latest artificial, absurd outrage

Is Obama Foreign??? He's Visiting Hawaii!!!

Oh for the love of God. Cokie Roberts, opining on Obama's trip to Hawaii, which...

... does not make any sense whatsoever. I know his grandmother lives in Hawaii and I know Hawaii is a state, but it has the look of him going off to some sort of foreign, exotic place. He should be in Myrtle Beach, and, you know, if he's going to take a vacation at this time.

Let's review. Obama grew up in Hawaii, as we have been reminded countless times. His grandmother lives there. He's going on vacation and visiting his grandmother. In the process, he's visiting his 48th state of this campaign season, and rumors abound he's going to try to visit all 50, the first candidate to try to do so since Nixon.

According to Cokie Roberts, though, it conjures images of the foreign and exotic. He'll, he's pretty damn presumptuous. Hawaii!! Why doesn't he vacation in some God-fearing, non-foreign place? We have beaches near Washington! And grandmothers!

I've long ago realized that the entire reason for having elections in this country is so news pundits can have their every-four-years, "let's try to make everyone in America commit suicide rather than listening to us talk" competition. But what the hell, sometimes you've just got to cherish a quote. To hell with making it a signature line -- I'm going to needlepoint it and hang it on my wall.

"I know Hawaii is a state."

-- Cokie Roberts, 2008

Thank you, Cokie. Well freakin' done.

(Daily Kos)