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Obama on Iowa Return, 'a Terrific Way to Bring Things Full Circle'
May 18, 2008 7:59 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: Sen. Barack Obama's symbolic return to Iowa on Tuesday night, the night of the Kentucky and Oregon primaries -- was questioned today during a press availability in Milwaukie, Ore.
Obama told reporters that he decided to return to the early-contest state because, "We thought it was a terrific way to kind of bring things full circle. We still have some contests left, but if Kentucky and Oregon go as we hope, then we think we will have a majority of pledged delegates at that point, and that's a pretty significant mark."
The Obama campaign has walked a fine line, playing up the significance of the primaries Tuesday night in crossing the delegate majority mark but careful not to insinuate they are declaring victory.
"It doesn't mean we declare victory, because I won't be the nominee until we have enough, a combination of both pledged delegates and superdelegates to hit the mark," Obama said. "But what it does mean is that voters have given us the majority of delegates that they can assign. And obviously that is what this primary and caucus process is about."
Two weeks ago Obama told Brian Williams that May 20 is an important day.
"If at that point we have the majority of pledged delegates, which is possible, then I think we can make a pretty strong claim that we've got the most runs and it's the ninth inning and we've won," he said.
In Oregon on Tuesday, Obama pushed back against the notion that his comments were contradictory -- denying that he intended to insinuate he would declare victory.
"I don't think there is anything contradictory on this," he said. "What we have consistently said is that we will have the majority of pledged delegates at that point and obviously we're going to make the argument to any superdelegates remaining that we should be the nominee. But until those pledged delegates actually commit to us, we won't have achieved that number yet."
There are three more contests to vote after Tuesday's primaries, with the last contest on June 3.
At a rally in Portland later in the day with an estimated audience of 75,000 people, the largest crowd to date at an Obama event, Obama spoke of the long primary season and of his Democratic opponent -- in the past tense.
"Sen. Clinton and I have had a terrific contest," he said. "She has been a formidable candidate, she has been smart and tough and determined and she has worked as hard as she can. And she has run an extraordinary campaign."
May 18, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (38)
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Crowd of 75,000. Did you see it? people know, the can feel it, things are changing, something new is happening.
Obama08
Posted by: Thinking | May 18, 2008 8:09:59 PM
Lets see was the Boss there I wonder he always seems to bring an attraction with him and a little party t-shirts steak dinners Oprah he may be able to by the primary but that won't work For the GE.Yes he should crown himself the reat of us would just love that as we are not important you know low information voters as we are. Obama Bush is he sure Rove isn't working for him arrogant is what he is.
Posted by: Bishop | May 18, 2008 8:14:05 PM
Ah Bishop! There you go with that negativity again. It'll be ok you will see.
Posted by: Thinking | May 18, 2008 8:15:50 PM
Oh and full circle is in Aug. On Aug 26th it is WOMANS EQUALITY DAY PASSED BY CONGRESS IN 1971 one hundred years ago the democratic convention was held in Denver and women did not have the right to vote SO DONT YOU COUNT HILLARY OUT because she is making History also.
Posted by: Bishop | May 18, 2008 8:21:14 PM
I am not bitter and this election is not over you people are nuts you think by saying so it makes it so .And I don't remember telling you what sex I am. I look forward to being on the floor and watching it all.
Posted by: Bishop | May 18, 2008 8:27:28 PM
THINKING SAID ::: Crowd of 75,000. Did you see it? people know, the can feel it, things are changing, something new is happening
Yes things are changing. THis country will be United States of AFRICA very soon. ANd the scum that approved the AFFIRMATIVE ACTION programs like TED KENNEDY will be dead before the full extent of the way they destroyed AMERICA will be fully realized
Posted by: Face book | May 18, 2008 8:31:26 PM
And tell me this wasn't set up by Donna and Dean but I don't think they knew about womens equality day. And you know it is not over and they are closer in OR. than they were and she is going to beat him good in Ky and I'm sure he has another loser to trot out maybe even Gore will see.
Posted by: Bishop | May 18, 2008 8:33:04 PM
I'm writing Hillary's name if it's not there in November.
If it's Barack, he's going to get his nuts handed to him by the GOP. I personally am looking forward to that, sweetie.
Posted by: SarahNJ | May 18, 2008 8:45:52 PM
Don't make it sound like Obama doesn't need help from Clinton supporters. Probably not a good idea.
I don't think the idea is to just get over it. Obama needs to win over Clinton supporters. That's part of the path to the presidency too.
As for his current campaign plans: The premature victory lap in Iowa befits a presumptive nominee, I guess. Or else it's pretty - - - presumptuous (or audacious?).
Posted by: joywinnie | May 18, 2008 8:47:40 PM
Is the author working for Obama or ABC? Did she go to germilism school or market school? Did anyone explain the word objective to her or is abc just as liberally biased as everyone thinks.
Posted by: Bob | May 18, 2008 8:49:22 PM
Is the author working for Obama or ABC? Did she go to germilism school or market school? Did anyone explain the word objective to her or is abc just as liberally biased as everyone thinks.
Posted by: Bob | May 18, 2008 8:49:31 PM
joywinnie - I don't know, the Republicans are sure acting and sounding like Obama is the Democratic nominee. It doesn't take a genius to figure out Obama is going to be the Democratic nominee, which is apparently Face Book's worst fear.
Posted by: Indycvs | May 18, 2008 8:51:39 PM
Obama- an Antichrist We Can Believe In
Consider his rockstar sexual status among young voters, his ability to continuously lie without impunity, his connections to mob members and terrorist both real and wannabes. His strong and unscrupulous desire for raw power, at any cost, regardless what it does to others, (he became senator simply by disqualifying his opponents). His empty words and changing promises, his desire to be friends with those who wish to destroy us. His wife Michele has expressed her hatred for this country and has publicly announced her husband as the messiah.
The voodoo of this all is that Teflon Obama remains unscathed by all his nefarious connections and thug like history.
I am not very religious, but I think Nostradamus got it right again. What is God going to think of all the lemmings that follow a man of darkness?
Posted by: Peter Carlton | May 18, 2008 8:59:32 PM
Face book
I hope you don't have children.
Posted by: Steve Larson | May 18, 2008 9:06:38 PM
Actually, I was thinking on some of the hatred and paranoia posted here and I thought "God I hope these people aren't my neighbors!"
Posted by: Mary | May 18, 2008 9:16:00 PM
Seems to me Obama is doing well against McCain in polling now, and that's with a lot of Clinton supporters picking McCain over Obama.
If just some of those Clinton supporters who are saying they'll support McCain come back to support the party, it could be a big November for Obama.
Posted by: Paul | May 18, 2008 9:16:33 PM
some of you guys are sick and demented.It's so shameful to hear my fellow Americans utter such bigotted comments about a good man. You do not support Obama, fine! but god damn it! do not call him names.
I never heard Barack say anything counterscending about his opponents or call them names or try to use fear and hatred to strick a wedge between groups of people and no one can say the same about those campaigning against his personality and race; rather than tout their own qualifications (which are largely exaggerated at best).This is absurd!
GET HOLD OF YOUR SELF AND THAT HATE LEST YOU SHALL IMPLODE
Posted by: Wayne | May 18, 2008 9:22:31 PM
INDYCVS:
Dude - you sound like you were reading right out of the republican talking points about the CLINTONS. I think you need to wake up.....It's Obama passing the once favorite Clinton's. You can relax.....the best candidate won. I'm with you however on your description of the Clinton's. I was there for their 11 years in Ark. and their 8 in the White House, and the 8 after - and you, my friend, have them pegged.
GOOD FREAKIN' RIDDANCE to the NEO-Con Republican Clintons. At last we'll show the world that we really do have some NEW ideas!!!!
Posted by: Johnny | May 18, 2008 9:29:10 PM
BO likes rally; the rally in pitt stadium; which is before he lost by 10 points and spending 11.2m in TV ads.
He likes to stand behind a podium with monologue.
He is afraid of questions except the stereoptyped ones with his prepared answers.
He is afraid of debates. He ducks debates
He is afraid of challenges: that is why he ducks campaigning in West Virginia as muc as he could; JFK would never have that. He ducks revotes.
He likes rally and ads to boost his staggering self-confidence. He crumbles, mumbles, stumbles with gaffes about Afghanistan, sweetie about female professionals.
He is staying in a church which preaches God is Black, divisive racism and blasphemy.
BO is a phony: BO fanatics make up an impressive legislative records for him and passes around the internet; They are fabrications and not true; FACTCHECK says don't believe it.
BO is riding on high-flown poetic promises of change. Let's see where does he get his legislative record.
Todd Spivak of the Houston Press has documented how Obama accomplished next to nothing in his first six years in the Illinois legislature.
Then Emil Jones Jr. an African American with thirty years in the legislature made Obama a sponsor of 26 bills that became law. This is how BO portrays himself as a highly successful legislator.
This is just like giving him the ball at 1 yard line and carries him in on his back.
Has Obama repaid Jones? Yes. He has provided tens of millions in earmarks for Jones' district.
BO's abuses of earmarks:
Michelle Obama's salary at University of Chicago Hospitals when her husband won the US Senate seat was $121,000. Within weeks of his swearing in, her salary went to over $320,000. The following year Obama did an earmark request for $1 million for her employer.
In reality, BO has taken considerable money and support from all sorts of corporate and other special interests. Remember his Bittergate talking to billionaires in San Francisco! He has no record of being a reformer, whatsoever.
Posted by: John_Lai | May 18, 2008 9:30:45 PM
McCain is scary. He really is the Manchurian Candidate. The original- POW brainwashed by the Chinses (Viet Cong) who runs for President in order to destroy America. He has way too many senior moments, is fake and phony- he didn't even vote for Bush in 2000 and everyone heard him say it. He cheated on his poor wife who waited all those years for him with Cindy- an heiress half his age. He robbed folks in the Keating 5 scandal. He wants MORE wars to make his Republican friends even richer. That's all that wars do- make Halliburtons and the Oil companies rich. McCain will blow up the world so if its Armageddon you are looking for vote McCain. He will surely lead un into mass death and destruction.
Posted by: Lisa | May 18, 2008 9:36:37 PM
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