(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – A newly dedicated plaque in Springfield commemorates the spot where Barack Obama launched and solidified his first presidential bid.
It was a cold, cold day in February 2007, when then-U.S. Sen. Obama announced his candidacy.
It was a hot, hot day in August 2008 when he introduced runningmate Joe Biden prior to the Democratic National Convention.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, on hand for the dedication Thursday, said Obama is a phenomenon you can boil down to a four-letter word: hope.
“The past few years, the pandemic, financial and health crises, and the rise of political extremism have taken a toll on us all,” the Democratic governor said.
“But our resiliency and perseverance have been driven by the most American of values, and that’s hope. To me, this marker is a reminder that one of our favorite sons brought a message of hope that resonated to people all across the world.”
There are also commemorative plaques inside the Illinois House chamber, where the two-term president spoke during his final year in office.
Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, fondly recalled his time alongside Obama in his earlier state legislative career. Because he sometimes offered advice to Obama on legislation, Harmon said he can call himself a presidential adviser.
“President Obama’s colleagues in the Senate always knew he was bound for bigger things, although even we could not have predicted the meteoric rise from senator to president in four years,” Harmon said.
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