed. The scary thing is he almost succeeded. “I have never before been proud of America” said his beautiful but hostile, bitter wife at the beginning of Obama’s term in office — the same Michelle who now at the end of his term continues her bitterness over how Obama’s political opponents tried to de-legitimize his election 8 years ago just as Trump’s enemies are doing to Trump.

    Borreca quotes Obama thus: ““I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together — unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction — towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren,” Obama said.”

    Soaring rhetoric which Obama did not really believe in. He and his minions constantly practiced identity politics, dividing America’s people by race, income, gender, etc. and pitting us against each other. His final “gift” to Hawaii — setting up a “final rule” or regulation from the Department of Interior that would divide the lands and people of Hawaii along racial lines through creation of a phony Indian tribe defined solely by race. Let’s remember that in German the word “gift” means “poison”, and the word on the cans of Zyklon B thrown into the gas chambers was “giftgas.”

    Will Trump be a better President? I don’t know. But what I do know is that America passed judgment on Obama by utterly rejecting his legacy. America angrily elected Trump to blow up the system Obama created. America is as angry at Obama as Obama and his wife have been angry against America. Best wishes to President Trump.

    • awahana says:

      “Will Trump be a better President? I don’t know.”

      What do you know? So much nonsense diatribe in your posts, as usual.

      Even my dog is smarter than Drumpf. Dubya v2.0 all over again. Both of them combined, not as intelligent as Obama.

      • Ken_Conklin says:

        I’d prefer a President with limited IQ but whose motives toward America are good, rather than an ultra-smart President hell-bent of fundamentally changing the nation I love. And by the way, Trump is smart enough to run a multibillion dollar business empire spread throughout the world. He is certainly smarter than awahooha who cannot even spell “Trump” correctly.

        • Boots says:

          You say you love America? Just what exactly do you love about it? I don’t think you do. If you did, you would appreciate having a president that has reduced the deficit, unemployment and gave the country some growth to one that has done the opposite. The fact that the stock market today is around 20,000 instead of being under 7,000 should be viewed as positive. I will say Donald is a good president if in 4 years the stock market is above 25,000 and the deficit is lower than where it is today, but I hope you will agree that the Donald would be a terrible president if the stock market is back down around 10,000, unemployment rising, and the deficit is over a trillion. Can we agree on that? 🙂

        • Ken_Conklin says:

          Boots says Obama is “a president that has reduced the deficit.” WHAT? During Obama’s 8 years in office, the national debt has more than doubled, to $20 Trillion. Obama has piled up more new debt than all the presidents before him combined. Stop drinking the KoolAid.

        • Boots says:

          Now Ken, you know the difference between the federal budget deficit and the national debt. Let me remind you that Obama had to spend lots of money to fix the mistakes made under G W Bush or would you have just stiffed returning veterans? Love the republican call to support the troops but not when it comes to taking care of their injuries.

        • lespark says:

          Boots better lay off the bong. Too much CNN.

      • MalcolmK says:

        If Barack Obama is so smart, where are his college transcripts? Can you say “affirmative action”?

    • Boots says:

      It is easy to criticize a president for not doing everything he said he would. Yes, he did not close the prison in Cuba. But saying he has not fundamentally changed America? Where have you been over the past 8 years? Have you forgotten how it was 8 years ago with the stock market fell like a lead balloon with unemployment skyrocketing?

      The previous president fundamentally changed America. He took us from a surplus and a country largely at peace to a trillion plus deficit with never ending war. Do you really miss that change?

      I think Obama has changed America for the better. He has reduced our deficit from well over a trillion dollars to under 500 billion. He has wound down G W’s wars and has not started new ones. In fact he negotiated the Iran peace agreement while you republicans would have preferred war.

      Now we will have a new president who will probably go back to the days of G W Bush, with wasteful government spending, huge deficits and if not war, then civil conflicts. I am not looking forward to this but I am sure you are.

      As for dividing America, no one does that better than you republicans. After all you make it your life’s work to restrict voting by minorities. The only reason the Donald won was due to voter suppression efforts in various states on the mainland. You may have succeeded this time but just remember you lost the popular vote by a pretty large margin. Be proud of this achievement as it will be more difficult in the future.

      • MalcolmK says:

        (Boots): “Obama … has wound down Bush’s wars and not started new ones.”
        Mohammed declared war against non-Muslims 14000 years ago. Obama’s policy has been to screw friends and suck up to enemies. Obama took the US to war in Libya without Congressional authorization after Gaddafi had abandoned his nuclear program (a Bush Iraq war success). Obama threw Iraq to ISIS, Egypt to the Muslim Brotherhood, and Libya to al Qaida. Obama turned victory in Iraq into defeat (doubt it? Obama claimed when he withdrew US troops that Iraq was stable, democratic, and at peace. No longer). Obamas put the theocrats in Iran on a path to nuclear weapons. Then there’s his Syrian red line and drone assassinations in Yemen and Somalia, and Libyan weapons flowing into Boko Haram and ISIS hands. That’s just the Middle East. Do you see success in East Asia? Eastern Europe? Latin America (remember Fast and Furious, an act of war against Mexico?).

        • Cellodad says:

          With respect, I believe that you wanted to say “Mohammed…[about] 1400 years ago.” (14000 years BP puts us in the very early Neolithic Era an Anatolia/Asia Minor. It’s about the time of early domestication of animals but there wasn’t much organized Monotheistic religious activity of which we are aware. 🙂 )

      • Carang_da_buggahz says:

        As someone suggested earlier, lay off the bong, Boy. You’d be well advised to listen.

    • kuroiwaj says:

      IRT Ken_Conklin, fully agree with your post. For me, I know President elect Trump will be a whole lot better with just his nomination(s) to the U.S. Supreme Court and other Federal Courts. The Federal Courts has already decided against many of Hawaii born President Obama’s executive actions, with more to come.

    • keaukaha says:

      Ken Conklin explain to me why he is leaving office with an approval rating of close to 60%. The truth is that like how Hilliary won the popular vote by almost 3 million votes actual numbers do not lie. Simple arithmetic versus political fiction.

  2. bsbsbsbs says:

    Well Borreca, you’ve been fully exposed as biased POS. No wonder your coverage of the presidential elections was so poor; you can’t let your personal feelings get out of the way. Your white quilt and Trump phobia must really keep you up at night. I can see we’re only going to read more biased cr@p from your hand over the next eight years; what a waste of ink.

  3. Maipono says:

    When you start off despising America, hating everything about her, that you want to fundamentally change her, it makes it difficult to respect America. This is the reason the Obama Administration tried to bring American Pride and stature down at home and abroad. He succeeded, and that is why President Elect Trump will have to work hard to rebuild all the lost prestige Obama spent trying to build his legacy.

    • Mythman says:

      Pres O used the Quigley Formula, including denying he was using the Quigley Formula. He succeeded in ending the Q formula’s effectiveness, as evidenced by Pres Trump. I like Richard, but he is not a scholar, but then, what journalist is or can be, given they subsist on press releases and demands flowing downhill from the editorial board…..

  4. Wazdat says:

    Voted for Obama twice since he was from Hawaii and loved Sandy Beach. Do not think I would vote for him again, nice guy but NOT A LEADER !

  5. cavan8 says:

    Thank you a thousand times to a family whose grace, intelligence, and heart set a stellar example of how to live mindfully and well. Keep coming back home to Hawaii. Maybe we’ll catch you on a wave at Makapu’u !
    Aloha pumehana from one grateful family.

    • Makua says:

      Thanks Borreca for your positive comments. No one is perfect. Obama did his best. Obama is a local kid that grew up to be President. He has done a lot with his life, Way more than his critics. It is too easy today to criticize.

      • Carang_da_buggahz says:

        The assertion that The Incompetent One is a “local” is laughable. Face it, this PHONY left his supposed “roots” to head to the epicenter of Black politics (and hundreds of Black-on-Black murders each year) in order to prep himself for higher office. If he wants to claim home turf, it’s realistically Chicago. Beat it, barack. You ain’t one of us and deep down you know it. You aren’t welcome here anymore.

  6. wrightj says:

    Can’t be depressed eating a snow cone.

  7. WizardOfMoa says:

    It’s time for a change rather we like it or not! Most of us are ready for a change !

  8. CEI says:

    Well that was nauseating, editorial or not.

  9. localcitizen says:

    Ok. So where’s the library??

  10. Lindall says:

    Thank you Mr. President! We LOVE YOU!

  11. Zedalis says:

    Thank you, Mr. Borreca, for your editorial. Recent article in The Atlantic (author: T Nehisi Coates) supports your position. Amazing that even in the Aloha state where many do daily exhibit aloha, the ugly comments and judgment (sometimes without credible facts) are too-obviously present.

  12. ready2go says:

    Good comments about Barry. Being POTUS has got to be one of the toughest jobs in the World. Like being the successful owner of any business or Senior management/President of a Corporation, one can not keep everyone happy, all of the time. Go Buff & Blue! Go Barry go! Us, “Puns” are proud of you and will always support you!

  13. Tarball says:

    So sad for the pro-OBAMA posters. He cares not for Hawaii. I was once a supporter, but no more . . . . . a good communicator, but not a very good leader

  14. Cricket_Amos says:

    ” U.S.’s first African-American presidential nominee”

    It has always seemed to me that there is something racist about referring to someone who is half Euro and half African as “African-Anerican”.

    It reminds me of the days when just one drop of that bad blood was enough to taint you.

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