Barack Obama's home state of Hawai`i launched the general-election campaign this week with a rally featuring Congressman Neil Abercrombie (HI-01) on Maui:
Islanders rally for Obama
Retired workers, Upcountry artists and college students joined a rally Tuesday night in support of Barack Obama's presidential campaign held at Maui Waena Intermediate School.
More than a hundred people, representing a cross section of Maui's voting population, turned out for a bento dinner and speeches by Hawaii Democratic Party leaders, and to sign up to be involved in the summer campaign activities for the Hawaii-born Obama.
"He's great," said retiree Louise Corpuz. "I think he knows what he's talking about."
Although Hawai`i is one of only two states Sen. Obama hasn't campaigned in yet (Alaska is the other), the Aloha State has played an active role in his quest for the presidency.
Below the fold, I'll provide a few notes about what Hawai`i's residents have done - and more important, what they will do - to put Barack and Michelle in the White House.
Dano Sayles, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and Patricia Jones Blessman at an Obama fundraiser on Maui in February 2008.
Hawai`i is obviously an integral part of the Barack Obama story. It's where he was born and raised - and where many of his values were instilled. It's where his grandmother, sister, brother-in-law, and niece still live. And it's where he decided to run for President.
Even before he made the decision to run, Obama was being urged to get in the race by a large national movement in which Hawai`i residents Brian Schatz and Chuck Freedman played key roles.
As soon as Obama officially entered the race, his native state swung into action. Barack's sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, Ph.D., who lives on O`ahu, toured the islands in 2007. And Hawai`i residents made plans to travel to the early primary and caucus states. Maui supporters Kallie Keith-Agaran, Gil Keith-Agaran, and Susan Bradford even traveled to the East Coast. Kallie has campaigned in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, and Texas - in addition to running the Maui part of the Hawai`i campaign.
I've had the good fortune to meet Dr. Soetoro-Ng and have posted a couple of diaries about her:
I met Barack Obama's sister Maya
A native of Indonesia, Maya teaches empathy and nonviolence at a high school and multicultural education at the University of Hawai`i.
. . .
Maya is also a good photographer. She took a touching picture at Barack's graduation from Punahou School in Honolulu, showing her brother with their grandparents Madelyn and Stanley Dunham.
Barack Obama's sister Maya takes Islands by storm
"I want to emphasize my brother loves these islands. He loves these islands with every fiber of his being," Soetoro-Ng told the crowd.
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"His ability to build bridges between worlds was built in these islands. . . ."
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Soetoro-Ng also shared how Obama took care of her after the deaths of her parents.
She said her brother taught her poetry and philosophy and the first book he gave her was by award-winning African American author Toni Morrison, who has since endorsed Obama.
I'm thrilled that she's getting some well-deserved national recognition:
More in the Press Taking Note of Obama's Diverse Family
"We are ready for a more complex construction of identity as a country," she said, dismissing the possibility some voters might find it hard to relate to Obama's multiethnic background and foreign experience.
"Maybe not everybody is as mixed or as hybrid as he is. But he gets Kansas, because we have Kansas," she said, referring to their mother's background. "He gets the Midwest. He gets the south side of Chicago."
And he "has a lot of affection for Asian cultures, in all of their various forms," she said.
Hawai`i-born actress and activist Kelly Hu has also been doing a remarkable amount of work for the Obama campaign, in D.C., Honolulu, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.
In a conference call with supporters on the eve of the Hawai`i caucus in February, Obama told his supporters he was disappointed that he missed his annual December trip home last year (he was a little busy in Iowa). He pledged that he, Michelle, Malia, and Sasha would return to the Islands for family time - and bodysurfing - as soon as he wrapped up the nomination. Unfortunately, he's still a little busy, now in Montana and North Dakota. So, we don't know when we're going to get to see him again. Personally, I'm hoping that he'll set up the Western White House to Maui so that we'll get to see him frequently - and so he can hang out with neighbors like Willie Nelson and Mick Fleetwood.
With leadership from Maya, Chuck, Brian, Kallie, and state campaign manager Andy Winer, Obama scored a resounding victory in the Hawai`i caucus. As the race shifted to other states, Hawai`i Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (HI-02) kept the momentum going by joining Abercrombie in endorsing Obama's nomination at a key juncture in the primary season.
Congresswoman Mazie Hirono with youth for Obama at the Martin Luther King Day Parade in Honolulu in January 2008.
As we shift to the general election, the Hawai`i for Obama campaign has a couple of focal points -
- harness the energy generated by the huge influx of new members to build the state party for future success
- help the national campaign by volunteering in our "neighboring" swing states, particularly Nevada
Under the rules of the Hawai`i Democratic Party, only party members are eligible to cast a vote in the presidential caucus. Because so many people across the state were eager to vote for Obama in February, the party's membership has grown astronomically. The challenge for new party chair Brian Schatz and party vice-chair Kari Luna is to ensure that those new members feel welcome and become active members as we look to 2010 (when we have a U.S. Senate race and a Governor's race on the ballot). Schatz and Luna are youthful but also experienced. Schatz is a former state legislator, a former candidate for the Congress, the Obama campaign's Hawai`i spokesperson, and CEO of social-service agency. Luna is an educator, a single mom, and a campaign leader in Sen. Akaka's hard-fought re-election in 2006. I'm confident Brian and Kari will make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
There's no doubt that Obama will carry Hawai`i. So, Hawai`i campaign manager (and Kossack) Andy Winer has made an astute decision to try to use our state's enthusiasm to try to help carry other states, notably including Nevada:
Nevada becomes key to isle Obama camp; Hawaii supporters will head to the state to push for votes from former residents
Andy Winer, Obama state coordinator, says he plans to steer local volunteers to help with the Illinois senator's presidential campaign in Nevada. During the Nevada caucus in January, the Hawaii Obama network placed 3,000 calls to Nevada residents, Winer said yesterday in an interview.
. . .
The Hawaii connection is expected to be such a draw that Winer figures the local campaign could bring Hawaii spokespersons to Las Vegas and Reno during the campaign.
So are there any Nevadans who are willing to host some Hawai`i residents anytime between now and Nov. 4? If not, we'll just rely on Vegas package deals. :)
Maya, a fluent Spanish speaker, will be a key asset on the Mainland this summer (as she has been in earlier parts of the campaign). Neil, Mazie, Brian, Kari, Kallie, and Gil will lead the Hawai`i contingent to Denver for the convention in August - and will likely be making other campaign stops as well. So, if you're in a battleground state, be ready to accept some Aloha Spirit!
Maui for Obama sign wavers in February 2008
Mahalo!