Thousands of Bay Area citizens gathered Saturday in Frank Ogawa Plaza at Oakland's city hall to see and hear presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) during his first Bay Area public appearance.

Greeted by the cheers and a sea of blue campaign signs, Obama took the stage and spoke about his vision for the country; naming the war in Iraq, global warming, inadequate healthcare and an under-performing education system as the nation's most pressing issues.

[X]press takes an in-depth look at Obama's visit to the Bay Area, with speech highlights, a photo gallery, voices from the audience, and a user forum to send us your thoughts and comments.