US News
ANALYSIS: Obama begins historic fight for White House against McCain
Jun 4, 2008, 7:01 GMT
Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Senator Barack Obama speaks to supporters at the Xcel Center in St . Paul, Minnesota, USA, 03 June, 2008. Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination after a five-month battle with Hillary Clinton, becoming the first African American to lead a major political party into a general election in the United States. EPA/CRAIG LASSIG
Washington - Barack Obama is one giant step closer to becoming the first African American president of the United States, but his next opponent, Republican John McCain, is a popular hero of the Vietnam War who could surprise in November.
It was Obama's night on Tuesday. The Illinois senator celebrated clinching the Democratic Party's nomination before an ecstatic crowd in St Paul, Minnesota, after a gruelling and bruising five-month battle with Hillary Clinton.
As he pivoted into the general election campaign, the 46-year-old Obama sounded many of the notes that have carried his unlikely presidential bid over the last year, promising to unite the country and bring change to the political culture in Washington.
'Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another. A journey that will being a new and better day to America,' he said.
Obama also reached out to his rival Clinton, heaping praise on the former first lady as a 'barrier-breaking' candidate who would be a critical asset in making the Democratic Party's core policies a reality.
But it is unclear whether Obama will now be able to focus all of his efforts on McCain. Clinton did not concede the election Tuesday despite Obama passing the mark of 2,118 delegates that was needed to capture the party's nomination.
With McCain having already clinched the Republican Party's nod some three months ago, Obama has precious little time to lose. The Arizona senator has used his headstart to solicit campaign donations, rally his party around him and map out a strategy for the general election.
McCain, who brings strong foreign policy credentials and a long legislative career to his bid for the White House, has also spent the time fine-tuning his attacks on Obama, taking him to task for inexperience and naivety in the face of foreign threats.
'This is indeed a change election ... but the choice is between the right change and the wrong change,' McCain said at his own rally Tuesday night in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Both Obama and McCain's speeches Tuesday night provided the broad outlines of the campaign ahead, pre-empting the likely talking points of the other side and highlighting their key differences in policy and personality.
McCain, 71, would be the oldest president ever to start a first term and has sought to characterize himself as a tough-minded independent with the gravitas necessary to tackle the many security threats facing the country.
Obama, the son a Kenyan father and white mother from Kansas, would be one of the youngest US leaders. First elected to the US Senate in 2004, he touts his superior judgement and an offer of 'new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face.'
McCain rejected Obama's already well-rehearsed critique that a vote for McCain marks a vote for a third term of the unpopular President George W Bush. He pointed to issues like climate change, the treatment of terror detainees and limited government spending, on which he and the current president disagree.
'The American people didn't get to know me yesterday, as they are just getting to know Senator Obama. They know I have a long record of bipartisan problem solving,' McCain said.
Obama pushed back by emphasizing the importance of good judgement, refocusing US foreign policy away from the war in Iraq to other threats, and tackling a sharply slowing economy back home.
'John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hit hardest by this economy ... he'd understand the kind of change that people are looking for,' Obama said.
Whether the sagging US economy or national security is the top issue come November will be a key factor in who takes the White House.
But how the two candidates handle diplomacy has also emerged as a major distinction in the early going. McCain has ridiculed Obama as naive for expressing a desire to meet with the leaders of Iran and other US foes.
'Americans ought to be concerned about the judgment of a presidential candidate who says he's ready to talk, in person and without conditions, with tyrants from Havana to Pyongyang,' McCain said.
Obama fired back that the US needs 'tough, direct diplomacy, where the president of the United States isn't afraid to let any petty dictator know where America stands and what it stands for.'
COMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
MCcain'hello? yeah...this is Senator MCcain...oh! Hi Barack...ya ge the fruit basket I sent...?
Barack: Hey john...you getting money from big oil?....'
MCCain: Sure Barack...aren't you?
Barack: Oh yeah, through the DNC...
MCCain: Yeah, me too, through the RNC
Barack: Good moves..huh?
MCCain: Absolutely...cigarette money too!
Barack: Yeah, me too...!
MCCain: So...when do you decide on a VP Barack?
Barack: pretty soon John....how about you?
MCCain: Yeah...I gotta move on it... hey, can you get me a contact on the coal lobby?
Barack: sure john...we can use all the support we can get!
MCCain: Hey, great...I've been meaning to reach out...
Barack: Hey John...how about a contact for copper mining..got one
MCCain: oh, heck yes Barack!
Barack: Uh...John...you're not going to use that church thing...are you?
MCcain: depends man...how far behind I am...
Barack: yeah..I figured...fact is, I HAD to join..i9t was S. Chicago...you know...angry black people...I need the votes..heck John I'm not even a Christian...I'm an athiest! All those crazy muslims just turned me off!
MCCain: Yeah, me too.
Barack: you? An Atheist?
MCCain: Sure Barack, 5 years in a POW camp...you think I believe?...f--k no man! I hate these assh-les.
Barack: yeah, me too, crazy nig--rs on a pulpit...every Sunday..hell, I love my Sundays and I had to go to see that nutball rant...
MCcain: yeah, I know what you mean...well, think about that church thing and get back to me..I'm sure we can trade gags on issues..after all, no use ruining it for the loser
Barack: yeah, sure John...best to the wife...
drug induced rantings from EssPee.
..it does not make me wrong.
ir just makes you an drug addicted skank.
You start your rant with how experience is not as important as intelligence.
Then I stop counting when you have 11mis-spelled words in 1 paragraph.
Please go to school and learn how to spell, or buy yourself a spell check program--your writing is terrible.
Almost as bad as your ideas.
SP has finally learned how to spell Barack! He will need it in the coming years - on to the White House, Barack!
and I never use spell check! How does it feel, by the way, to have Bill Gates do your spelling for you?
Ooga bonga chonga--Exxon!
Chooga googa rooga--Neo-Cons!
Linga longa liva--Green Weenies!
You need to work on your spiel, Tonny.
John McCain just coaxed SEVEN TRILLION environmental spending bill out of committee and onto the floor of the US Senate, Tonny. Who is the bigger green, him or Obama?
The only real difference between Senator McCain and Senator Obama is that Senator McCain favors fighting militant Muslims and Senator Obama wants to appease them. They are in nearly 100% agreement on every other issue that matters to you, Tonny.
So if you are going to criticize John McCain for something, Tonny, criticize him for his proposed foreign policies. He is on YOUR side when it comes to everything else. More importantly, Senator McCain will be a good deal more effecive in implementing the changes you are always ragging on American about than Senator Obama could be. Senator Obama, being a Democrat, would inspire fierce opposition on the part of Republicans and would find himself obliged to modify his stances.
Senator McCain, on the other hand, will find himself obliged to give the Democrats everything they want in the way of domestic US policy in order for him to carry on his rather aggressive foreign policy ideas. Greenest thing you've ever seen in the US is Senator John McCain.
Of course, you will have to choose between the good of the planet and the good of Islam. Never let it be said that Allah, His is the Glory, wants for a sense of humor.
page: 1
tonny from belgiumJun 4th, 2008 - 07:49:13
EExperience is not the most important asset for a candidate,rather focus on intelligence ecause experiene without understanding the complexity of modern society and international affairs can lead to chaos and tragedy .The past experiences of the Iraq disaster should make that abundendly clear :lies;lousy preparation,propaganda,simplification of the issues and overconfidence i!n your military power to solve complex issues
leave the american taxpayer with a deep financial gap,to be filled by the repulicans by cutting on wellfare,health care and education .That kind of solutions is a disgrace for any modern society .
It will take an intelligent team,more concerned with the good fortune of the american populaion in general to address problems like climate change which have been left to fester during Bush .The days when some people used to say 'what is good for general motors is good for america ' are over,i will tke careful planning and a broad vision from the political decision makers ,and of course gurs,to solve this issue .General motors is closing plants which were producing gas guzzling SUV,too little too late,it has been known for more than a decade that the price of oil would o through the ceiling .But corporate america only obsessed with short term gains as done nothing but stepping on the brakes on this issue .Exxon being the leading culprit in this state of denial .The american pople would do well to listen to it's own scientific community and iclude them in the decision taking process .Time is runnin gout fast .I'd rather trust the intellgence of a candidate having voted against the lies of Bush and Cheney than a candidate still living in a state of denial and stating to stay on the course of Bush.
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