Politician Disneyland:10 ways Obama changed Hawaii
Jan 19, 2012 23:01:20 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 19, 2012 23:01:20 GMT -5
Politician disneyland: Ten ways Obama changed Hawaii
Politician Disneyland: Ten ways Obama changed Hawaii
Political opponents say Obama failed to change America, but Obama's most radical change might be in Hawaii.Photo: Daniel de Gracia
Monday, January 16, 2012 - Making Waves: A Hawaii Perspective on Washington Politics by Daniel de Gracia
HAWAII, January 16, 2012—While Republican presidential candidates seek to show nothing really changed under the leadership of Barack Obama, Hawaii's residents have experienced a cultural and political paradigm shift as a result of their homegrown president.
Here are ten of the zaniest and craziest ways that the Obama White House changed the 50th state:
1. Hawaii tried to name an island after Obama.
In 2009, the Honolulu City Council debated re-naming Magic Island, an artificial peninsula on Oahu's pristine southern shore, to "President Barack Obama Beach Park."
The resolution failed after Honolulu residents complained they liked the original name better. This did not stop city and state legislators alike however from attempting to name other lands and buildings after the 44th president.
2. The President's birthday almost became a state holiday.
In 2010, Colleen Hanabusa who was then Hawaii's senate president, wanted to make August 4th an official state holiday. Other legislators opted to re-name January 20th as "Barack Obama II Ohana [Family] Day."
None of the days were officially changed, but the Governor of Hawaii retains the authority to issue non-binding proclamations which can name any day, week or month after anyone or anything.
3. Obama dashboard dolls compete with dancing hula dolls in Hawaii's stores.
The ubiquitous dancing Hawaiian hula girl doll, found for decades on dashboards of taxi cab drivers and cockpits of private pilots is now in direct competition with Barack Obama dolls, ranging from ones that make the president bob his head, play a ukulele or even shake his hips.
4. Being photographed with Obama transforms ordinary Hawaii residents into gods of fame.
Nevermind that Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Megan Fox and other celebs visit Hawaii. Due to the President's frequent and faithful Hawaiian vacays, an entire culture of citizen paparazzi has arisen out of attempts to submit photographs to the media of Obama eating ice cream, walking on the beach or flashing the surfer "shaka" hand sign.
Being photographed with the President confers instant "god" popularity status to Hawaii locals, such that many persons wanting to run for office begin their campaign not with an exploratory committee, but an attempt to be photographed with Obama.
5. Hawaii men pretend to talk to Obama on their cell phones as a means to impress women.
While previous generations of men used dogs at the beach as an accessory for dating, in Hawaii single men have "BlackBerry One" on speed dial to save them from rejection from women, especially since several cell phone apps allow the user to "fake a call" from the President.
It's not an uncommon sight in Hawaii to see men pretending to talk or text Obama in clubs and other social settings. As if that weren't bad enough, prospective candidates for local office all have stories of how they helped Obama become President or knew him when he was little.
6. The Obama "O" logo just won't go away.
In Hawaii, using an adaptation of the famous "O" campaign logo is de rigueur for local candidates. In 2010, former congressman Neil Abercrombie was the first when he slightly modified the "O" logo by putting a Hawaii flag at the center during his gubernatorial race and won.
The "O" continues to proliferate for new 2012 Hawaii candidates.
7. No matter what goes wrong, in Hawaii, everything is Congress' fault.
Forget blaming Bush. Even as the nation goes through seasons of job disapproval for the President, numerous local Hawaii polls reflect a different picture: Obama can do no wrong. After all, if Obama loses in 2012, single Hawaii men will no longer have a direct line to the Oval Office.
8. The Hawaii Department of Health is now a conspiracy theory magnet.
At the center of the hype and controversy regarding the President's birth certificate is the Hawaii Department of Health. Unprepared for the pressures of national media and tabloid attention, the small agency was overwhelmed by requests for Obama's birth certificate.
Making matters worse, in 2010 the Hawaii legislature debated a bill for "vexatious requests" that attempted to give state agencies power to say "no" to repeated requests for documents, empowering conspiracy theorists to believe Hawaii is "in" on a massive operation to suppress knowledge of Obama's birth.
9. Obama's birth certificate almost became a tourist item.
In 2011 as Hawaii faced a severe budget shortfall, several Hawaii legislators came up with a novel idea: sell copies of the President's birth certificate for $100 to raise revenues.
The proposal went nowhere due to the ethical implications of selling private records, but as Hawaii's economy continues to sour, the temptation to generate public funds from Obama has not entirely been banished.
10. Hawaii looks better off than it really is.
In the months leading up to the 2011 Asia Pacific Economic Conference held in Hawaii, immense and elaborate taxpayer-funded beautification efforts were made to "impress" world visitors by modifying the scenery along routes President Obama and other global leaders would drive along.
While Hawaii appeared neat, clean and well-manicured for APEC, the stark reality is that much of Hawaii suffers from persistent homelessness, graffiti, trash on beaches and an economic outlook that has many residents struggling to make ends meet. Perhaps as the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/making-waves-hawaii-perspective-washington-politic/2012/jan/16/politician-disneyland-ten-ways-obama-changed-hawai/
Politician Disneyland: Ten ways Obama changed Hawaii
Political opponents say Obama failed to change America, but Obama's most radical change might be in Hawaii.Photo: Daniel de Gracia
Monday, January 16, 2012 - Making Waves: A Hawaii Perspective on Washington Politics by Daniel de Gracia
HAWAII, January 16, 2012—While Republican presidential candidates seek to show nothing really changed under the leadership of Barack Obama, Hawaii's residents have experienced a cultural and political paradigm shift as a result of their homegrown president.
Here are ten of the zaniest and craziest ways that the Obama White House changed the 50th state:
1. Hawaii tried to name an island after Obama.
In 2009, the Honolulu City Council debated re-naming Magic Island, an artificial peninsula on Oahu's pristine southern shore, to "President Barack Obama Beach Park."
The resolution failed after Honolulu residents complained they liked the original name better. This did not stop city and state legislators alike however from attempting to name other lands and buildings after the 44th president.
2. The President's birthday almost became a state holiday.
In 2010, Colleen Hanabusa who was then Hawaii's senate president, wanted to make August 4th an official state holiday. Other legislators opted to re-name January 20th as "Barack Obama II Ohana [Family] Day."
None of the days were officially changed, but the Governor of Hawaii retains the authority to issue non-binding proclamations which can name any day, week or month after anyone or anything.
3. Obama dashboard dolls compete with dancing hula dolls in Hawaii's stores.
The ubiquitous dancing Hawaiian hula girl doll, found for decades on dashboards of taxi cab drivers and cockpits of private pilots is now in direct competition with Barack Obama dolls, ranging from ones that make the president bob his head, play a ukulele or even shake his hips.
4. Being photographed with Obama transforms ordinary Hawaii residents into gods of fame.
Nevermind that Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Megan Fox and other celebs visit Hawaii. Due to the President's frequent and faithful Hawaiian vacays, an entire culture of citizen paparazzi has arisen out of attempts to submit photographs to the media of Obama eating ice cream, walking on the beach or flashing the surfer "shaka" hand sign.
Being photographed with the President confers instant "god" popularity status to Hawaii locals, such that many persons wanting to run for office begin their campaign not with an exploratory committee, but an attempt to be photographed with Obama.
5. Hawaii men pretend to talk to Obama on their cell phones as a means to impress women.
While previous generations of men used dogs at the beach as an accessory for dating, in Hawaii single men have "BlackBerry One" on speed dial to save them from rejection from women, especially since several cell phone apps allow the user to "fake a call" from the President.
It's not an uncommon sight in Hawaii to see men pretending to talk or text Obama in clubs and other social settings. As if that weren't bad enough, prospective candidates for local office all have stories of how they helped Obama become President or knew him when he was little.
6. The Obama "O" logo just won't go away.
In Hawaii, using an adaptation of the famous "O" campaign logo is de rigueur for local candidates. In 2010, former congressman Neil Abercrombie was the first when he slightly modified the "O" logo by putting a Hawaii flag at the center during his gubernatorial race and won.
The "O" continues to proliferate for new 2012 Hawaii candidates.
7. No matter what goes wrong, in Hawaii, everything is Congress' fault.
Forget blaming Bush. Even as the nation goes through seasons of job disapproval for the President, numerous local Hawaii polls reflect a different picture: Obama can do no wrong. After all, if Obama loses in 2012, single Hawaii men will no longer have a direct line to the Oval Office.
8. The Hawaii Department of Health is now a conspiracy theory magnet.
At the center of the hype and controversy regarding the President's birth certificate is the Hawaii Department of Health. Unprepared for the pressures of national media and tabloid attention, the small agency was overwhelmed by requests for Obama's birth certificate.
Making matters worse, in 2010 the Hawaii legislature debated a bill for "vexatious requests" that attempted to give state agencies power to say "no" to repeated requests for documents, empowering conspiracy theorists to believe Hawaii is "in" on a massive operation to suppress knowledge of Obama's birth.
9. Obama's birth certificate almost became a tourist item.
In 2011 as Hawaii faced a severe budget shortfall, several Hawaii legislators came up with a novel idea: sell copies of the President's birth certificate for $100 to raise revenues.
The proposal went nowhere due to the ethical implications of selling private records, but as Hawaii's economy continues to sour, the temptation to generate public funds from Obama has not entirely been banished.
10. Hawaii looks better off than it really is.
In the months leading up to the 2011 Asia Pacific Economic Conference held in Hawaii, immense and elaborate taxpayer-funded beautification efforts were made to "impress" world visitors by modifying the scenery along routes President Obama and other global leaders would drive along.
While Hawaii appeared neat, clean and well-manicured for APEC, the stark reality is that much of Hawaii suffers from persistent homelessness, graffiti, trash on beaches and an economic outlook that has many residents struggling to make ends meet. Perhaps as the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/making-waves-hawaii-perspective-washington-politic/2012/jan/16/politician-disneyland-ten-ways-obama-changed-hawai/
