Barack Obama announces 2012 re-election bid

April 4, 2011

US President Barack Obama has released details on his plan to run for re-election next year. A video was released on Obama's official website and e-mails sent to supporters. The announced plan to run for a second term was widely expected; the campaign team are expected to file for election papers later this week.

In his e-mail to supporters Obama says, "[w]e're doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you &mdash; with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build."

The president also revealed a new look for his website stating, "[t]he idea is to improve upon what's worked for the past four years, scrap what hasn't, and build a campaign that reflects the thoughts and experiences of the supporters who've powered this movement."

The November 2012 election is 20 months away. Several candidates hope to receive the nomination to stand against Obama but so far only one, former governor of Minnesota, has made an official bid.

During the first term of his presidency Obama has seen his popularity drop with conflicts in the Middle East and Africa as well as the economic climate back home. In 2012 the unemployment rate in the United States is projected to stand at 8.3%. Although this is lower than the current 8.8%, no president since World War II has been re-elected with an unemployment figure above 7.5%.