Obama feels ‘small’ compared with members of US Marines

Finally, the recently-stepped-down Honolulu City Councilman thought he’d finally found his chunk of earth: Sandy Beach, a majestic strip of sand and volcanic dust that he wanted to rename “Barack Obama Beach”.

Obama and his wife Michelle made their annual visit to the U.S. Marine base’s Anderson Hall dining room to deliver Christmas wishes to the troops and their families.

Other efforts to christen public parks, two schools, his former homestead, two state holidays and an abandoned lot after their presidential native son have all floundered, the paper has found.

A group of Marines looks on as President Barack Obama speaks during an event to thank service members and their families at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii on Friday, Dec. 25, 2015.

Nearly immediately following the Obama 2008 election, politicians in Hawaii began efforts to name something in honor of the president.

Part of the problem may not be politics, but also locked into Hawaiians’ protection of their Polynesian heritage, including refusing to change traditional names for places.

“People here believe that the land has spirit and feeling”, said Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. There is the often-prohibitive cost of renaming sites, and laws and customs preventing renamings until a public servant has been in office for 50 years or more are among them.

“Because he’s still president, it felt a little goofy and opportunistic for people to run around trying to honor him as if his public service was already complete”, said Sen.

Sometimes, as in the case of Sandy Beach, it’s hard to identify a single point of failure. Since 2009, a total of 16 surfers have suffered such severe injuries on the Hawaiian beach.

Eventually, sensing increasing resistance to the proposal, Chang pulled it. Most presidents have multiple areas in various states bearing their names.

Meanwhile, city council members are discussing lifting the prohibition against naming facilities for living leaders.

“Barack Obama Beach” was apparently not meant to be.

Today, state Rep. Gene Ward, the original Republican co-sponsor, said he wouldn’t back an effort to revive the bill, offering a long list of reasons for his opposition.

“Given the way he’s handled the presidency and handled the security of our nation”, the Republican lawmaker said. President Obama turned down a $75 million offer to host the Obama presidential library, Chicago was chosen as the location instead.