July 3, 2007
Posted: 04:31 PM ET

Obama campaigns on the back of a pick-up truck.

KEOKUK, Iowa (CNN) — Standing on the bed of an old pick-up truck draped in red, white and blue, Sen. Barack Obama pitched himself as the candidate best able to make the changes he says Americans are yearning for.

"I am ready to lead this country," he told voters standing outside an elementary school in Keokuk, Iowa. "I know where America needs to go."

The mid-afternoon retail event drew several hundred people, a number the Obama campaign claims is typical for stops outside of larger venues around the state. Obama did, however, make reference to the "enormous crowds" he's drawn at stops around the country. He highlighted several specific ones, including an Iowa City event, where he said 10,000 folks showed up, and another in Davenport, where he claimed 4,500 people turned out.

Hillary and Bill Clinton are holding events in Iowa City and Davenport today. The Obama staff pleaded ignorance.

Like Sen. Chris Dodd earlier today, Obama said he knew voters were getting down to "choosing" their candidate. "I want all of your support, I want you to caucus for me," he said, but added that if some in the crowd picked another candidate, that was okay as long as they got out to caucus.

– CNN Senior Political Producer Sasha Johnson

Filed under: Barack Obama • Iowa


Anonymous   July 4th, 2007 12:00 pm ET

I will not be intimated by fear mongering…and yes I think Obama is the man to be a real leader and move the country forward finally.

You don't win a war against an unconventional enemy by going bankrupt and launching pre-emptive wars based on a pack of lies to make friends rich at the expense of taxpayers.

Kyu Reisch, Radcliff, Kentucky   July 4th, 2007 1:12 am ET

Daniel from CA, Do you think Obama is honest? Obama's employee made Anti-Hillary video, he said my campaign has nothing to do with video, is he honest? At debate, question was did you know about Walter Reed Hospital had problem? Obama didn't answer it and said incoherent things, is he honest? Obama wasn't at Congress in 2002, he attacked Hillary's war vote, is he honest? The memo about The Clintons, is he honest? He apologized to them publically but his intention was not honest and contemptible, his mind deceived himself. Obama has still room for moral training. You should meet The Clintons, then you know what I meant.

Bernard, Scotch Plains NJ   July 4th, 2007 12:31 am ET

The more I learn and hear from Obama the more I want to donate to his campaign. This man is right for this country, I really think Obama as President will unite both parties for the good of AMERICA, plus the more I think about another Clinton or Bush in office, the more I feel the country may suffer and continue to be divided.

Daniel Araya, Culver City, CA.   July 3rd, 2007 7:47 pm ET

Sen.Barrack Obama, seems to be the most honest and ideal candidate for being a president of our graet nation, we need change, change for the better. Americans are tired of the lies & people with power abusing the system for their own interest and forgetting the hard working people, not to mention our troops overseas paying their dues by blood.
Our economy is not as strong as it was before, we're spending billions of dollars everyday for a senseless war that is not going nowhere, and no one knows how to even stop it. With that kind of money the U.S.A. could've erradicated homelesness,poverty,crime & unemployment forever.
That's why we need change, a more refined well-polished president that can bring positive results.

Thank you.

kmf - Iowa City   July 3rd, 2007 6:04 pm ET

I was at the Iowa City event Sen. Obama refers to, and there were at least 10,000 there, if not more. I couldn't make the Clinton event today, but judging from where it was held, there was nowhere near enough room for 10,000, even if she & Bill could have drawn it.

EvilPoet Woodland Hills, California   July 3rd, 2007 5:50 pm ET

The more I hear from Obama the less I think of him. I know one thing for sure - he will not be in my list of choices. I've had more than enough arrogance.

Errol, Houston, Texas   July 3rd, 2007 5:43 pm ET

The terrorist attack is important, but the state of the country is more important. Perhaps Obama is trying to change the direction of the country and focusing on a failed attacked would be a distraction from important goal. A better question would be: Why is the media ignoring the fact that more people world wide have died through the act of terrorism in the last 4 years after the Iraq war started than in the 4 years before the war.

Lndofthfree   July 3rd, 2007 4:55 pm ET

Why is Obama ignoring the terrorist attacks by Doctors in the UK??

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