Obama: 'Still fired up and ready to go'
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) - Failing to parlay his win in last week's Iowa caucuses to a victory in the New Hampshire primary, Sen. Barack Obama said he was "still fired up and ready to go."
The junior senator from Illinois congratulated Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York for her win and praised "all the candidates in this race" as "patriots who serve this country honorably."
"But the reason our campaign has always been different, the reason we began this improbable journey almost a year ago, is because it's not just about what I will do as president," he said. "It is also about what you, the people who love this country, the citizens of the United States of America, can do to change it. That's what this election is all about."
CNN projected Clinton to win with 72 percent of precincts counted, basing it on reported results, exit polls and other statistical models.
As she had most of the night, Clinton held a 39 percent to 37 percent lead over Obama with 81 percent of the precincts in.
But Obama assailed critics who he said doubted his campaign and said that the record numbers of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire showed that "there is something happening in America."
"You, all of you who are here tonight, all of you who put so much heart and soul and work into this campaign, you can be the new majority who can lead this nation out of a long political darkness," he said. "Democrats, independents and Republicans who are tired of the division and distraction that has clouded Washington."
"For most of this campaign, we were far behind," he said. "We always knew our climb would be steep. But in record numbers, you came out and you spoke up for change."
Obama pledged to end tax breaks for the rich, to "end the outrage of unaffordable and unavailable healthcare" and "end this war in Iraq and bring our troops home."
"We will finish the job against al Qaeda in Afghanistan. We will care for our veterans. We will restore our moral standing in the world, and we will never use 9/11 to scare up votes. 9/11 is not a tactic to win votes, but a challenge to unite America."
Obama also responded to critics who he said cautioned his campaign against offer "false hope."
"In the unlikely story that is America," he said, "there has never been anything false about hope."
And, he said, his response to those naysayers is "one simple creed - yes, we can."
"Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we can, and so tomorrow as we take the campaign south and west ... we will remember that there is something happening in America, that we are not as divided as our politics suggest, that we are one people and one nation and together we will begin the next great chapter in the story with three words that ring from sea to shining sea - yes, we can."
I am throughly enjoying the meltdown of the Clinton bashers. The only suggestion I can make–please learn the basic rules of grammar and syntax before you put your foot in your mouth.
Whichever candidate wins the party's nomination will have the benefit of the experience of their entire party with them. The candidate who wins the general election will have the full force of all of the collective experience of all politicians available to review. The president does not and should not stand alone in making the choices which effect all citizens; "I am the decider" is an ugly and divisive comment that most people in this country and abroad now mock.
Condescending to the youth (those 44 and under) of the U.S. will never help Hillary Clinton to win, if that is the goal of the experience argument Clinton's supporters should try a different approach. "Lack of experience" is a weak ad hominem argument which has no bearing on what a candidate can do with the presidency.
I am glad Obama stayed on point. Win or lose, he has a message and a platform and he is stickign to it.
I am glad it only took a dozen Clinton personas before she found "her voice", namely, the one people will vote for. Soft, Hard, Attack, Experience, Crying, Change.... her message is about change, Hillary will change her points, views and anything needed until she wins.
The best part is the audience behind her, she stacked it with young people. Also changed the "ME ME ME" in her speech.
I know that its about modifying your strategy, but I think Hillary would swap her head with Bill's if she thought it would give her more votes.
I'm happy that Mr. Obama is "Still fired up and ready to go."
Now, PLEASE just give us your WAVE and GO!
I was just about to write an editorial asking why no one in the nation (or the world's) news rooms seemed to notice that, in a country where white folks are deemed racist and oppressive by nature and where - according to many minorities - "nothing's changed" in regards to race, Iowa - with an overwhelmingly white population (95 %) placed two minorities into the top 3 places at the recent caucus. And Obama was clearly the winner.
I found that an important and positive aspect of the election to cover but no one else apparently felt the same. We seem to have a vested interest in exploiting negative behavior while ignoring an important indicator of the willingness to elect a minority as president (religious, race and/or sex taken into consideration). And nothing from Reverend Jackson or Sharpton as to how maybe some stereotypes about whites are not deserved and should be reconsidered.
I was really disappointed however, to find that the moment Obama did not end up being first in NH, here comes the race card. The implication is that if Obama doesn't win, it's ONLY because he is black. I think the comment Chris Rock said to stir the pot is counterproductive and completely disregards the important, positive implications of what happened for Obama in Iowa. Maybe it's time we really do start judging people, even white people, as they come and by the content of THEIR character, not based on the comments of those who benefit by keeping blacks and other minorities thinking that they are up against a majority population that doesn't value and appreciate their contribution to the country.
Even I (and I'm white I guess in color anyway) was surprised to see an overwhelmingly white population in the middle of the country (where we are supposedly the most racist) vote overwhelmingly for a black muslim and for a female of any ethnicity. I had been buying the "white is oppressive" BS too. Whites are not the only ones who see negative sterotypes perpetuated on the news.
And, just as you see a lot of miniorities getting arrested and rioting, etc. (how the news stations love showing people at their worst), all you hear about white folks is that they are racist and oppressive by nature and - as Chris Rock says - only say in public what they think they should say (so we are all hypocrites too).
But I say Iowa shows a different picture. And I think Obama feels the same. Why put your heart and soul into something with no chance in Heaven of winning. Obama must have some sense that white Amercia is not quite the bigoted lot we are portrayed to be.
Is there any chance that we can grow up just a little in the U.S. and try to give each other the benefit of the doubt, judging each other less on assumptions about each other and maybe actually look at the individual based on character and action???
We've come a long way since the 60's. It's about time we acknowledge that and celebrate a huge moment in American history. Not just that Obama won Iowa (and did well in NH too) but that a major myth about white Amercia was shattered with Obama's vistory. LIke it or not, America is not nearly as racist as some would like us to think. That is a good thing. I'm sure there are still individuals and groups on all fronts who could use some help getting right with the world but overall, we're doing better than even I thought in terms of race, gender and religion. Our willingness to consider candidates of such varied backgrounds says a lot about us. And it's all good.
My hopes are that the person coming into the oval office this time around is actually the right person for the job...race, religion and gender aside.
Grow up, Amercia, and do what's best for the country!
Tom.. I was just thinking the same thing! And then you said it twice!
I REALLY THK IT WAS SUCH A DBL STANDARD W HILARY SHOWIN EMOTION WHEN HE HAS DONE IT ALL ALONG..AS A WOMAN I FEEL SHE IS FAKE. I AM WITH HIM ALL THE WAY.SHE MAY WON LAST NIGHT BUT LOOK AND SEE HOW MANY VOTED AGAINST HER.
Any bashing is counter-productive even bashing of grammar. It is not strategic to me to bash Clinton for showing some humanity. If that may have influenced her win, well good for New Hampshire for respecting human emotion and real people. Jib Jab has a feature on CNN about zombie politics, I think most voters tire of cookie-cutter wind-up drones doing their rock-em sock-em robot battles.
Realize that most reading this (and most voters) are going to vote for whichever democrat is chosen, this will be less true if the party turns in on itself. Fueling the fires between candidates in the same party lessens the chance of good alliances being formed after the nominee is chosen.
To Wall: You can't recognize concrete plans to bring about change even when it stares you in the face. Obama's plans are not lacking in details. Perhaps the problem is they are all too clear for you to digest. Your likes are content to live in the past. The Bushes and the Clintons belong to the past and that's where they'll remain.
God speed Obama and may God bless you for all you're trying to do for America.
If you think about it, the crying game was going to come sooner or later. Better now than during Super Tuesday or the national election, which is when it was probably originally planned. I doubt if voters will fall for it again.
Do you think that Clinton, Obama or any of the Democrats will help the illegal immigrant situation or strengthen our Nation? The following Senators voted against making English the official language of America:
Akaka (D-HI), Bayh (D-IN), BIDEN (D-DE) Wants to be President?, Bingaman (D-NM), Boxer (D-CA), Cantwell (D-WA), CLINTON (D-NY) Wants to be President?, Dayton (D-MN), DODD (D-MN) wants to be president, Domenici (R-NM) A coward. Protecting his senate seat, Durbin (D-IL), Feingold (D-IN), Feinstein (D-CA), Harkin (D-IA), Inouye (D-HI), Jeffords (I-VT), Kennedy (D-MA), KERRY (D-MA) wanted to be president, Kohl (D-WI)), Lautenberg (D-NJ), Leahy (D-VT), Levin (D-MI), LIEBERMAN (D-CT) Disappointment here....., Menendez (D-NJ), Mikulski (D-MD), Murray (D-WA), OBAMA (D-IL) Wants to be President?, Reed (D-RI), Reid (D-NV) Senate Majority Leader, As Lazar (D-CO), Sarbanes (D-MD), Schumer (D-NY), Stabenow (D-M
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage
morale, and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested,
exiled or hanged!!!"
President Abraham Lincoln (R-IL)
Hey Obama,
I did my homework, I read your webpages, I read Edwards page and I read Hillaries. I even wrote down each candidates accomplishments and numbered them, the count was after getting into public service, Yours about 15, Edwards about 15, Hillarys about 49. Where was you on September 11th, while Hillary was dealing with the tragidy, where was you during katrina's crisis? Off in another country with some Republican buddy? I'm sorry that sounded negative, but the fact that you even mentioned having a Republican by you side, hit me wrong when Demicrats have been so frustrated with their track record in office. You stood and fought for a lot of good causes. But so did Edwards and Hillary. You mention putting everyday American above political gain, who are you talking about? Edwards is all about the less fortunate, and other unselfish causes. Hillary's very accomplished in helping others. Read her history and you'll see that she is one of the most selfless politions around. She wrote an international best seller and donated all the profits, one million dollars, to childrens cause in America. I don't look at the things all of you have accomplished just as "experience". They show the charector and passion each of you have. Edwards has refused to accept any money from lobbyist throughout his entire political carreer. If you have done any charitable works I would like to hear about them. If you have passed any laws or traveled to any countries without a Republican by your side, I would like to hear about it. You mentioned your traveled experience, Hillary has been to 80 countries, so I don't see that as one of your best qualities. I really would like to hear about those things before I chose which Commander and Chief of the worlds greatest power I will vote for in the middle of a war.
OOOOPS, I forgot to put my email address
what kind of work did hillary do for 35 years?i worked as a nite nurse. is that good experience or what?how come she didnt cry during those difficult firft lady days? wasnt those days hard.?they were hell for me when i was going through the same thing. we will see.4 yrs of bush 8 yrs of clinton and 8 more years of bush? we can do better than that. we are not the united kingdom of america