July 5 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says he will be ``greedy'' in his quest to break the Republican Party's decades-long hold on the South.
``I can't guarantee we are going to win any Southern state,'' Obama, a first-term Illinois senator, told reporters on his campaign plane today. ``I can guarantee we are going to give it a good shot.''
Obama's campaign has bought television advertising time in states including Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia as part of a broader 50-state strategy to win the White House in November. Obama said Democrats' failure to show up and fight for what are considered Republican strongholds has contributed to a false belief that Democratic candidates can't win in those states.
``For a bunch of election cycles we have had such a narrow path to victory that one thing went wrong we were going to lose,'' Obama said today. ``The `Solid South' with the Republicans is part of that shrinkage of the map. I want to expand it.''
The so-called Solid South refers to Democrats' dominance in the Southeast for almost a century, from just after the American Civil War until Democratic President Lyndon Johnson supported passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, said last week that registering new voters in the South, particularly within the black community, will be a crucial part of the strategy to end Republican dominance in the region.
Smart Strategy
Obama said today that the decision to spend money in some longtime bastions of Republican support is smart strategy.
``If we are only down one in Georgia, if we are within margin of error in North Carolina, if we are actually up slightly in Virginia, it would be pretty foolish for us not to campaign there and just to assume somehow we can't win,'' said Obama, the first black candidate with a serious chance of winning the presidency. ``I think we've got a good shot at winning and I want to be greedy. I want to win as many states as possible.''
Obama said his campaign also may help Democrats win congressional seats in the South and represents the ``best chance of bringing the country together so I can deliver on the promises that have been made.''
The Illinois senator isn't just eyeing Republican strongholds in the South. He spent yesterday in Montana, which has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee only twice since 1948.
Colin Powell
When asked about a meeting last month with Colin Powell, who hasn't yet endorsed a candidate, Obama said he has longtime ties to Powell, a Republican and former secretary of State under President George W. Bush.
``I actually met him prior to being elected U.S. senator and talked to him frequently since being elected,'' Obama said. ``He's somebody whose opinion I value and is somebody I will continue to talk to about national security issues, both before I'm elected president and hopefully after.''
Separately, Obama told reporters he will hold joint fundraisers in New York City next week with his former Democratic rival, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, who finished May with more than $20 million in debt, including $12.2 million in loans she made to her campaign.
``As I've said before, I want to make sure we are providing Senator Clinton with some help just as she has gone out of her way to campaign on our behalf,'' Obama said.
He said he and former President Bill Clinton are figuring out a time to meet in person and ``have a good discussion.'' Obama and the senator's husband spoke by phone earlier this week.
``I look forward to his advice, counsel and participation in the race ahead,'' Obama said.
Obama today also reiterated his goal of ending the war in Iraq if elected.
The presumed Democratic nominee made headlines two days ago when he said he will listen to the advice of military commanders when he travels to Iraq this month and may ``refine'' his stance on a U.S. withdrawal based on their views.
Obama later rejected claims that he is backing off his plan to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office.
``I was a little puzzled by the frenzy that I set off,'' Obama said today on the flight from Butte, Montana to St. Louis. ``I am absolutely committed to ending the war.''
The comment prompted quick criticism from the campaign of Arizona Senator John McCain, the presumed Republican presidential nominee.
``We are all absolutely committed to ending this war, but on Thursday Barack Obama's words indicated that he also shared John McCain's commitment to securing the peace beforehand,'' McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement. ``What's really puzzling is that Barack Obama still doesn't understand that his words matter.''
To contact the reporter on this story: Kim Chipman in St. Louis at kchipman@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: July 5, 2008 20:54 EDT |
