WASHINGTON--Chicago civil rights lawyer Bob Howard--a fixture on the local scene years and years before anyone ever heard of Barack Obama--stars in a video reminding 2008 voters why they need to back Obama again in 2012. A video of this sort seems designed to guard against an enthusiasm gap and to deal with disillusioned Obama backers--especially with progressive voters.

The video focus is on Obama's opposition to the Iraq war--and his 2002 speech against it in Chicago, which Howard was at--with a shot of Howard in the only video clip of the speech that exists. Howard puts on the same shirt he wore at the 2002 rally for this 2012 campaign video.