On yesterday's edition of ABC's This Week, Roberts criticized Senator Obama for "going off this week to a vacation in Hawaii," which she said "does not make any sense whatsoever." Funny, it makes perfect sense to me. Can't a guy go back to his home state to chill? According to Roberts:
"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."Media Matters has the video and transcript of Roberts' remarks: Cokie Roberts on Obama's vacation: "I know his grandmother lives in Hawaii and I know Hawaii is a state," but it looks "foreign, exotic."
You see, I had no idea that Myrtle Beach, for whatever reason, is the Presidential vacation spot of choice. Much less foreign or exotic or elite than the great state of Hawaii, apparently. Tell that to the more than two million Americans who go on vacation in Hawaii every year. Or the 1.2 million Americans—with the largest percentage of Asian Americans—who actually live there. Including members of my own family. And Obama's family.
Here's a good take on this nonsense: Barack Obama Joins 2.5 Million Fellow Americans In Vacation Elitism. And more at Daily Kos: Sen Akaka (D-HI) response to Cokie's stupidity... Write NPR Please and tell them to send her to Fox.