Like the thousands of Hawaiian born citizens here and around the world, I watch Barack Obama with a lot of pride and gratitude. Pride in the natural "local boy makes good" story and gratitude that he acknowledges his Hawaii roots as an important part of who he is today. There's also something really cool about the fact that the most powerful person on the planet bodysurfs at Sandy, eats shave ice and plays golf in Kailua, just like many of us local people.Given his 47 year journey from Kapi'olani Hospital to the White House, there's no doubt that thousands of Hawaii's school age children now believe that it's possible for a Hawaii-born person to become President of the United States. I think it's possible too. But unlikely, unless you take the route Obama did; which is leave Hawaii, settle in a major metropolitan area and work your way up through local, state and national politics.
The fact of the matter is: Hawaii is just too small for anyone to take you seriously on the national stage. Our most well known politician in the national arena, Sen. Dan Inouye, could become chairman of some of the senate's most powerful committees, but could never make a serious charge at the White House. Our contemporary, Mufi Hanneman ('72 Iolani), a Harvard grad and White House fellow, may become governor someday, but doesn't have a shot at Commander-in-Chief simply because he chooses to live in Hawaii, though he probably doesn't have any aspirations to be President.
If there is a young Barack Obama somewhere in Kamehameha's system, it will be someone who understands that the major issues of the world are bigger than Kamehameha, bigger than the Hawaiians and bigger than the people of Hawaii. And they will need the willingness and strength to fight these battles far beyond our distant state. The originators of our national civil rights movement waited 50 years to see the first African-American become President of the United States. I bet they never thought that person would come from Hawai'i.
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