Posted on 05/18/2008 6:50:31 PM PDT by WesA
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Barack Obama set his sights on November's general election Saturday as he campaigned in Oregon, where he hopes to declare victory in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Obama has said Tuesday's primaries in Oregon and Kentucky could mark the end of his drawn-out battle with rival Hillary Clinton, and his campaign pressed home that message by announcing a symbolic return to Iowa that day.
Iowa was the scene of the Illinois senator's first victory in the 2008 presidential nominating race, and his campaign noted Saturday it is "a critical general election state that Democrats must win in November."
Polls show Obama leading in Oregon, where 52 delegates are up for grabs, while Clinton is ahead in Kentucky, a state with 51 delegates that has a similar demographic to West Virginia, where she won a thumping victory Tuesday.
His campaign says he needs just 17 more pledged delegates won through state votes to reach a majority of 1,627, not counting the "superdelegates," party officials who can vote either way at August's Democratic national convention.
Using a baseball analogy, Obama said May 8 that if after Tuesday's primaries "we have a majority of pledged delegates, which is possible, then I think we can make a pretty strong claim that we have got the most runs and its the ninth inning and we have won."
The official finishing line is 2,025 delegates, including superdelegates.
During a rally in Roseburg, Oregon, Saturday, Obama presented himself as the front-runner almost without question, attacking presumptive Republican nominee John McCain on foreign policy, the environment and healthcare.
Reviving Friday's furious row sparked by President George W. Bush's suggestion that Democrats wanted to appease terrorists, Obama said that not talking to North Korea and Iran had only made those states stronger.
"I want everybody to be absolutely clear about this because George Bush and McCain have suggested that me being willing to sit down with our adversaries is a sign of weakness and sign of appeasement," he said.
He also attacked McCain's plan for a gas tax holiday to cope with rising pump prices, which Clinton supports, as well as his other environmental plans, saying the Republican had consistently opposed fuel efficiency standards.
"For him to come to Oregon as an environmental president, but his big strategy is to do more drilling and to have a gas tax holiday for three months, that's a phony solution," he said.
Pitching his message to Oregon's environmentally-conscious voters, Obama called on the United States to "lead by example" on global warming, and develop new technologies at home which could be exported to developing countries.
"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said.
"That's not leadership. That's not going to happen," he added.
The Illinois senator also argued that the differences between his healthcare plan and that of Clinton "pale in comparison to the differences we have with John McCain," whose proposals would only work "if you're healthy and wealthy."
The escalating rhetoric between Obama and McCain has evoked the kind of campaign battles more common in the immediate run-up to an election -- and emphasized further Obama's pole position in the Democratic race.
But Clinton has vowed to keep fighting until the end of the primary season on June 3, and campaigning in Kentucky Saturday, she defended the plan for the gas tax holiday and accused McCain of having no idea how to fund it.
"Senator McCain said let's give everybody a gas tax holiday but doesn't want to pay for it. I think I've got the best plan. Let the oil companies pay it out of their excess profits," she said
Which country is he from?
He's not telling me how I can spend my money. If I want to blow it all on Gas, utilities or food, it's none of his business.
This is still America.
sw
Ansul Powder in the nostrils of the Socialists, choking and reeling from reality... Yeah!
I’m 25 too, but not as stupid as many my age are. I’m about ready to vote McCain now even if I’m not happy with him.
“Which country is he from?”
Kenya, and isn’t his uncle the ruling warlord over there?
Is this guy channeling Jimmy Carter or what? We have already arrived at our great national malaise and he hasn’t even take office yet. I hope the Reps are collecting all these quotes to replay in the Fall.
Will this be in this weeks news cycle?? or will it be buried?
Three words, Senator:
“Yes, we can!”
The arrogance of this schmuck is breathtaking; honestly, I cannot see this idiot lasting 4 years as President.
Amen
“Will this be in this weeks news cycle?? or will it be buried?”
Fox may mention it. Chrissy and Bathtub Boy, I’m certain, will only focus on the crowd shots...and how inspiring he is.
Anyone else for a constitutional amendment stipulating the President must be, I dont’ know, at least a 4th generation American?
"I'm asking you for your good and for your Nation's security to take no unnecessary trips, to use carpools or public transportation whenever you can, to park your car one extra day per week, to obey the speed limit, and to set your thermostats to save fuel."
B. Hussein Obama, 2008:
"We can't ... keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... "
This is just further proof B. Hussein Obama is a complete amateur when it comes to politics. To say something so Carteresque is just stupid. The comparisons will come.
Candidates are not supposed to admonish, they are supposed to inspire.
Now if McCain has any cojones, and if there is video or audio of B. Hussein Obama saying this, he will create an ad with the Carter clip, the Obama clip, followed by a Reagan inspirational "yes we can" kind of clip from the 1980 campaign, followed by a positive clip from one of his campaign events.
Sounds to me like a milk-chocolate Jimmy Carter!
This guy will overplay his hand with this crap. Too bad the GOP is sitting this election out.
Another Hussein ran his country telling people what they could do!
I hadn't quite thought of it that way, but you hit the nail on the head. Maybe the RNC and John McCain could start using it as a slogan.
Barak Obama: The Misery Index, part two.
I for one think he can win in November. Frankly, it scares the hell out of me. There are too many people in this country who want Socailism as long as it happens to somebody other than them. The democrat party has been very successful in class warfare.
Maybe Obama is what is required to bring about a strong resurgance in strong conservatism from our present spinless pubs. I hope not, but I have my doubts.
One look at the pictures of that screaming crowd of probably 75,000 mostly white people tells me otherwise. He will win, take its to the bank. After 8 years of Bush it over for the pubbies. People don’t think, they just react and they will react against Bush and all republicans. It is such a shame that Bush threw away the chances for a resumption of the Reagan revolution.
“Fox may mention it. Chrissy and Bathtub Boy, I’m certain, will only focus on the crowd shots...and how inspiring he is.”
It is already on Drudge, one of the most viewed websites, viewed way more than Matthews and Olberdunce.
Plus Drudge is Amigos with Limbaugh (15 million listeners) and Rush and the other talk radio guys like Beck and Ingraham will be all over this like bees on honey.
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