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Obama on 'The Daily Show'

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April 21, 2008 10:44 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: Sen. Barack Obama said Hillary Clinton has done him a favor with the tough campaign she's waged against him for the Democratic presidential nomination -- but was it a joke? He said it during an interview with "The Daily Show" before a campaign event in Pittsburgh this evening.

Obama called the race in Pennsylvania a "mad dash" and downplayed expectations for the primaryon Tuesday: "We started off 20 down. The polls are now showing us 6 to 8. We're just kinda creeping along."

Jon Stewart asked Obama about Clinton’s assertion that he has not been properly vetted over the course of the campaign, and if he believes that will be a problem for him should he win the nomination and run against John McCain.

"Well, there's no doubt that Sen. Clinton has done me a favor. She's put me through the paces," Obama retorted with a laugh. "This has been like spring training, so should I get the nomination, I think everything is going to be old news by October."

Stewart joked to Obama if he should win the nomination, and then the general election, would he be concerned that Sen. Clinton would still be tying to continue the campaign.

Obama didn’t quite take the bait on that one and answered with a stump-speech line.

"She is a formidable candidate," he said. "She is tough -– she's working hard out there and I respect her for it. I think hopefully I'll be a stronger nominee as a consequence of it."

Touching on the controversies that Obama has faced over the course of the campaign, Stewart asked Obama if Americans should expect a "bait and switch" and if he's really planning to "enslave the white race."

And with one last jab at Wednesday night's debate Obama shot back, "That is not our plan Jon, but I think your paranoia might make you a suitable moderator."

This was Obama’s third appearance on "The Daily Show."

April 21, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (83)

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Shirl,

You hit the nail on the head.

Even IF clinton does manage to eek out a win tomorrow (she probably will barely squeak by with a few points ahead of Obama), she will ultimately LOSE the nomination.

Regardless, clinton in unelectable, period. She can't beat Senator McCain, so she may as well let Senator Obama have a shot at it.

Personally, I think all of hillary's total BS has cost the dems the white house bid this time. I believe that Senator John McCain will win in November, most likely against Senator Barack Obama.

No matter how you slice it, hillary is just a big LOSER.

Go home, hillary. I mean, go back to your REAL home in hickville arkansas.

You are a big fake, fraud and a LIAR, and nobody wants to hear your crap anymore.

Just say NO to clintons in the White House!

Posted by: Scot | Apr 21, 2008 11:45:59 PM

Hillary is being propped up by crossover GOP voters. In texas 700k voters from heavily republican districts voted for her and left the rest of the dem ballot blank. Think about it, she only won by 100k votes. And Ohio was based on nafta distortions. Never mind that she horse traded nafta for health care votes. Mark Penn, don't need to elaborate here. Lies

Add to that the inability to manage a campaign. She has failed miserably

Posted by: ash | Apr 21, 2008 11:46:46 PM

from the logic i see from obama supporters I can only conclude that blacks are racist because they refuse to vote for the white person. And I am asking all of obama's supporters honestly when will ever be time that obama has to step it up and beat clinton in a state like pennsylvania to show that he can win those voters, and when doses it become clear that he can not close the deal.

Posted by: joshua bradshaw | Apr 21, 2008 11:51:38 PM

Ask yourself this question: If Hillary Clinton was a substantive candidate, then why is she in the fight of her life for the nomination? The truth is, she's nothing but an empty pantsuit. If it weren't for her husband she wouldn't even be a senator right now. She's been riding her husband's coattails ever since he was governor of Arkansas.

Posted by: Don | Apr 21, 2008 11:55:30 PM

After Tuesday's vote, I expect Hillary to be rejoicing (and raising money) for her "big victory" of about 10%. However, it won't matter.

Her campaign has no money left and even margins like that won't let her win the vote. The Democratic leaders will quietly force her out of the race after the last votes on June 3rd.

I honestly don't know why she's continuing this, or what she can prove. If the Democratic leaders felt they could get away with it politically right now, she'd have already have been dragged off the stage with a hook.

Personally, I'm tired of this. I want to see McCain v. Obama. It'll be really interesting to see, especially the fund raising dispute. Obama might well forgo public financing and McCain doesn't have nearly enough cash to be competitive, unless he can really ramp things up. But if Obama chooses to break that promise, it'll cost him, even if he tries to reflect it by pointing out McCain's odd little loan.

Posted by: Joe | Apr 21, 2008 11:57:51 PM

joshua bradshaw - And exactly WHO have Blacks been voting for all along? Green people. The fact is that Blacks have been the solid voting block for the Dems forever. In fact they are so solid that the Dems moved most of the Delegates in the Black parts of the states because they knew they could always count on them. They probably still could had the Clintons not blantly played the race card to the "blue collar" workers which is the same as calling them "white red neck". Why this doesn't insult them is anyone's guess. That is the "code" word for those folks Rendell said would "never" vote for a Black person. Thank goodness MOST of America are not like these people, which is probaly why THEY are in the "rust belt".

Posted by: julescator | Apr 21, 2008 11:58:17 PM

my first comment completely agrees with you julescator my second comment was sarcastic. thought i made that clear, but apparently i did not. What my main point is that when is it that obama will be held accountable for failing to when the blue collar white votes. whether obama's supporter like it or not it is them that will ultimatley decide this elections. Blacks and ultra liberals are not enough to win the GE if they were kerry would be president and we would not be having this disscussion.

Posted by: joshua bradshaw | Apr 22, 2008 12:02:42 AM

Apparently you have all been so busy blathering on in message boards you haven't noticed that even Obama himself has conceded that Hillary will win PA tomorrow. Says much about his blind following.

Posted by: barbre | Apr 22, 2008 12:12:52 AM

Here is the point. Unless Hillary wins 65% of the vote tomorrow, she just continues to limp along. Here are the facts : Even if Hillary wins PA, and every other State except Montana and Oregon (and we know she won't win NC - but even if we give that to her) She still WILL NOT catch up to Obama. All that will happen is that we have to endure more negativity from her as she tries to tear him apart. BTW - Today's Gallop poll shows he has bounced back up nationally leading her by 7 points. She was ahead of him for 1 day. Now he popped up 7 points from yesterday. Makes you wonder what's going on.

Posted by: julescator | Apr 22, 2008 12:16:13 AM

Barbre:

"I'm predicting it's going to be close and that we are going to do a lot better than people expect," Obama said, as his campaign tried to shift the focus to upcoming contests in North Carolina and Indiana, and his lead in the overall delegate count.


Way to pick one comment and make it seem like that was all he said. It's called not being pretentious, something Hillary has never quite mastered.

Posted by: Derek | Apr 22, 2008 12:18:12 AM

Nicholas, I'll point you back at Allan Lichtman's 13 Keys. Google them and YOU do the math. Obama wins, McCain loses.

Posted by: Derek | Apr 22, 2008 12:19:44 AM

Nicholas - However, Obama has put into play STATES that were NOT won by the Dems - this will cancel out the BIG states. Check with Chuck Todd and Tim Russert - they will do the math for you. Also, HIllary has NEVER beaten Obama by the margins he has beat her with. There is a map on yahoo.com - political section. He has walloped her - she has NEVER walloped him. Remember she started in PA with a 26 point lead. Also she was the inevitable candidate - the wife of a former President, yada yada yada. What does is say about HER that he is beating her. After all isn't he the rookie. SHE IS THE ONE THAT CAN'T CLOSE THE DEAL - WITH HER 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, EX-PRES HUBBY, US SENATOR yet the ROOKIE is beating her! It says more about HER than is does about HIM.

Posted by: julescator | Apr 22, 2008 12:21:51 AM

Derek,

It's called facing reality. A concept Obama supporters haven't seemed to have heard of.

Posted by: barbre | Apr 22, 2008 12:24:40 AM

Derek - see my comments above! Why hasn't she put the Rookie away yet? Why is her wreck of a campaign broke? Why aren't people sending her money - she is begging for it and so is Bill? What's wrong with this picture - Inevitable Nominee can't put away the Rookie. He has a cool $50m to play with - she is in the RED - lots of bills including health care bills for her workers - how could MS Health CARE - not pay health care bills for her own people? I guess they will have to GARNISH HER WAGES!

Posted by: julescator | Apr 22, 2008 12:27:48 AM

the fact that people act as though the whole campain is gone for obama is crazy no one thought he would do as good as he has done in pa!

Posted by: melissa | Apr 22, 2008 12:29:15 AM

oOPS - NOT Derek - most last comment was for BARBRE - Sorry

Posted by: julescator | Apr 22, 2008 12:29:44 AM

Well - good night folks. Best of luck in PA with your candidate. Remember - WE will BE UNITED in NOV no matter what!

Posted by: julescator | Apr 22, 2008 12:31:33 AM

Julescator -- Are you a paid Obama blogger? This theme of "unite in November" sure does seem to be popping up a lot, especially on the eve of an inevitable loss for Obama in PA.

Curious, it is.

Posted by: highly capable women | Apr 22, 2008 12:40:08 AM

Hillary can't catch Obama. It's a mathematical certainty that Obama will win. She has to beat him 60%-40% or greater in EVERY race left. Wake up.

Posted by: Reality Check | Apr 22, 2008 12:42:34 AM

Yeah, Joshua and Co.... You are RIGHT.. Obama has been lifted to this level by the black vote.. That is how he got to be number one in IOWA. That is how he won in Wisconsin. That is how he won in Utah. That is how he won in Illinois. That is how he won the delegate count in New Hampshire. Yeah? Shame on you!

Posted by: Harrison | Apr 22, 2008 12:47:28 AM

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