President-elect Barack Obama was named Time Person of the Year 2008. See photos of Obama and video of the announcement on the Today Show on December 17, 2008.

While Obama is certainly the logical and anticipated choice, Time magazine editorial board reveals exactly why they choose the 44th President as their Person of the Year.

David Von Drehle’s masterly story on our Person of the Year not only sketches out what’s on Obama’s mind but also reveals new details about how and when he realized that his first 100 days had to start on Nov. 5, the day after voters elected him to become the 44th President of the United States and the first African American to hold the office. Von Drehle also tells us — with Obama’s help — how we should hold the new President accountable.

Beyond his mastery of the issues, Obama revealed a more personal note: a slightly rueful sense that the world was tightening around him, that he would no longer be able to take a walk or shop for groceries. He seemed to be girding himself for the loss of being simply a regular citizen.

Our cover portrait is by the street artist Shepard Fairey, whose roots are in the skateboarding world and whose early poster of then Senator Obama became the great populist image of the campaign. With this cover, Fairey has now created a new iconic image of the President-elect — a rich, multilayered poster that echoes but then expands on his original.

Source: Why We Chose Obama

Photo credit: Callie Shell / Aurora for TIME

See also Time Magazine’s photo galleries:

• Pictures of Obama’s nation of hope.
• Pictures of Obama’s college years. Previously unpublished photos from a 1980 photo shoot by Lisa Jack

Runners up for Time Person of the Year were as follows:

• U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
• President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy
• Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
• Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, organizer of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games

Here is the Today Show video of Time Magazine managing editor Richard Stengel announcing Barack Obama Time Person of the Year on December 17, 2008

Here is an extended discussion on Barack Obama Time Person of the Year with Rick Stengel on Morning Joe on December 17, 2008

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Barack Obama: Time Person of the Year 2008 Video, Photos pics pictures