[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Candidates usually don’t get Secret Service protection until they’re nominated.

Obama did.

[nascarnation]

I think Hildabeast did too as an artifact of being related to a former POTUS.

[BuckeyeTexan]

MattAMiller: Candidates usually don’t get Secret Service protection until they’re nominated.

Sir Francis Dashwood:Obama did.

Correct. He did, but he specifically requested it.

The Secret Service said Thursday that Sen. Barack Obama was being placed under their protection, the earliest ever for a presidential candidate.

Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff authorized Obama’s protection after consultations with the congressional advisory committee.

Officials said Obama had requested the protection. Such requests are then sent to the congressional panel for approval or rejection.

The above is from an article dated 5/3/2007. Obama declared in February 2007. He was nominated by the Dems in late August 2008. So he had SS protection for over a year.