Having grown up in Hawaii, I know the community that surrounded him. It wasn't just his family or his school, but the entire island surrounding him with the spirit of ohana or family. In Hawaii, ohana means the entire community, the whole island, is your family in that "it takes a village" sense. It means that you may disagree with someone, even vehemently, but since you live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and you can't run away from them, you need to figure out a way to live and work together. I saw Obama's "Hawaii-ness"—his spirit of ohana—in Friday's debate.
I saw it when Obama said, "John McCain is right," finding the rare points where he could agree with McCain before roasting him in a blaze of searing criticism. Obama's agreement didn't show weakness. On the contrary. People everywhere,—but especially people from Hawaii—understand that it showed leadership, a willingness to reach across the aisle in the spirit of working together, it showed Obama's true nature as someone who can seek common ground where he is able, it showed ohana.
In Hawaii, perhaps because of the spirit of ohana or the Missionary influence or deep-rooted Asian traditions, a high social value is placed on respecting elders and being polite. It's the island way. Grace, gentlemanliness, and courtesy are social norms. Anyone acting otherwise is an instant pariah. If you are discourteous, everyone knows who you are. To further illustrate my point, I would venture to say that everyone from Hawaii watching the debate was thinking, "Yes, he had to take McCain down 17 notches, but at least he showed manners and acted like a gentleman. He wasn't rude. His family raised him right."
Read the whole post - great points all around, including a guest appearance by Roger Ebert..
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