President Obama kicked off his re-election bid early Monday with a campaign video featuring "ordinary folks."

Obama himself does not speak in the 2:10 minute clip, which shows people talking about his historic 2008 election and why another four years in the White House for him can't be taken for granted.

The launch suggests Obama is not taking a 2012 win as a given - and that's probably wise on his part.

Just as with many of his predecessors, Obama began his presidency on a high note, only to see public dissatisfaction increase as frustrated Americans struggled with unemployment, questions about his health-care reform program and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. The anger materialized in the form of a GOP takeover of the House in the midterm elections and a sense among Republicans that if they could just find the right candidate, which they're still working on), Obama could be toppled.

 More recently, Obama has sought to shore up his popularity with his African-American and Democratic base, headlining a high-dollar Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Harlem last week and making plans to return to New York on Wednesday to speak at the Rev. Al Sharpton's annual National Action Network gala.

The latest Gallup daily tracking poll shows Obama's job approval and disapproval ratings tied at 46% each.

In a statement that accompanied the video, Obama and his team wrote:

 "We're doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you -- with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build.

"So even though I'm focused on the job you elected me to do, and the race may not reach full speed for a year or more, the work of laying the foundation for our campaign must start today.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/04/04/2011-04-04_president_obama_announces_2012_campaign_with_email_video.html

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