Obama is a proven citizen, rumors continue to spread

Recently, a lot of the news about the election in Hawaii that pops up on my radar has to do with rumors that Obama was not actually born in the United States, thus disqualifying him as a presidential candidate.  Politico ran a story today highlighting some of the most popular myths of this election, and Obama's suspect citizenship was one of them.  Politico writes:

So why isn't this getting wide coverage? Well, first, there's lots of evidence that Obama was born in the United States, and none that he wasn't. The campaign handed over an official copy of his short-form birth certificate — the standard document produced by the Hawaii Department of Health — to Factcheck.org. And Poliltico has confirmed the authenticity of a contemporaneous announcement of his birth in the Honolulu Advertiser.

So there you go, once and for all.  Obama = American citizen.  Spreading rumors like this is totally mean-spirited and unhealthy for our democracy.  I wish that people like Pennsylvania lawyer Philip Berg, who continues to contend that Obama was born in Kenya, would combat Obama's success by organizing people around real issues rather than rumors.

Hawaii strong for Obama with 10 days left

Hawaii is expected to contribute four electoral votes to Obama on November 4.  While Hawaii has not been polled since mid-September, the last poll from Real Clear Politics had Obama leading McCain with 68% support (Rasmussen).

Like the rest of the country, Hawaii is feeling the economic heat.  It is a Democratic leaning state, and Obama gets a big boost from his island roots.  Obama frequently mentions Hawaii when talking about his diverse upbringing and his grandmother who still lives there, and the Obama family took a vacation in Hawaii after the Democratic National Convention.  The Democratic candidate has maintained overall goodwill in the state and Hawaii will most likely vote for him on Election Day.

Obama's citizenship questioned

Apparently a lawsuit has been filed in Hawaii to demand access to Barack Obama's birth certificate in order to verify his U.S. citizenship. The lawsuit is being brought by an avowed Obama opponent. Hawaii health officials receive an average of two requests for Obama's documents every three weeks, but those documents can only be released to someone who has a "tangible relationship" to the person in order to protect privacy of information. The rumor that he is not a citizen has been circulated via email and blogs, but About.com clarifies that this is no more than a myth. Obama was born in Hawaii and is thus a citizen. Case closed.

Obama leaves trail for two days

Obama is leaving the campaign trail for two days to visit his very ill grandmother in Hawaii.  Events for Thursday and Friday this week are either cancelled, or will be headlined by wife Michelle Obama instead.

High voter registration... will there be high turnout?

Maui County has reported a record number of registered voters eligible to vote in the November election.  However, the September 20 primary/first special election also had the potential for record-breaking turnout because of high registration and wound up with a record low turnout of 25.5%.  Officials have also said that statewide voter registration numbers have reached all time highs.  There is little way to know how many of these voters will turn up on or before Election Day, but Hawaii is still solid Obama according to polls.

The Ninth Island, Las Vegas

Apparently, Las Vegas is known, at least to Hawaiians, as the ninth island.  The city is a popular vacation and relocation destination for Hawaiians.  So, many Hawaiians feel a special connection to Las Vegas as well as the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama.  Some Hawaiians say they see Obama as the first Hawaiian president, not the first Black president.  Hawaiians who now live in Las Vegas are banding together, forming a group called "Islanders for Obama" and preparing to phone bank for his campaign.  Hawaiians are trying to help in Nevada, a tossup state that could play and important role for either candidate, by donating time, money, and work space.

Hawaiians concerned with economy, oil

Hawaii may not be an industrial hub of the U.S., but the state is feeling the impact of the economy in poor real estate sales.  Hawaii real estate is doing better than most markets on the mainland, but sales are down 30%, which is making a big difference for real estate agents.  The state is already strongly supportive of Barack Obama, and this should simply back up the conviction.  Obama is generally seen as the candidate more capable at dealing with the economy.

A new company in Hawaii called Better Place has begun to develop a plan for the state to decrease its need for gas.  Better Place is a sustainable transportation company, and Hawaii has proven a welcoming market for the electric cars and re-charging networks they offer.  Advocates for the company said that the new market would bring new jobs as well as opportunities to decrease Hawaii's dependence on oil.  In January 2008, local government in Hawaii declared that the state would decrease its oil use by 70% over the next two decades.  Hawaii is without doubt dependent on oil, and in January Hawaii had the highest gas prices and electricity rates in the country.  Hawaii's isolated location makes threats of oil shortages even more daunting.  So, for many reasons, Better Place's proposed influx of electric cars resonates well in the small state.