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Where will Obama make his official announcement?

February 10 is the target date for the big announcement.  But where will it take place?

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

It would seem the ideal place for Barack Obama to kick off a presidential bid he hopes could unite a politically divided nation.

The Old State Capitol in Springfield is where Abraham Lincoln launched his 1858 U.S. Senate campaign with his now famous speech declaring "a house divided against itself cannot stand."

Two years later, Lincoln used rooms in the building as headquarters for his presidential campaign. And the day Obama has chosen to announce his plans -- Feb. 10 -- is just two days before Lincoln's birthday.

Unfortunately, space inside the reconstructed Greek Revival-style building in downtown Springfield is limited.

"Anything larger than a few hundred people would need to be held outside any of our historic buildings," said David Blanchette, spokesman for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

And Feb. 10 could be a tad cold. Springfield's average highs for the date typically hover in the mid-30s. The record low was 13 degrees below zero.

"What if it's five below?" asked one Democratic strategist. "What will it look like if everyone is huddled together like they are at a Green Bay Packers game? Will that look good? . . . You want visuals of people who are happy."

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said an exact location for the announcement has not been "finalized," but it will definitely be in Springfield because that's where Obama served as a state legislator and Lincoln launched his political career.

"Obviously, were it not for the presence of someone like Lincoln, we would not even be talking about Barack Obama running for president," Gibbs said.

Obama Vaults Into Democratic Top Tier

Give credit to Obama's campaign team for forcing people to go to Obama's web site to see the official announcement.  It's a brilliant way to get more email sign-ups and generate web traffic on Obama's official web site.  I've now seen Obama's video announcement on every major news channel, and in the process, Obama was able to control his message and bypass the normal media filter.

From the Associated Press: 

Sen. Barack Obama's entry into the presidential race vaults him into the Democratic top tier, heady company that invites comparisons to two battle-tested veterans Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards.

From Huffington Post: 

Barack Obama has announced that he will be launching a presidential exploratory committee, escewing fancy launching pads like the Sunday talk shows or a Katrina backdrop and taking it straight to YOU — the people — via his website.  Pretty savvy move, actually, on Obama's part, with the obvious bounty of media coverage to come (never mind in the lead up), to say nothing of the suddern traffic possibilities on his website (if he slaps Google ads up there quick he can totally rake it in!). That's why it's savvy — Obama knows that he's been the object of scrutiny and fascination, obviously, and this is a great way to sow he's not courting it (even though the citizen journalism touch will provide additional play).

Listen to NPR's story.

From the New York Times:

By now, the rapid trajectory of Mr. Obama is a well-established tale, rising from law professor to state senator to U.S. senator in less than a decade. He is the only African-American serving in the U.S. Senate and could be only black presidential candidate this year. But the next phase of his political development presents an even more intriguing storyline – and invites closer scrutiny – as he discovers whether it is a blessing or curse to embark on a presidential race carrying the expectations of a country that is searching for something new and different.

From the Washington Post:

Obama has electrified Democratic audiences around the country, generating pressure for him to seek the presidency despite having been elected to the Senate just two years ago. Recent national polls show him challenging Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who is seen as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.

Obama's official email making the big announcement

Here's the email that Sen. Obama sent this morning:

       

Dear Friend,

         

Watch Barack's statement on forming a Presidential Exploratory Committee

As you may know, over the last few months I have been thinking hard about my plans for 2008. 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.

So I've spent some time thinking about how I could best advance the cause of change and progress that we so desperately need.

The decisions that have been made in Washington these past six years, and the problems that have been ignored, have put our country in a precarious place. Our economy is changing rapidly, and that means profound changes for working people. Many of you have shared with me your stories about skyrocketing health care bills, the pensions you've lost and your struggles to pay for college for your kids. Our continued dependence on oil has put our security and our very planet at risk. And we're still mired in a tragic and costly war that should have never been waged.

But challenging as they are, it's not the magnitude of our problems that concerns me the most. It's the smallness of our politics. America's faced big problems before. But today, our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, common sense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions.

And that's what we have to change first.

We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans.

This won't happen by itself. A change in our politics can only come from you; from people across our country who believe there's a better way and are willing to work for it.

Years ago, as a community organizer in Chicago, I learned that meaningful change always begins at the grassroots, and that engaged citizens working together can accomplish extraordinary things.

So even in the midst of the enormous challenges we face today, I have great faith and hope about the future - because I believe in you.

And that's why I wanted to tell you first that I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.

In the meantime, I want to thank all of you for your time, your suggestions, your encouragement and your prayers. And I look forward to continuing our conversation in the weeks and months to come.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Barack Obama

Breaking news! Sen. Barack Obama to create presidential exploratory committee

This is exciting news!

We've been waiting for months in hope that Sen. Obama would announce that he's running for president.  Today, he took the first step.

In true netroots fashion, he made the big announcement via his website.  Enjoy the video.

Now it's time to go to work.  Please contact us at texansforobama@gmail.com if you'd like to make a difference.