So there’s quite a bit of buzz about the possibility that Barack Obama might visit his home town this campaign season.

Obviously, the campaign is not about to confirm such an idea. In fact, they have been careful not even to act as if they know Obama will be the Democratic Party nominee.

But assuming he is nominated, a visit to Hawaii might make sense. It would be a great opportunity to show and tell this part of his biography. Obama could use the occasion to talk again about diversity and what he learned growing up in Hawaii. He likely would also use the occasion to buff up his military/Asia/security cred with visits to top commanders and military facilities and a speech — as some have speculated — at Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery where his grandfather is buried.

That’s the positive side. On the negative is the irreversible fact that Hawaii is a long way from any place else. Even the quickest visit would knock close to two days out of the campaign schedule, particularly if it involved an overnight stop.

That’s a lot of time in the pressure-cooker context of a national presidential campaign.

Obama’s campaign will undoubtedly refresh their memories of the first (and last) visit to Hawaii by a presidential candidate: Richard Nixon in 1960.

Hawaii and Alaska were brand new states that year and Nixon wanted to capitalize on that excitement by promising, during him nomination speech, that he would visit every one of the states during the campaign.

And so he did, including a stop in Hawaii where he gave one of his first post-convention speeches to a crowd at the Kahmehameha Shopping Center.

Hawaii loved it and very nearly gave its three electoral votes to Nixon. In the end, a series of recounts gave the votes to John Kennedy.

But commentators at the time wondered whether Nixon didn’t do himself more harm than good by trekking to remote Alaska and Hawaii when there were key swing states on the continent that should have had his undivided attention.

So a post-convention visit by Obama would be great. But it won’t happen if his handlers conclude he cannot afford the time. That decision cannot be made today.