Synopsis: President Barack Obama has another four years. But is even eight years enough to make a difference? Maybe the term should be longer, or there should be no two-term limit.

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Aloha mai e nā makamaka heluhelu mai ka lā hiki a ka lā kau. Ua hala iho nei ka Pō’alua nei, ka lā koho pāloka ho’i o kākou. Ua ka’a aku paha ke eo i nā moho a ‘oukou e kāko’o ana, e hau’oli ai ka na’au, a ka’a aku nei paha ke eo i nā moho a ‘oukou e kū’ē aku ana.

‘O kahi mea na’e e lana ai ka mana’o, ‘o ia ka pāpahi ‘ia ‘ana aku o ka lei hiwahiwa o ka lanakila ma luna o ka Pelekikena Barack Obama, ‘o ia ana ka pelekikena no nā makahiki ‘ehā e hiki mai ana. A he kūpono ho’i ia, ‘oiai, e like me ka mea i ‘ōlelo ‘ia, ‘a’ole e hiki ke ho’okō ‘ia nā mea e pono ai ‘o ‘Amelika Hui pū ‘ia i loko o nā makahiki ‘ehā wale nō. Ma muli paha ia o ke kū loa ‘ana iho o ko ‘Amelika a pilikia i ka hana a ka Pelekikena Buki ma mua. ‘O ka ‘ai’ē o ke aupuni o ‘Amelika i kēia manawa, he $15 teriliona a ‘oi aku.

‘Eā, ‘a’ole i like kēia mau lā me nā lā o nā pelekikena mua loa. E aho paha ka ho’onui ‘ana i nā makahiki o ke kau e kū ai ka pelekikena i ka moku. He ‘eono makahiki paha e kū ai i ka moku. E lawa ia mau makahiki ‘eono e ho’omaika’i ai i ka pilina me nā luna o nā ‘āina ‘ē a me nā hana ‘ē a’e a ka pelekikena e kō ai kāna mau mea i ho’olālā ai.

A he wā nō ho’i ia e ‘ike ai nā mana koho i ka pono a me ka pono ‘ole paha o ka hana a ka pelekikena, e holo ai paha ka mana’o e koho hou ‘ia ‘o ia i alaka’i no ‘Amelika.

Inā ‘a’ole paha maika’i ‘eono makahiki o ke kau, e kāpae ‘ia aku paha ka palena o nā kau e kū ai ka pelekikena i luna no ‘Amelika Hui pū ‘ia. He ‘elua wale nō kau ka lō’ihi loa. ‘A’ole na’e pēlā mai kinohi, ‘a’ole kau palena ‘ia ke kūlana pelekikena. Ua hiki i nā pelekikena ke alualu hou i ia kūlana ma hope o ke kū ‘ana i ka moku no nā kau ‘elua. A ‘o Franklin Delano Rusawela kekahi pelekikena i hana pēlā. A ‘o ka lō’ihi o kona noho ‘ana i pelekikena, he 12 makahiki a ‘oi. A he mau makahiki ma hope mai, ‘āpono ihola ka ‘Aha ‘Ōlelo Lāhui i ka Ho’ololi ‘Ōlelo Pāku’i Iwakāluakumamālua o ke Kumu Kānāwai o ‘Amelika Hui pū ‘ia, e kau palena ana, ‘a’ole e hiki i ke kanaka ho’okahi ke koho ‘ia ‘o ia ka pelekikena ‘ekolu manawa a ‘oi. A ua ‘āpono ‘ia aku nō e ka hapanui o nā moku’āina i ka hiki ‘ana aku i ka makahiki 1951.

Mana’o ‘ia e kekahi po’e kānaka, he pono ke kau palena ‘ana, o koho mau ‘ia ke kanaka ho’okahi ‘o ia ka pelekikena a pau kona ola. Akā, inā koho hou ‘ia kahi kanaka i pelekikena no nā kau ‘ekolu, ‘ehā, a ‘elima paha, he aha ka hewa o ia? He hō’ike ia i ka maika’i a kūpono paha o ka hana a ia pelekikena. Pehea, he kūpono wale nō ke koho pāloka a ka lehulehu i ka pelekikena like no nā kau ‘elua, a ‘a’ole ia he mea ‘ano ‘ē, akā, i ke koho hou ‘ia ‘ana i ke kolu o ka manawa, ‘a’ole i kūpono? Inā he kūpono ke koho ‘ana i nā kau mua ‘elua, he kūpono nō ho’i ke kau ‘ekolu a ‘oi aku paha.

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This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.