Photo: Mark Cowan/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesA new marker will go up on the grounds of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois — the spot whereBarack Obamadeclared his historic candidacy for president in 2007.“It’s hard to believe that 15 years have passed,” Obama, 60, said in aFacebook postabout Thursday’s anniversary and announcement of a plan to erect a marker at the site. “It’s easy to look back on that morning, and the nearly two year campaign that followed, and think that our efforts were destined for success. But at the time, our campaign was viewed as a longshot — historic perhaps, but unlikely to end in the White House.“More than 17,000 people attended the event that launched the Obama campaign that led him to the White House in 2009, when he became the first African-American to serve as president.“What gave me the confidence to move forward in spite of the odds were the people I met, including the people who came out to see us in Springfield,” he recalled in his Facebook post. “They didn’t stand in the cold for hours just for me. They did it because they believed in what this country could be, and that we could change it for the better.“Mark Cowan/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe Old State Capitol Foundation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said the historical marker will be placed on the building’s lawn at a public ceremony later this year.“This marker of Obama’s historic announcement at the Old State Capitol will ensure his story will forever be a part of Illinois' history,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “And alongside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, this marker brings another presidential monument to Springfield, fostering tourism from visitors near and far alike.“Mark Cowan/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAnita Decker Breckenridge, Obama’s current chief of staff who helped organize the 2007 campaign launch in Springfield, explained why the site was chosen 15 years ago.“President Obama chose Springfield to launch his campaign, in part because of its proud history as the place where President Lincoln began his presidential campaign, but also because it’s where folks from diverse walks of life and perspectives come to be heard,” she said. “His campaign was organized around listening to folks and bringing them together to find solutions, and that has continued to be his focus in his post-presidency.“In his remarks on the anniversary, Obama touched on the ongoing work of his foundation.Mark Cowan/Bloomberg via Getty Images"Today, our challenges are as great as any we faced 15 years ago — from disinformation that is undermining faith in our democratic institutions, to the growing effects of climate change, to a lingering pandemic. But my faith in what we can achieve when we work together is as strong as ever,” he said. “I believe we can meet our challenges because I still believe in the American people. And it has given me even more hope watching so many of the people who got involved in politics for the first time in our 2008 campaign continue to find ways to serve.““Those stories continue to inspire me today,” he added, “and they are the driving force behind the mission of the Obama Foundation — proof that, in the face of impossible odds, people who believe in a better future can create it together.“Obama returned to the Old State Capitol on Aug. 23, 2008, 18 months after announcing his candidacy, to reveal his choice for a running mate was then-U.S. SenatorJoe Bidenof Delaware.
Photo: Mark Cowan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A new marker will go up on the grounds of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois — the spot whereBarack Obamadeclared his historic candidacy for president in 2007.“It’s hard to believe that 15 years have passed,” Obama, 60, said in aFacebook postabout Thursday’s anniversary and announcement of a plan to erect a marker at the site. “It’s easy to look back on that morning, and the nearly two year campaign that followed, and think that our efforts were destined for success. But at the time, our campaign was viewed as a longshot — historic perhaps, but unlikely to end in the White House.“More than 17,000 people attended the event that launched the Obama campaign that led him to the White House in 2009, when he became the first African-American to serve as president.“What gave me the confidence to move forward in spite of the odds were the people I met, including the people who came out to see us in Springfield,” he recalled in his Facebook post. “They didn’t stand in the cold for hours just for me. They did it because they believed in what this country could be, and that we could change it for the better.“Mark Cowan/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe Old State Capitol Foundation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said the historical marker will be placed on the building’s lawn at a public ceremony later this year.“This marker of Obama’s historic announcement at the Old State Capitol will ensure his story will forever be a part of Illinois' history,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “And alongside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, this marker brings another presidential monument to Springfield, fostering tourism from visitors near and far alike.“Mark Cowan/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAnita Decker Breckenridge, Obama’s current chief of staff who helped organize the 2007 campaign launch in Springfield, explained why the site was chosen 15 years ago.“President Obama chose Springfield to launch his campaign, in part because of its proud history as the place where President Lincoln began his presidential campaign, but also because it’s where folks from diverse walks of life and perspectives come to be heard,” she said. “His campaign was organized around listening to folks and bringing them together to find solutions, and that has continued to be his focus in his post-presidency.“In his remarks on the anniversary, Obama touched on the ongoing work of his foundation.Mark Cowan/Bloomberg via Getty Images"Today, our challenges are as great as any we faced 15 years ago — from disinformation that is undermining faith in our democratic institutions, to the growing effects of climate change, to a lingering pandemic. But my faith in what we can achieve when we work together is as strong as ever,” he said. “I believe we can meet our challenges because I still believe in the American people. And it has given me even more hope watching so many of the people who got involved in politics for the first time in our 2008 campaign continue to find ways to serve.““Those stories continue to inspire me today,” he added, “and they are the driving force behind the mission of the Obama Foundation — proof that, in the face of impossible odds, people who believe in a better future can create it together.“Obama returned to the Old State Capitol on Aug. 23, 2008, 18 months after announcing his candidacy, to reveal his choice for a running mate was then-U.S. SenatorJoe Bidenof Delaware.
A new marker will go up on the grounds of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois — the spot whereBarack Obamadeclared his historic candidacy for president in 2007.
“It’s hard to believe that 15 years have passed,” Obama, 60, said in aFacebook postabout Thursday’s anniversary and announcement of a plan to erect a marker at the site. “It’s easy to look back on that morning, and the nearly two year campaign that followed, and think that our efforts were destined for success. But at the time, our campaign was viewed as a longshot — historic perhaps, but unlikely to end in the White House.”
More than 17,000 people attended the event that launched the Obama campaign that led him to the White House in 2009, when he became the first African-American to serve as president.
“What gave me the confidence to move forward in spite of the odds were the people I met, including the people who came out to see us in Springfield,” he recalled in his Facebook post. “They didn’t stand in the cold for hours just for me. They did it because they believed in what this country could be, and that we could change it for the better.”
Mark Cowan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Old State Capitol Foundation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said the historical marker will be placed on the building’s lawn at a public ceremony later this year.
“This marker of Obama’s historic announcement at the Old State Capitol will ensure his story will forever be a part of Illinois' history,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “And alongside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, this marker brings another presidential monument to Springfield, fostering tourism from visitors near and far alike.”
Anita Decker Breckenridge, Obama’s current chief of staff who helped organize the 2007 campaign launch in Springfield, explained why the site was chosen 15 years ago.
“President Obama chose Springfield to launch his campaign, in part because of its proud history as the place where President Lincoln began his presidential campaign, but also because it’s where folks from diverse walks of life and perspectives come to be heard,” she said. “His campaign was organized around listening to folks and bringing them together to find solutions, and that has continued to be his focus in his post-presidency.”
In his remarks on the anniversary, Obama touched on the ongoing work of his foundation.
“Today, our challenges are as great as any we faced 15 years ago — from disinformation that is undermining faith in our democratic institutions, to the growing effects of climate change, to a lingering pandemic. But my faith in what we can achieve when we work together is as strong as ever,” he said. “I believe we can meet our challenges because I still believe in the American people. And it has given me even more hope watching so many of the people who got involved in politics for the first time in our 2008 campaign continue to find ways to serve.”
“Those stories continue to inspire me today,” he added, “and they are the driving force behind the mission of the Obama Foundation — proof that, in the face of impossible odds, people who believe in a better future can create it together.”
Obama returned to the Old State Capitol on Aug. 23, 2008, 18 months after announcing his candidacy, to reveal his choice for a running mate was then-U.S. SenatorJoe Bidenof Delaware.
source: people.com
