Clinton, Obama Spar on Eve of Crucial Primaries
If their moods offer any indication, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are vying as much for the role of underdog and front-runner as they are for votes Tuesday in Indiana and North Carolina Democratic primaries.
“We’re working as hard as we can and I desperately want every single vote here in Indiana and North Carolina,” Obama said.
Obama continues to lead in North Carolina, although most polls show Clinton has closed the gap significantly; the candidates are in a statistical dead heat in Indiana.
The latest Gallup daily tracking poll also shows them in a virtual tie nationally — with Obama leading by 5 percent, which is within the margin of error.
Drawing distinctions between herself and Obama at nearly every stop Monday, Clinton pushed forth a populist message and unleashed a new TV ad that criticizes Obama for his opposition to a gas tax holiday. The ad calls her the “candidate who is going to fight for working people.”
At a campaign rally in Highpoint, N.C., Clinton questioned Obama’s commitment to fighting oil companies.
“Senator Obama wants you to pay the gas tax this summer, instead of trying to get the oil companies to pay it out of their record profits,” she said. “So I believe that we should start standing up for the vast majority of Americans who are paying those outrageous gas prices.”
Clinton also seized the opportunity to attack the presumed Republican nominee, John McCain, who also supports suspending the gas tax.
“Senator McCain wants you to have a gas tax holiday, but he doesn’t want you to pay for it,” Clinton said. “Well, we’ve been down that road. We cannot increase the deficit. We cannot take money from the highway trust fund. That would be a mistake.”
Meanwhile, Obama stumped through North Carolina before heading to Indiana, where he sought out white, blue-collar workers.
In response to Clinton’s new ad, Obama unveiled one of his own — a 30-second TV spot called “Hometown” that criticizes the New York senator for offering “more of the same old negative politics.”
Obama also secured three more superdelegates, bringing his total number to 255, only 14 behind Clinton’s 269. Obama leads Clinton overall in the total number of delegates, 1743 to 1607. Indiana and North Carolina have 72 and 115 pledged Democratic delegates respectively.
Each candidate has rejected the idea that the nomination contest will be over following Tuesday’s outcome; both candidates planned to spend Monday night in Indianapolis.
Obama attended a rally accompanied by music legend Stevie Wonder in the city’s downtown district. Clinton helda late-night rally in Evanston, Ind., before traveling to the state capital.
During a breakfast stop at a Labor Temple in Evansville, Ind., Obama acknowledged the close poll numbers in Indiana.
“This is gonna be a tight election here in Indiana, every poll shows it is a dead heat,” he told the crowd. “We need every single vote, so you guys are pretty persuasive, I need you to tell your members that this is something worth fighting for and that they need to come out and vote, and vote for me,” he said.
He also addressed his opposition to a gas tax holiday.
“It’s a stunt, it’s what Washington does,” he said at a construction site at the University of Evansville. “This isn’t the first time it’s been proposed. It’s proposed every two years.”
Obama, who over the weekend brought his daughters onto the trail for the first time in four months, suggested to the crowd of construction workers that a second stimulus check would be a better solution for short-term relief.
“That would help people immediately relieve some crisis and that’s money that you know won’t be sopped up by oil companies,” he said.
But if energy is key, Clinton is the one who appears revved up for the race to the finish. Obama suggested that the deflating few weeks of campaigning is par for the course, and repeated his wife Michelle’s claim from last week that he would be sailing to the end.
“Once you’re the front-runner,” he said, “then it is, I think, the obligation of the candidates who are behind you to whack you over the head and the press is happy to oblige.”
Fox News’ Aaron Bruns and Bonney Kapp and The Associated Press contributed to this report
yawn
I’m a Asian American. The way I see this country from the negative attacks on Obama, using Rev. Wright preach words to tie with Obama, as an excuse to reject a black candicate, shows the true color of this country. This country, no mater how they would like to dress themselves as a civilized equal opportuniy country, are still a racial prejudice country. We’re not as we boast to the world that we’re the true human right, we’re actually NOT! I’ve been a Republican for past 20 years due to Reagan’s idea and apeal to this country as great hope to all people. But this time, I’ll vote for Obama. But if the Republicans keep on the negative attacks on Obama, I’ll switch my party to the Democat just to show my angry and the disappointment to the party.
“Once you’re the front-runner,” he said, “then it is, I think, the obligation of the candidates who are behind you to whack you over the head and the press is happy to oblige.”
Wow! what a man!
You should have to serve in the military in order to run for president. You learn who your true leaders are not just politicians.
Why should she get to seat delegates that didn’t even have Obama on the ticket. She says stay out of the kitchen if can’t handle the heat did not she steal silverwear from the White House. This is her tatic steal all she can and get away with it. The Clintons are known for this.
I was planing to vote for Hillary,but her gas holliday plan turns me off. it is a true phony lie to get by in the next election primary.
Hillary just doesn’t get it. Exxon is one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world. It’s owned like people like us through out 401K’s, TSP’s and Gift Trust’s for our kids college funds. When you tax them you tax us. Plus corporations just pass the increase onto the consumer. Wake up Hillary and all of her supporters! Just write me in and I’ll straighten this stuff out. I’ll be drilling all over the place and building nuclear powerplants. Can you say energy reliant!!!! Pete The Truth!!!!
Don’t fall for lies and dishonesty. Check each one. Then make up your mind. I am finding it disheartening that voters have made up their minds.
http://savagepolitics.com/?page_id=326
I am tired of the news and Hillary clinton saying the same thing over and over.Iam a white man that is middle class not the smartes man in the world but i know hillary has been in Washington for serveral years why has she waited tell now to do some thing.She is full of wind.
Thank God Hillary didn’t quit… Now we have to depend on the Hoosiers to send a message!