Is it time for Hawai'i to finally put forth a serious candidate for the presidency?

That's the buzz in political circles with word that Hawai'i-born Barack Obama has finally admitted what everyone sort of knew: He is thinking, interested in, or otherwise aware of the possibility of running for president. This is difficult for Obama, since he is not the one pushing this idea.

It's an inevitable question that comes up in every interview as he travels the country promoting his latest book.

After trying valiantly for several weeks to deflect the question, Obama finally conceded on "Meet the Press" that he is indeed giving a presidential campaign some thought. He clearly is a man caught between modesty and honesty.

After all, he has only two years in the U.S. Senate, hardly the record of a person whose natural next step is the presidency. That calls for a full measure of modesty.

But he also is honest enough not to duck the question when he is told, by supporters, fellow Democrats and the news media that he is a natural for the nation's highest office.

One interesting thing to watch, if an Obama candidacy emerges, is what role his Hawai'i background might play in the campaign.

Obama's Hawai'i connection, while hardly ignored, has been played down. When Obama starred at the Democratic National Convention, his career as a civil rights leader and politician who could bridge the racial divide in Illinois was heavily promoted. Obama, we were told, is one of those rare people whose appeal cuts across ethnic and social lines.

Isn't it possible that he came to this understanding of the world by growing up in multi-racial, multi-ethnic Hawai'i? Could Hawai'i have something to teach the rest of the nation about diversity, as represented by the hapa-haole Obama?

In his convention speech, Obama's Hawai'i background got little more than this brief mention: "The irony is that my decision to work in politics, and to pursue such a career in a big Mainland city, in some sense grows out of my Hawaiian upbringing, and the ideal that Hawai'i still represents in my mind."

The impact of Hawai'i (as well as four years in Indonesia with his stepfather) on Obama's world view played a larger role in his 1995 memoir, "Dreams From My Father, A Story of Race and Inheritance."

Playing the Hawai'i card will deliver precious few votes outside of this state.

But the Illinois part of the story, now that's something a lot of people can relate to.

Hawai'i is obviously proud of Obama. It will be interesting to see whether Obama, and the Democratic Party nationally, are equally proud of Hawai'i and its special story.

Reach Jerry Burris at jburris@honoluluadvertiser.com.