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March 30, 2008 4:54 PM

Obama "Confident" Dems "Will Be United" Regardless of Primary Outcome

Posted by Maria Gavrilovic
(CBS)
From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

STATE COLLEGE, PA. -- Barack Obama dismissed concerns today that the lengthy Democratic primary will divide the party and ensure a Republican win in November.

“I am absolutely confident that when this primary season is all over, Democrats will be united because we understand what’s at stake in this election,” Obama told a crowd of over 20,000 at Penn State University.

While campaigning in the state, Obama has expressed his support for Hillary Clinton’s right to remain in the contest as long as she chooses to do so. Although he said he understands the frustration that the primary season has caused, Obama argued that the contest has generated greater interest in the political process. However, despite his optimistic view, Obama continued to argue that he is the better candidate to win in a general election.

“Do we want to debate John McCain with somebody who agreed with him on the war in Iraq or debate him with somebody who had the courage to stand up and say this is a bad idea?,” Obama asked.

“Do you want to debate John McCain about who’s been in Washington longer, that’s a debate that John McCain will win. Or do you want to debate John McCain about who’s actually going to bring about change in Washington because that’s a debate we will win.”

Obama was quick to portray John McCain has an extension of the Bush administration, accusing him of “clinging to the past” and of “running for George Bush’s third term.”

“John McCain has suggested that we might leave our troops in Iraq for a couple of hundred years,” Obama said. “John McCain has suggested that he will continue the same Bush economic policies that got us into this fix right now. John McCain is clinging to the past. He is running for George Bush’s third term.”

Both the Republican Party and the McCain campaign fired back, accusing Obama of distorting McCain’s Iraq policy and making a “cynical” attempt to unite the Democrats.

“Barack Obama’s dishonest attacks are a cynical attempt to unite liberals, and completely ignores John McCain’s strong support among conservative Democrats and independents,” Alex Conant, RNC spokesman, said.
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Add a Comment See all 17 Comments
by burkdogs March 30, 2008 9:17 PM EDT
Senator Obama is correct in telling his supporters that Senator Clinton has every right to continue the political process of selecting the Democratic nominee. I don''t believe that Hillary should quit at this point. Should another "Reverend Wright" emerge, it is better that it occur now rather than in the general election. I support Senator Clinton but will vote for the nominee of the Democratic party as John McCain is too old, too out of touch with the American people re Iraq, and knows even less about the economy than George Bush.
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by ana2-2009 March 30, 2008 9:31 PM EDT
Barack Obama is being gracious to Hillary Clinton and yes she has every right to stay in the race. However she needs to stop trying to knee cap him. It will only come back to haunt her like all her previous deceptions have and it will hurt the party. She is the one who has not been fully vetted. Where are her tax returns and what about the Paul vs Clinton campaign fraud charge that is going to come up April 25th. The Republicans are waiting to have a field day with her.
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by caroots80 March 30, 2008 9:53 PM EDT
Having attended this speech, it''s interesting to consider the quoted excerpts. There is a misquote -- e.g., that Sen. McCain would be willing to leave troops in Iraq for "a couple of hundred years" instead of "another hundred years" -- and the few other direct quotations had very little do with the rest of the content of the oration. In my mind, these chosen quotations were selected to stimulate controversy; they were the very few potentially incendiary comments that Sen. Obama made during his hour-plus long speech. As I read this, I am reminded of something that my freshman English professor taught me- "consider the ethos of your source." I won''t share any more of my opinion on the subject, but I urge the other readers of this piece to consider it for themselves.
Reply to this comment
by caroots80 March 30, 2008 9:54 PM EDT
Having attended this speech, it''s interesting to consider the quoted excerpts. There is a misquote -- e.g., that Sen. McCain would be willing to leave troops in Iraq for "a couple of hundred years" instead of "another hundred years" -- and the few other direct quotations had very little do with the rest of the content of the oration. In my mind, these chosen quotations were selected to stimulate controversy; they were the very few potentially incendiary comments that Sen. Obama made during his hour-plus long speech. As I read this, I am reminded of something that my freshman English professor taught me- "consider the ethos of your source." I won''t share any more of my opinion on the subject, but I urge the other readers of this piece to consider it for themselves.
Reply to this comment
by caroots80 March 30, 2008 10:01 PM EDT
Having attended this speech, it''s interesting to consider the quoted excerpts. There is a misquote -- e.g., that Sen. McCain would be willing to leave troops in Iraq for "a couple of hundred years" instead of "another hundred years" -- and all but one of the other direct quotations had very little do with the messages of the oration. In my mind, these quotations were selected to stimulate controversy; they were the very few potentially incendiary comments that Sen. Obama made during his hour-plus long speech. As I read this, I am reminded of something that my freshman English professor taught me- "consider the ethos of your source." I won''t share any more of my opinion on the subject, but I urge the other readers of this piece to consider it for themselves.
Reply to this comment
by x32792 March 30, 2008 10:51 PM EDT
Obama is incorrect if he is confident I would vote for Hillary and Bill Clinton. I would not.
Reply to this comment
by demsdebreaks March 30, 2008 10:59 PM EDT
I''m glad Mr. Obama is now focusing on Mr. McCain. There is nothing to be gained by continuing to trade barbs with Mrs. Clinton.
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by jdona3 March 30, 2008 11:35 PM EDT
Hillary Clinton does not need Barack Obama''s permission to stay in this race. Nor does she need him to tell her what she can or cannot say. What is he, her father? She is the one with the ideas, she is the one with the policies, he doesn''t have anything of his own to offer. He can''t even offer original words, he borrows his campaign themes from others, he adopts Hillary Clinton''s policies and opinions as his own. Without her to plagiarize from he would be clueless. That is one reason he wants her to stay in the race, its too long to November for him to have to try and hide the fact he has nothing to offer. The Dem bigwigs, in particular John Kerry, need to figure that out too, and to figure out that pushing Clinton out of the race unleashes all the money and votes she now has means it all goes to John McCain since her supporters will not support Obama.
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by greenfun March 31, 2008 12:02 AM EDT
Obama is a patronizing jerk. It isn''t up to him if Clinton stays in the race. I wouldn''t vote for him ever.
The male dominated media along with the male dominated political world had better think twice about making the women in this country mad. We are a big part of the democratic vote, and trying to shove Clinton out the door when she is about to kick Obam''s @ss in Pennsylvania is an outrage.
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by hungry4goodg March 31, 2008 12:21 AM EDT
Someone please explain this to me...pundits say that the country wouldn''t stand for Clinton being voted in by super-delegates despite the outcome of popular vote...isn''t this the same country where Al Gore got the most votes yet didn''t become president?
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by jedi08 March 31, 2008 12:55 AM EDT
Ill explain it to you. They wont stand for her winning if she loses the popular vote and the delegate count. Gore won the Popular vote but lost the delegate race. Thats the difference.

If Hillary somehow wins the popular vote or the delegate count then the super delegates could chose eithe canidate, but she wont.

Its all over for her.
Reply to this comment
by caroots80 March 31, 2008 1:35 AM EDT
Having attended this speech, it''s interesting to consider the quoted excerpts. There is a misquote -- e.g., that Sen. McCain would be willing to leave troops in Iraq for "a couple of hundred years" instead of "another hundred years" -- and all but one of the other direct quotations had very little do with the messages of the oration. In my mind, these quotations were selected to stimulate controversy; they were the very few potentially incendiary comments that Sen. Obama made during his hour-plus long speech. As I read this, I am reminded of something that my freshman English professor taught me- "consider the ethos of your source." I won''t share any more of my opinion on the subject, but I urge the other readers of this piece to consider it for themselves.
Reply to this comment
by March 31, 2008 2:18 AM EDT
The victory is sweeter for Obama if Clinton stays on till the end.
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by popstom1 March 31, 2008 3:32 AM EDT
anyone who thinks Hillary Clinton
is done is a fool there are 566
delegates yet and 126 super and
till the vote is in no one can
say
Reply to this comment
by jack3213 March 31, 2008 10:57 AM EDT
Obama: Who is he to claim the moral high ground?

Where does this child of privilege who went to two Ivy League schools, then spent 20 years in a church where racist rants were routine, come off preaching to anyone? What are Barack''''s moral credentials to instruct white folks on what they must do, when he failed to do what any decent father should have done: Take his wife and daughters out of a church where hate had a home in the pulpit?

Clinton: Simply a disgrace and has no shame.
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by millicent21 March 31, 2008 11:59 PM EDT
I am glad that Mr. Obama is so confident that the party will come together, because I strongly disagree. If this inexperienced, upstart gets the nomination, I not only will not vote for him, I will change my party affliation. Mr. Obama and his supporters (Richardson, Kerry and Kennedy) have only shown me that this party is full of disloyal turncoats! I hope that the Democrats wake up and stop being so incredibly sexist!
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by ouronlyhope April 2, 2008 2:08 AM EDT
Milicent24,

So, by your own definition you are a racist(because you won''t vote for the ''black guy'')? I don''t for a minute believe you are even a Dem with those comments. Getting a Dem into the Whitehouse is MUCH more important than which one goes. Our economy can''t take another 4 years of Republicans!

UNITE DEMS...this year we Vote to re-take the Whitehouse!
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