Barack Obama, Hawaii's Favorite Son is in His Comfort Zone

by Pythiian1 | December 27, 2008 at 12:56 pm

901 views | 47 Recommendations | 14 comments

It is true that Mr. Obama is Hawai'i's favorite son, and the residents are thrilled about his annual visit, but most have been giving him space as he and his family members move around the island. NP has selectively covered some of Mr. Obama's activities.

Mr. Obama and his family came home to visit and to honor the memory of his late grandmother, Mrs. Madelyn Dunham. He has also spent time to visit with the local Marine Corps Base in Kaneohe; played some golf with his old island friends; swam and body-surfed in the Pacific; and he made headline while strolling on the beach in his beachwear courtesy of a local photographer who happened to snap a series of photos.

On Christmas day, Mr. Obama went to the local Marine Corps Base in Kaneohe to thank the men and women.

On Christmas Day, Mr. Obama ventured from his home to thank Marines and sailors at the base. He spent more than an hour at the dining hall, posing for pictures between the ham, roast beef and turkey on the buffet. The trip came well after the network evening news programs had aired, a move that allowed him to visit without the suggestion of exploiting the military to get on TV.

The Obama's family and friends were also among the 900,000 residents in Oahu whose homes were plunged into darkness for 12 + hours, apparently due to a lightning strike on the transmission line of the Hawaiian Electric Company. An NP contributor has also posted a separate piece about the outage.

The Obama's vacation home on the eastern end had its own three power generators. By mid-morning of Dec.26, electricity was restored to some parts of the western end of Oahu.

The Star Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser newspapers in Oahu, Hawai'i, also suffered delays in their print publications due to the power outage. The newspapers continued to publish their online versions.

Power was gradually being restored to Oahu on Dec.26 after most of the island was sunk into darkness for 12 hours or more, apparently due to a lightning storm.

As of 8:40 a.m., Hawaiian Electric Co. officials said about 182,000 out of 295,000 customers were back online as the company brought the island back on methodically to avoid overloading the system.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann had kept the Secret Service and local Police Department informed at the onset of the power outage.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann spoke to Mr. Obama, “He said he is fine and he and his family are going to bed.”

Mr. Obama was able to dodge the media pool much to the chagrin of the traveling press pool, when he managed to spend quality time with his two daughters, Malia and Sasha at a local water park.

President-elect Barack Obama and his children watched a dolphin show at an aquatic park and then picked up some shave ice

Mr. Obama and his two daughters, Malia and Sasha, visited Sea Life Park today. Reporters were not allowed to join the Obamas inside the park, and aides to the president-elect did not immediately have a roster of who joined Mr. Obama for the 90-minute visit. Mr. Obama’s wife, Michelle, was not in reporters’ view during the outing.

Visitors to the park said the Obamas attended a dolphin show. Some visitors showed reporters snapshots they took with Obama, who assumes the office of president in less than a month.

Once the pool media caught up with Mr. Obama and his two daughters as they enjoyed the locals' favorite shaved ice, he good-naturedly offered them a round of shaved ice, but the media was still smarting from being given a slip, declined.

Malia and Sasha later ate shave ice at Kokonuts Shave Ice and Snacks at the Koko Marina shopping center in Hawaii Kai while their dad downed a tuna melt from Paradise Cafe.

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Blue Crush

at 14:56 on December 27th, 2008

Why would they turn down a round of shaved ice in Hawaii? That's funny!

Pythiian1

at 22:49 on December 27th, 2008

Thank you BlueCrush for your recommendation.

It might be that the press pool was miffed about Mr. Obama's outing with his daughters and their cousin and friends without the press pool's knowledge for a good hour or so. Or that the press pool consisted of mainland folks who probably don't know what to make of shaved ice ... just my speculation.

Amy Judd

at 15:08 on December 27th, 2008

I think it's nice he went out on Christmas Day - but I guess he never reallly gets a holiday!

Pythiian1

at 15:44 on December 27th, 2008

Thank you for your recommendation, Amy. He actually has quite a bit of downtime whenever he returns home to Hawai'i.

dunkelberg

at 15:21 on December 27th, 2008

Sounds like a good beginning. For Hawaii, this has to be a blessing for them to shown as an actual place where people live and not just an exotic location (are you listening Cokie Roberts? Hmph!).

Pythiian1

at 00:31 on December 28th, 2008

Thanks for your recommendation, Dunkelberg. Some people will find almost anything to criticize Barack Obama.

Most in Hawai'i love Barack Obama. For the most part, Hawaiians have respected Mr. Obama's space and left him alone without creating a parade out of his every trip and outing. He has many childhood and highschool friends with whom he has spent time with them during this trip. His sister, Maya and her family live there.

158

at 20:09 on December 27th, 2008

Very good coverage. Thanks.

Pythiian1

at 21:26 on December 27th, 2008

Thank you 158 for your recommendation and comment.

Milieunet

at 23:25 on December 27th, 2008

Great, he needs some holiday time with his family.

Pythiian1

at 00:40 on December 28th, 2008

Thanks for your recommendation and comment. He is taking office with a slew of domestic problems to be resolved in America, not to mention Iraq, Afghanistan, and foreign policies.

Jon Azpiri

at 18:20 on December 28th, 2008

Thanks for this summary of Obama's time in Hawaii. It's amazing how much attention it has gotten. Imagine how much more coverage he will get when he actually becomes president.

Pythiian1

at 18:59 on December 28th, 2008

Thank you for your recommendation and comment. Most Hawaiians have left him and his family alone, it's the press pool and other media from the mainland that has probably contributed to Mr. Obama's decision to dodge the press pool in order to spend time with his daughters and their cousin and friends.

politisite

at 20:53 on December 29th, 2008

Not happy with the press corp though.

Pythiian1

at 21:29 on December 29th, 2008

Thanks for the recommendation. By the same token, the media pool was not happy that they were left behind when Mr. Obama had gone to the water park with his daughters.