Austin

A Timeline of Obama’s Visits to Austin (Photos)

KUT 90.5 | By Andrew Weber,

Published May 9, 2013 at 12:42 PM CDT

President Barack Obama’s got a thing for Austin.

The President is kicking off his “Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour” in the Capitol City today. The White House says Austin was picked as the place to start the tour, because it leads the country in manufacturing and tech job growth. (And we’re sure Austin’s reputation as a Democratic city in a solidly Republican state doesn’t hurt either.)

Obama’s making official stops at Manor New Tech High School and Applied Materials in Austin. We also learned this morning that he’ll be stopping by tech startup support company Capital Factory – that explains the road closures affecting downtown you can read about here.

But whether its Austin economic growth and success, its liberal bonafides or something else, Obama has a thing for Austin. Today will be his eighth trip to the Capitol City. Here’s a look at his previous trips:

President Obama signs copies of his autobiography, "The Audacity of Hope."

Oct. 28, 2006: Promoting his book “The Audacity of Hope” and fresh off a wave of popularity following his Democratic National Convention speech, then Sen. Obama spoke at the Texas Book Festival, which featured an introduction from Evan Smith.

Obama addresses the crowd at Auditorium Shores in his first visit as a presidential candidate.

Feb. 23 2007: Sen. Obama spoke at Auditorium Shores in 2007, addressing a crowd of thousands with an early campaign stump speech.

Following a Democratic debate, Obama spoke to Austin from the steps of the Texas Capitol.

Feb. 21, 2008: Candidate Obama engaged in a debate with future Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, held at the University of Texas. The following day, Obama held a rally on the Capitol steps.

The Fort Hood shootings drew President Obama to Central Texas in 2009.

Nov. 10, 2009: President Obama visited Fort Hood after the October 2009 mass shooting at the military installation and attended a memorial service for the victims.

Obama's 2010 Austin trip returned him to the 40 Acres.

Aug. 9, 2010: As KUT’s Ben Philpott reported, President Obama spoke at a Democratic fundraiser at the Four Seasons, and later spoke at the UT Gregory Gym to thousands of doting Longhorns.

A fundraising swing brought Obama through Austin in 2011.

May 10, 2011: Obama spoke to a crowd at the ACL Live Moody Theatre downtown, with Robert Earl Keen opening the festivities.

Obama's re-election bid brought him to Austin last year.

July 17, 2012: Obama’s most recent visit this summer featured protests from Occupy Austin, plus plenty of I-35 traffic and pre-election rhetoric at the Austin Music Hall.