Hawaiians Are Proud of Native Son Barack Obama

We had two tourist activities while in Honolulu that involved tour buses and tour leaders. In both cases, the ride through the city included a drive-by tour of "places from the President's early life." We were driven past the hospital where he was born, the apartment he lived in with his mother, the apartment he lived in with his grandparents, and the high school he attended.

One tour guide, an older gentleman and a vet, started his Obama-iliad this way (I paraphrase):

I did not vote for Barack Obama, but now that he is the President he has my support 110 percent. I understand there are some people on the mainland who think he was not born in the United States -- I think they are called "Birthies" or something? But here is the hospital where he was born. I was born here too!

And then we continued to circle around his various apartments and schools.

I also heard similar sentiments from a cabbie and from the older contractor I sat next to on our flight out of Kona.