An email was sent to Obama supporters this afternoon informing them that the candidate was soon to name his vice president — and they would be the first to know.

Those interested in who Obama’s VP will be can enter their information at http://my.barackobama.com/vp, the email said.

You will receive an email the moment Barack makes his decision, or you can text VP to 62262 to receive a text message on your mobile phone.

Once you’ve signed up, please forward this email to your friends, family, and coworkers to let them know about this special opportunity.

No other campaign has done this before. You can be part of this important moment.

It’s a clever use of new technology in the instant information age — and an even more clever strategy to get thousands of people to register their emails and other contact information on the Obama campaign site.

The Delt family — Christina, Kennie Jr. and Drs. Brinda and Kennie Sr. — stood in line to see the senator from Illinois while on a week-long vacation from his *other* hometown and current place of residence, Chicago.

“We’re thinking of moving here,” said Kennie Delt Sr. “We see how the environment has nurtured his culture.”

So, which state is more enthusiastic about potentially sending one of their own to the White House?

“Chicago,” he said. “We got it hands down.”

Most of us got photos of Obama, some got handshakes.

Tony Agao got not only an autograph but a hug from the presidential candidate.

“I shook his hand, we wen look at each other and we ended up hugging each other local style! ” he said.

The hug was “firm, but nice,” he said.

Even after most of the crowd cleared out, Agao, 57, was running around the event area excitedly, clutching a new copy of Obama’s “The Audacity of Hope,” which had a photo of his family wedged between the pages.

He was second in the line at 7 a.m. Even though he hadn’t finished the book yet … now he has a great incentive.

The giddy Salt Lake resident was also interviewed by just about every major media organization in Hawaii.

Agao said Obama is in person “like what you see on TV.”

“He never forgets his roots, his rainbow connection,” he said.

“I told him, eh, you get good mana.”

Here’s a shot of the Advertiser team waiting for the Obamas to go on stage at around 1:30 p.m.

It was in the high eighties and people were crowding each other for space on the media stage.

That’s online guru Scott Morifuji working on the right to make sure everything went well with the live feed, and photographer Greg Yamamoto in the foreground.

I’m trying to figure out how to send a photo I just took on John Garcia’s (not pictured) iPhone to Twitter.

Early in the day, I caught up with Patrick Reid, 24, and Ellana Swiney, 23, both of Kapolei.

They were the fourth cluster of people in line and had arrived around 9 a.m.

“He’s an inspirational person, especially to the younger generation,” said Reid, a substitute teacher at Kapolei High School.

Swiney, who is half black and half Korean, said as a multiracial candidate, Obama “is a positive role model who isn’t so controversial.”

“He fills me with so much elation because he’s half black and he came from Hawaii,” she said.

Swiney said she sympathizes with the presidential candidate, whom some have criticized for being too black — and some for not being black enough.

“With my black family, they think every opinion I have is motivated by the fact that I’m Korean,” she said. “On my Korean side, they think every opinion I have is motivated by the fact that I’m black.”

“You have to stick to your convictions,” she concluded. “I think he’s doing a great job. He’s acting as who he is.”