Jan 16 2007
Campaign 2008: Obama Makes it Official
Illinois Senator Barack Obama made it official today; he is running for President in 2008:
“As many of you know, over the last few months I have been thinking hard about my plans for 2008,” Obama said in a statement on his presidential exploratory committee Web site. “Running for the presidency is a profound decision—a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone—and so before I committed myself and my family to this race, I wanted to be sure that this was right for us and, more importantly, right for the country.
“I certainly didn’t expect to find myself in this position a year ago. But as I’ve spoken to many of you in my travels across the states these past months; as I’ve read your emails and read your letters; I’ve been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics.”
Obama is riding a wave of popularity across the nation:
After his convention speech, interest in him soared and his first book, an autobiography, “Dreams From My Father,” became a national best-seller. That was followed by his second book, “The Audacity of Hope,” which at one point was even outselling author John Grisham on the best seller lists. Obama also was a top draw for Democrats running for Congress in the midterm elections. And, of course, it certainly didn’t hurt him when Oprah Winfrey declared Obama her preferred candidate for the White House on her popular television show.
That popularity coalesced into presidential ambitions. Now comes the part when Obama must develop a set of positions on any number of issues. Perhaps none is so important as the war in Iraq.
Although aides as recently as this weekend were still calling it a “possible” campaign, one close friend to Obama said the only thing that would stop the candidacy would be if the senator “got cold feet.”
Obama is a junior Senator from Illinois and a likely a long-shot for the Democratic ticket. At the same time, he brings a very interesting angle to the campaign being young and somewhat of a political “outsider.”
His appeal on the stump, his unique background, his opposition to the Iraq war and the fact that he is a fresh face set him apart in a competitive race that also is expected to include front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.
Look for him to make a splash in the polls then become a Vice-Presidential candidate on a very strong ticket.
