Hawaii Tries in Vain to Cash In on Obama Fame

The Hawaii tourist trade is doing its best to spin some dollars out of Obamania, Politico reports. Tour companies are hyping visits to the president-elect's old Honolulu neighborhood, and the Baskin-Robbins where Obama worked as a teen is selling a new "Swirl of Change" flavor: chocolate, caramel, and nuts in vanilla ice cream.

But Oahu looks unlikely to develop a presidential tourism trade to rival that which sprang up near President Bush's Crawford ranch. Obama tour operators say business has been pretty slow, with the likes of Waikiki Beach and Pearl Harbor providing stiff competition among vacationers who say they've had enough of politics for now—especially those who voted for that other guy.

(More Hawaii stories.)