Barack Obama runs in Hawaii instead of Illinois

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James G

Gone Fishin'
Surely you have something more to add than just this. Some thoughts of your own?

Otherwise it just looks like you are spitballing ideas, posting random no content flights of fancy, trolling in effect.
 
Both states went blue, and it didn’t seem to matter during the initial campaign where Obama was from, so I imagine it means diddly poop.
 
Why would he - he only spent a few years of his life there and had a well paid job as a civil rights lawyer and lecturer at University of Chicago Law School. By the time he was seeking political office he had lived in Chicago for 10 years (even discounting his time at Harvard) and had only spent 12 years in Hawaii in total. Chicago is Democrat machine central and Hawaii is really a long way from the center of power
 
It's hard for me to separate Obama from Chicago, since that's really where he found himself. He organized out of law school and got a feel for the power of communities, peoples' connections to institutions, met his wife, cut his teeth in a very distinct political environment, if he's not in Chicago, he's not the same person.
 
Plus, from 1990 to 2012 there was no open Senate seat in Hawaii.

Start lower and go through Congress.

He's not unseating either Daniel until they either retire or kick the bucket.

He might be able to grab the second District seat since that one flipped the most.
Maybe he could beat out Ambercrombie, but Ambercrombie didn't become unpopular until he became Governor.

Even then, He'd have to have established himself in Hawaii way before he runs.
 

Ak-84

Banned
Whats the POD? He was born in Hawaii. His life and political career were made in Chicago. W, was born in Connecticut, but no one makes a TL with him in NE politics. Even though, he had some significant connections there, unlike Obama in Hawaii.
 
People would probably assume his last name was Japanese! :D

Seriously, there is no way this could happen without Obama's life and career being totally different from what they were. Obama without his Chicago experience would just be a totally different political figure from the one we know, and would be unlikely to win high office in Hawaii. (Even his winning it in Illinois was something of a fluke. If Carol Mosely Braun had decided she wanted to attempt a return to the Senate in 2004, Obama would probably not have run that year.)
 
People would probably assume his last name was Japanese!

Or Polynesian, though that’s based on the average American’s knowledge of any Polynesian language extending to the word “Aloha” and mispronouncing the names of Hawaiian football players. (Also, the Hawaiian alphabet only has seven consonants, none of which is B, so people who say it’s Hawaiian would be showing their utter ignorance of all things Hawaiian.)
 
Long story short (IMO): if he had remained in Hawaii, he'd be a peripheral figure in national politics. It's not impossible that he'd be a senator, but given that Hawaii has only four electoral votes and is deep blue to begin with, I doubt that he'd get (or warrant) more than fleetingly brief consideration for the national ticket--and that for VP while we're at it.
 

Ak-84

Banned
His big break came in the '04 Dem convention. If he makes such a speech again, then yes its possible.
Won;t bet against him, the guy takes the odds and does unmentionable things to them.
 
There's a lot of variables at play here that would determine whether or not ATL Obama would even be interested in a political career. Lets assume he is; maybe a late POD is that he goes back to Hawaii after Harvard Law for a position at the University of Hawaii Law School. That keeps everything in his life the same, including community organizing experience in Chicago, up until 1992. The Senate seats in Hawaii were pretty locked down between Akaka and Inoyue (both Democrats) until 2012. House seats are available in this time period, but that's not a good launching pad for national office. If Obama has to wait around for Akaka and Inoyue that means a seriously delayed entry into high-level national politics. The governorship is an option; there was an open seat in OTL in 2002, which was won (barely) by Republican Linda Lingle, due to the Democratic Party being scandal-plagued (Lingle was popular and won big in 2006; her Senate campaign later on was a complete failure, which just shows you that people care more about party when voting for national rather than state office). If Obama can win the governorship in 2002 (not unreasonable), and runs for President in 2008- I don't think being a small state governor hurts him with primary voters per se. Howard Dean got serious consideration in 2004 despite governing a state with only three electoral votes. However, what launched Obama to national prominence was his speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. He was given a prime speaking slot because the party leaders saw a charismatic young Senator as a rising star. If he's just the charismatic and popular Governor of a small and very out of the way state, then he may never be given that opportunity.

Long story short, even assuming Obama is still interested in politics, Hawaii is a poor launching pad. His entry into high level national politics would at the very least be seriously delayed.
 
His entry into high level national politics would at the very least be seriously delayed.

Which is arguably not a bad thing.

Let's say he gets into Congress in the 90s, beating either Abercrombie or Case. if things go well, he'll have at least 20 years of experience before Inouye passes away or Akaka steps down.

He'd have competition for the seat, it's entirely possible that his relationship might mirror How Inouye left a letter stating that if he passed away he wanted Colleen Hanabusa to take his place until the special election.

So by the time Hawaii Senator Obama has a realistic chance of running for President, he's got significantly more experience.
 

SsgtC

Banned
Whats the POD? He was born in Hawaii. His life and political career were made in Chicago. W, was born in Connecticut, but no one makes a TL with him in NE politics. Even though, he had some significant connections there, unlike Obama in Hawaii.
Actually, I'd love to see a TL about that. W running for Governor of CT as a moderate Republican anyone?
 
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