Obama was here, and here, and here . . .

HONOLULU —  Locals here sometimes call Barack Obama a kamaaina, the Hawaiian word for native-born or one who has lived here for some time. Chicagoans, of course, think of him as a South Sider who often wears a White Sox cap.

Both are correct, and both illustrate an increasing pull on the future 44th president by those who want to use his native-son status for marketing advantage.

So far, Chicago seems to be winning the battle.

But Obama’s 12-night vacation on the island of Oahu has again raised Hawaii’s profile as an integral place in the narrative of his life.

Obama T-shirts are already scattered amid the dozens of shops that peddle knickknacks along Waikiki Beach.

Some also see the potential for more regular Obama tour bus stops on routes that go to places such as Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Cultural Center.

“When he lived here, it was 30 years ago,” said John Monahan, chief executive of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. “But the Hawaii experience deeply shaped who he is.”

Monahan’s organization recently established a section on Hawaii’s official tourism website called Barack Obama’s Hawaii. “You can’t really understand Barack until you understand Hawaii,” it quotes Michelle Obama, the president-elect’s wife.

It showcases the many recreational activities Obama enjoyed when he last vacationed in Hawaii in August.

There are photos of him touring the Arizona battleship memorial, bodysurfing, gazing across a lush valley from a scenic overlook, playing golf and walking on a beach.

On this vacation, he has played golf three times, visited a friend’s home on the North Shore, stopped at a marine park, sampled local food and hung out at an ocean-side compound in Kailua.

The Hawaiian marketing effort is similar to one called Presidential Chicago, sponsored by the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, that provides information on Obama hangouts, favorite restaurants and how to get White Sox tickets.

Springfield, Ill., is also working to get a piece of the Obama tourism action, highlighting his years in the Legislature and his announcement for his bid for the presidency outside the Old State Capitol.

Claiming local ties to presidents is a national tradition.

Abraham Lincoln, for example, was born in Kentucky, spent part of his youth in Indiana and made Illinois his home.

But Illinois has most successfully tied itself to the 16th president.

Hawaii, of course, has advantages over Illinois.

They were apparent on a recent evening, as customers at Lulu’s on Waikiki sipped mai tais while watching football: On the screen, steam poured from the mouths of Chicago Bears players in freezing weather. In Hawaii, customers gazed toward a sunset framed by palm trees.

Still, even promoters of Obama tourism here admit that Chicago is better positioned to take advantage of the Obama brand.

The future president spends much more time at his home than in Hawaii, and his roots are fresher in the Windy City.

Tours that offer Obama stops here have had limited success so far.

Those who live in the apartment building in the Makiki neighborhood where he spent part of his childhood and where his grandmother recently died say tour buses stop on occasion, but visitors typically do not get out.

What will happen to the vacant apartment unit on the 10th floor remains unknown. Residents in the building say converting it to some kind of Obama boyhood museum would be impractical and create a hassle for them.

A few blocks away, at a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop where a teenage Obama worked, people periodically stop by to take a look and order a cone.

Visitors also sometimes walk by the private Punahou High School he attended.

One reason Obama tourism could struggle here is that there are just too many other activities and attractions, including the nearly perfect weather.

International visitors seem more interested in shopping and dining than Obama history.

Concierge desks at Honolulu hotels say few guests ask about how to find Obama-related locations.

“I’ve only been asked one time,” said one worker.

Still, entrepreneurs are trying.

A website called Obama’s Hawaii Neighborhood lists books and articles about Obama’s Hawaiian upbringing and provides tour maps that highlight places where he lived, played and worked.

The site has a section called Barry Obama Slept Here that posts photos and addresses of homes and apartments where he has lived.

Monahan, the tourism bureau executive, said Obama’s visit offered a boost to the state.

The president-elect’s steadiness, he says, is at least partly shaped by a Hawaiian upbringing that stresses mellowness, peacefulness and acceptance of diverse cultures.

“He doesn’t do the typical tourism things,” he said. “He does the things we would love to expose others to.”

Obama has said he plans to keep a strong connection with Chicago, even after moving to the White House.

“My Kennebunkport is on the South Side of Chicago,” he said in a recent interview, noting that he hopes to return from Washington every six weeks or two months.

With Hawaii being at least a 10-hour flight from Washington, it seems unlikely that he will return here much more than for his annual Christmas vacation.

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mccormickj@tribune.com