Clinton and Obama Conciliatory at AIPAC
The day after he clinched the nomination, Obama looks toward the general election
It was the morning after the heated primary season had come to an end, the Democrats finally had their nominee. Sen. Barack Obama clinched the nomination, gathering up enough delegates and superdelegates to announce his victory on the day of the final primaries in Montana and South Dakota.
And thanks to the convenient scheduling of a large and important conference on Israel, the presumptive nominee and the onetime Democratic front-runner, Sen. Hillary Clinton, would speak back to back in Washington, D.C., at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference.
Obama spoke first and was greeted fondly by the mostly Jewish audience that he had made special efforts to attract during the primaries. "We had an eventful night last night," Obama declared eliciting a raucous response from the crowd. "And my staff and I may still be a little bleary eyed."
Obama complimented Clinton for making history with him: "I want to publicly acknowledge Hillary Clinton for the outstanding race that she has run," he said. And looking toward the general election, he tried to put a stop to E-mail rumors that have reverberated through the Jewish community that he is a Muslim (Obama is a Christian) and took his oath of office on a Koran (he took his oath on the Bible).
He expressed unwavering support for Israel and a commitment to assisting with the peace process in the Middle East. "As president, I will work to help Israel achieve the goal of two states, a Jewish state of Israel and a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security," Obama said. "And I won't wait until the waning days of my presidency." Obama left to a standing ovation, shaking the hand of every AIPAC board member seated on stage, and then ran into Clinton backstage, where the two briefly chatted, according to an AP report.
Minutes later, as Clinton came to the podium, she refrained from an all-out endorsement of Obama, opting rather for a continuation of her long goodbye. "I know Senator Obama understands what is at stake here," she said. "It's an honor to call him my friend, and let me be clear—I know Senator Obama will be a good friend to Israel."
While her role now in the Democratic Party is up in the air, with some speculation that she may be interested in the vice presidency, today she played the role of Democratic cheerleader. "The United States stands with Israel now and forever," she told the audience. "And let me underscore this: I believe we need a Democrat in the White House next January." Though she wasn't using his name, there was an understanding in the audience that the Democrat she must be referring to was Sen. Barack Obama.
Reader Comments
Obama/Clinton
I think Obama/Clinton will be the perfect match to win this election in November. The two of them will shake America in November. No way Mccain will be able to beat them. Whitout Senator Clinton as V.P, automatically we the democrats are already loosers. With Clinton as V.P my vote is aready counted.Otherwise I will not waste my time because I know that without senator Clinton there is no way Senator Obama will win th November Election. Yes Obama won more delegates but remember Clinton had nearly 18 millions people voted for her and she won most of the major states. Both of them together will shake america in November
Senator Obama I know you are a Super smart Man and I know that God is with you. Be Smart to choose Clinton. Be a Wise man like King Salomon in the Bible
The Obama Phenomenon
I am old enough to remember both John Kennedy and Bill Clinton and their campaigns. I supported Hillary Clinton in her quest for the presidency. However, the Democratic Party has spoken and Senator Obama has been selected as the Democratic Nominee for the Presidency of the United States. His candidancy for the presidency is a bellweather moment for America. But, his candidancy alone, howevver, is not sufficient. We need him as our next president.
No one knows the exact challenges that will face the next president. But, we do know this....the two nominees of their respective parties are survivors. They probably have more in common than they are different - after the grueling primaries. Of course, their job for the next five months is to stake out their claim to the presidency and to show how they are so much better than the other candidate.
I believe this election will be decided on three issues. First, is the economy. (We learned that in the 1992 election from Bill Clinton.) I own a small business that caters to other business owners and they are hurting. Second, is the War in Iraq. That must be resolved and soon. Whatever the original purpose(s) were for going there were - they have long since been confused with newer - and no more convincing than the original - reasons. There is nothing we can do for Iraq. They must resolve their own problems and find there own way. The U.S. is not a nation-builder and we need to acknow ledge that. Iraq is not the 51st state. Lastly, I believe that the 2008 Presidential election will (unfortunately) be decided to a lesser degree on race.
It is clear to me that Senator Obama is better suited fto be President and better suited for America than Senator McCain. He is young but wise. He is energetic but thoughtful. He is extremely intelligent but humble. As I was listening to his speech before AIPAC last night I realized that he is ready to be president. He knows what to do when he arrives. (Sorry Senator Clinton..he IS ready to President on the first day.) There were many who thought that JFK was not ready because he was young or because of his religon. There were many who thought that Bill Clinton was not ready for a myriad of reasons. But, they were ready and they served their country - as many of us believe - well.
Senator Obama is a unique combination of daring and intelligence. He is ready for the new world technologies. He was masterful in his campaign for the Democratic nomination. He clearly ran the superior campaign and has the basis for running roughshod over Senator McCain except possibly in the most Republican states.
On the three issues that will likely decide this election he is the better candidate on the two that mean the most. He is right on the economy. We have to stop spending and we have to pay off debt. The middle class is in a desparate way and needs some continued tax relief. Yes, there will be some tax increases but probably not too much because that would hurt the economy. But, the US debt must begin to be paid off and we must stop spending. We cannot have any more presidents who promise fiscal responsibility and then go off and spend surpluses that do not materialize. A total review of government expenses is necessary NOW. Every government department and agency must be charged with the responsibility for proving existence and finidng a way to cut 10% of total costs. We must get have government use reasonable business procedures to show the US citizens that it is not bloated and can be made to achieve efficiencies that same as is required in the business world. Do we need any more Bush economics. Unfortunately, Bush #2 has left us in a substantially worse condition than Bush #1. Sometimes Father does know best.
On Iraq...Senator Obama is ready to leave. So is most of America. I have never been able to understand what "victory" means in Iraq. Was it when we invaded and took over the country? Was it when Saddam Hussein was captured? Was it when there was a "new government" installed? Was it when the new Iraq constitution was adopted? Was it when Saddam Hussein was executed for his crimes? When does it end? The Iraqis want us out and the vast majority of Americans want the same thing. What's the problem? Let's bring our troops home. Bush #1 was wise enought not to open the "Pandora's Box" of taking on Iraq. Again, Father knows best. We do not need to have failed policies of Bush #2 continued under Senator McCain. Again, Senator Obama is the right candidate for this issue.
Lastly, there is the latent issue of race. Frankly, this is not an issue for me but only for those who do not want to look at the character of the person. So, if you are judging Senator Obama on his race (either pro or con) then your vote is not based on the facts or the issues. If you vote is decided that way there is nothing anyone can reasonably do or say that will convince you otherwise. My Father use to say "Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is already made up"! He was kidding but those who vote purely on race are already decided. I have confidence that most Americans will not make their vote based on such an inconsequential issue.
Since Senator is right on the real issues and I believe that most Americans will not vote purely on race, I believe we are seeing an American Phenomenon and we will be celebrating his election as President in November 2008.
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