Senator Barack Obama (Democrat-Illinois) has taken his first step in his effort to become the first African-American President of the United States.
In a three-minute video posted on his website, the 45-year-old Barack Obama said he has formed an exploratory committee to get to assess his chances. The committee allows him to hire staff and raise money.
Obama is expected to announce officially his candidacy on February 10, 2007. It was perhaps the first part of a long-expected showdown between Barack Obama, the Democratic Party's fastest rising star, and Senator Hilary Clinton, wife of former President Bill Clinton. Hilary is the Democratic party's presumed presidential front-runner.
"Obama is clearly the alternative to Hillary Clinton for the Democrats at this point," said Mark Rozell, a political scientist. "There is no other candidate on the Democratic side who has emerged with such fanfare, such high expectations to possibly challenge Hillary Clinton for the front-runner status."
The impact of Obama's decision appeared to have an immediate impact on Hilary Clinton's own politicking. Just back from a trip to Iraq, the New York Senator had on Tuesday cancelled a major news conference, triggering speculation that she wanted to avoid questions on Obama.
Almost striking a bipartisan tone, Obama said he believes Americans want an end to bitter divisions that have consumed US politics since the disputed 2000 election of President George W Bush.
"I have been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics," Obama said. "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."
Hillary Clinton, now serving her second term in the US Senate, is expected to announce her own presidential ambitions as early as next week.
She already has, at her disposal, $14 million dollars in funds left over from her Senate re-election campaign and the political organisation of Bill Clinton.
Several other Democratic candidates have already entered the race, including former vice-presidential candidate John Edwards, Delaware Senator Joseph Biden, Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich, Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd and Tom Vilsack, Governor of Iowa.Labels: International Politics |
