Opinion: Barack Obama’s holiday comes just as ‘Obama fatigue’ emerges

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Barack Obama needs a break. So on Friday he’s heading to Hawaii for a weeklong family vacation.

Good timing, because much of the public apparently needs a rest from him. (See video below.)

The Pew Research Center reports that Obama’s mush-discussed ‘media dominance may not be working in his favor.’ A Pew poll conducted over the last few days found that almost half -- 48% -- of those surveyed said ‘they have been hearing too much about Obama lately.’

One possible upshot: According to the Pew pollsters, ‘by a slight, but statistically significant margin -- 22% to 16% -- people say that recently they have a less rather than more favorable view of the putative Democratic nominee.’

John McCain staffers may well snicker and think to themselves, ‘Such are the perils of excessive celebrityhood.’

And his camp likely will be heartened by this: ‘Pew’s respondents said they want to hear more, not less about the Republican candidate. Just 26% in the poll said they had heard too much about McCain, while a larger number (38%) reported that they had heard too little about the putative Republican candidate.’

But then there’s this -- as with Obama, ‘a slight plurality reports that recently they have come to have a less favorable view of McCain rather than a more favorable view of him -- (23% to 18%).’

Our colleague Katie Fretland has more on the Pew findings at the Swamp.

Obama’s vacation plans may have one meritorious effect -- temporary relief from the incessant, and often pointless, speculation about who’s up and who’s down in his running-mate search.

An announcement now is not expected until Obama’s return from the state of his birth, as detailed by the Financial Times (which also can’t resist providing a tote sheet of the leading contenders).

Eagle-eyed reporters, of course, will be checking the schedules of Evan Bayh (above, campaigning Wednesday with Obama), Tim Kaine and Joe Biden for any sudden trips to Honolulu.

-- Don Frederick