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Obama: Long Primary Has Been "Great for America"

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March 30, 2008 3:54 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Following Sen. Hillary Clinton's interview with the Washington Post in which she vowed to keep on fighting in the primary race, Senator Obama renewed his assertion that the long primary race has been a good thing, contrary to what some are saying.

"As this primary has gone on a little bit longer, there have been people who have been voicing some frustration. They’ve been saying, ‘Oh, you know – the campaigns are going at it back and forth and you know we feel like that initial hopefulness that we had now is kind of slipping away.’" Obama said but then countered, "I want everybody to understand that this has been a great contest. Great for America. It’s engaged and involved people like never before."

Obama told reporters yesterday that he believes talk of Senator Clinton withdrawing is premature, but he also insinuated that it would be best to have a nominee after the June contests finish.

"I think it’s terrific that Sen. Clinton’s supporters have been as passionate as my supporters have been, because that means that people are invested and engaged in this process," Obama said today, "And 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."

Speaking before a crowd of 22,000 at Penn State University, Obama chose rather to focus on Senator John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, saying that he is "clinging to the past, he is running for George Bush’s third term."

Obama, on day three of his six day tour throughout Pennsylvania, started the day playing basketball with PA Senator Bob Casey. Afterward he took a tour of the dairy complex at the Pennsylvania State Agriculture Facility where he fed a calf milk though a bottle.

March 30, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (92)

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Well, it looks like his Pennsylvania strategy is to look as cool as he can on the basketball courts of college campuses. That way, they will think he is a former star bb player from somewhere. I give the people of Pennsylvania more credit that that, however. They are smart people and can recognize a double-talker a mile away! A few weeks ago, he was already acting like he was already crowned and Hillary should just throw in the towel. Was that before Ohio and Texas (should he count the rigged caucus as a popular vote)? He is a victim of his own words: "a movie that has run 30 minutes too long".

Posted by: georgia | Mar 30, 2008 4:10:45 PM

Behind in delegates AND raw vote, yeah I can see why Hilliary is entitled to the nomination... NOT!!! This is NOT England, the're is NO coronation to be had, she has to EARN it. Or politely, and quietly act like a lady (there's a first time of everything) and GET OFF THE STAGE!!! Stop trying to steal the election.

Posted by: cba | Mar 30, 2008 4:12:18 PM

Ain't it just like a man to tell a woman what she can and cannot do! Ain't it just like a woman to put that man back in his place! You gotta love it!

Hillary you go girl!

Posted by: russell | Mar 30, 2008 4:16:13 PM

Double Talker! Go back and read OBAMA; PRIMARY 'A GOOD MOVIE THAT LASTED ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR TOO LONG'--double talk is his very nature, talking his way out of a paper bag! Rezko, Wright, "just words speech", NAFTA, family history, race card, you name it. Do you really think you can trust him? I don't.

Posted by: georgia | Mar 30, 2008 4:23:08 PM

Saddle up boys and girls this is going to be a long and bumpy ride! It ain't over till it's over and then it won't be over!

Posted by: russell | Mar 30, 2008 4:23:51 PM

georgia, do you really trust a woman who "misspeaks" and claims that she CAME UNDER SNIPER FIRE?!?!?!

Who does that? What is she trying out for Boys N' The Hood or something?

Posted by: Steve | Mar 30, 2008 4:25:42 PM

I LOVE IT!! While you Dems bicker back and forth, the true American party is becoming more and more dominant in presidential politics.

Thanks in advance for handing us the election.

REPUBLICANS IN '08!!!

Posted by: REPUBLICAN DOMINATION | Mar 30, 2008 4:39:05 PM

Steve: Do you want a man who said that his racial awakening came about as a result of reading an article in Life magizine about a black boy who had disfigured himself with chemicals to lighten up his skin. Well that is a great story but there is one problem it is not true. When Obama was confronted with the fact that Life did not run a story like that he said it was Ebony but Ebony said that it too had not run such a story! So you see Mr. Obama needed a story that would catch peoples attention and make his point regardless if it were true. So knowing this would you still want to vote for him?

Posted by: russell | Mar 30, 2008 4:41:10 PM

Good point, Russell. But in all honesty, I'll vote for whoever the Democratic candidate is, Obama or Clinton, because the stakes are too high not to.

Can you say the same? Or does the absence of an Ebony article matter more than American teenagers getting killed over in the middle east for WMDs...I mean regime change...I mean democracy...I mean terrorism...or whatever the current reason is that we went over into Iraq?

Posted by: Steve | Mar 30, 2008 4:44:26 PM

voters are going to have to come to grips with their feelings and support the Dem nominee. Unless Hillary makes a sweep in the next primaries, it quite possibly will be Obama. We have to ask ourselves if giving Bush a third term is really worth it. The Iraq war, failing economy, no health care reforms should be real issues for any democratic voter.

Democrate for the White House !

Posted by: merle7 | Mar 30, 2008 4:52:22 PM

Joan, if roles were reversed, and Hillary (aka the "inevitable" candidate) was in Barack's position...would you be as willing to let the race drag out?

You need only look so far as to people like "republican domination" to see that this is HURTING the democratic party's chances of winning in 2008. I always thought the party was more important that any individual, even if their name happens to be Obama or Clinton.

Posted by: Ashley | Mar 30, 2008 4:53:07 PM

O, those Clinton fans...

would Obama have said that we wanted Hillary to step down, he would have called a coward; but when he says the opposite he nevertheless is a coward.. haha.. you must be really desperate about the man -

and for sound reasons, for how would Hillary have gathered 22000 people at Penn State University?

Maybe when the campaign had leaked that she was going to announce her retreat from the race here?

Let her stay in, if she likes long movies with disastrous endings.

Posted by: Deirdre | Mar 30, 2008 4:54:03 PM

Why should we believe ANYTHING Obama says?

Posted by: macondo | Mar 30, 2008 4:55:09 PM

Oh Peat's sake I am for Obama, I hope and think he'll win, but I'll vote Democratic even if he isn't.

Obama08

Posted by: Thinking | Mar 30, 2008 4:58:53 PM

Steve: Glad you recognize the comparison that I was making. You see I don't mind that Mr. Obama uses this story to tell of his raicia awakening,which I beleive that he really did have. The story even though not real helps make a point that many black men and women struggle to make it in a white dominate society! The same can be said of Hillary's Bosina story. The essential facts were true and there were those who told her that it there maybe some sniper fire, well like Obama she ebellished the story in order to make it out to be more dangerous than it was because it helped her make a point about her forgein policy experience. So you see the use of these stories do not bother me and they should not bother you either because I hope that you are basing your support for Mr. Obama on more substantive issues other than this. MY only complaint is that you and many others are using this as an example why we should not vote for her and I don't think knowing that a politician will embellish the truth once and while is good enough reason to vote against them. Al Gore once said that he invented the internet,yet I and a majority of people voted for him.

Now for your question would will I vote for Obama? Well I must tell you in all honesty I am not sure! I have never voted republican in my life, but I must honestly say that there are things that disturb me quite a lot and I hope in the end that I could but right now I concerned about getting Hillary elected and I know you feel the same about Mr. Obama, at least we can agree on that, and I think thats whats important!

Posted by: russell | Mar 30, 2008 5:01:27 PM

Great leadership BO, great vision and great respect of an oponent even if she is making great speeches for McCain. Hillary and Bill are both supporting McCain against Obama. That is sad, that is trist, but the democrats shall prevailand win the WH. God bless America and God bless Obama. OBAMA08.

Posted by: BKMC | Mar 30, 2008 5:14:28 PM

What bothers me is that the Clintons view attacks during political campaigns as "sport." (Let's saddle up"??? GIve me a break!) This primary campaign isn't a "sport." It's an opportunity to debate the issues. I admire the Clintons for their years of service to America, but wish they'd stop trying to reduce this campaign to a mud fight.

Hillary has some great ideas...and is truly an honorable person. But, I'd respect her more if she could get her campaign staff to keep their attacks out of the gutter.

Posted by: Denise | Mar 30, 2008 5:15:42 PM

Obama is right. This primary is getting more states involved in the whole election. As long as things are settled by June the GOP doesn't stand a chance in the fall. I do think that the sniper-fire comment has really discredited Hillary to the point where she needs to think about dropping out after April. Obama 2008!!!

Posted by: pt | Mar 30, 2008 5:16:45 PM

Hillary will stay until the Dem Convention if necessary and we will back her all the way. You are not asking her to end the race when You Obamas feel like, you are asking the DEMOCRATIC HALF OF THE PARTY to leave and we won't! You can all drop out if you wish...

Posted by: irma | Mar 30, 2008 5:20:25 PM

Obama's has a 180 degree change within the week from saying "the primary is like a good movie half and hour too long." For whatever reasons, he's publicizing the movie about the primary a lot differently. Probably because he got enough flack from him and his campaign staff wanting to end the show so early. I just want to know one thing. Where's the popcorn?

Posted by: katrina | Mar 30, 2008 5:27:38 PM

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