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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Obama steps into White House race | Obama steps into White House race |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Senator Barack Obama is taking the first step towards a White House run, raising the possibility the US will get its first black president. | Senator Barack Obama is taking the first step towards a White House run, raising the possibility the US will get its first black president. |
| Mr Obama, a Democrat, said on his website he had formed an exploratory committee, which would allow him to raise money and hire staff for the run. | Mr Obama, a Democrat, said on his website he had formed an exploratory committee, which would allow him to raise money and hire staff for the run. |
| He is one of his party's rising stars, having electrified the 2004 Democratic convention with a powerful speech. | He is one of his party's rising stars, having electrified the 2004 Democratic convention with a powerful speech. |
| He opposed the war in Iraq and has a solidly liberal Senate voting record. | He opposed the war in Iraq and has a solidly liberal Senate voting record. |
| In a video announcement posted on his website, he said Americans wanted to move beyond partisan politics to find common-sense solutions to problems. | |
| "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," he said. | |
| "We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans." | |
| Personal history | |
| Mr Obama, 45, has generated unusual excitement in Washington since he was elected in 2004, even being described as a "beach babe" after he was photographed visiting family in Hawaii. | Mr Obama, 45, has generated unusual excitement in Washington since he was elected in 2004, even being described as a "beach babe" after he was photographed visiting family in Hawaii. |
| BARACK OBAMA Born 4 Aug 1961 in HawaiiStudied law at HarvardWorked as a civil rights lawyer in ChicagoElected to the US Senate in 2004 Profile: Barack Obama | BARACK OBAMA Born 4 Aug 1961 in HawaiiStudied law at HarvardWorked as a civil rights lawyer in ChicagoElected to the US Senate in 2004 Profile: Barack Obama |
| His 2004 convention speech touched on his personal history as the son of a Kenyan man and a white woman from Kansas, hailing America as a land of opportunity for giving his father a chance to study there. | His 2004 convention speech touched on his personal history as the son of a Kenyan man and a white woman from Kansas, hailing America as a land of opportunity for giving his father a chance to study there. |
| He said he would make a formal announcement on 10 February as to whether or not he would run for president. | He said he would make a formal announcement on 10 February as to whether or not he would run for president. |
| Mr Obama is considered one of few Democrats who could snatch the party's 2008 nomination from fellow Senator Hillary Clinton. | Mr Obama is considered one of few Democrats who could snatch the party's 2008 nomination from fellow Senator Hillary Clinton. |
| She has not yet declared her candidacy. | She has not yet declared her candidacy. |
| Former vice-presidential candidate John Edwards is thought to be the strongest Democratic contender to have declared he is running for president. | Former vice-presidential candidate John Edwards is thought to be the strongest Democratic contender to have declared he is running for president. |