I think the media attention on HI made it impossible for the Dems not to spend some money there without looking to take the state for granted and thus get a mountain of resentment out of a mole hill of a news article. In anycase, both parties can afford to cough up $200,000 without thinking about it.
I think Clinton going to AR is the bigger oddity, but I guess he knows the state better than me!
I can pretty much guess that they are not going to run ads just because of media. Something opened up in HI.