Victory.... at last
'I WILL BE THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE' | Obama claims historic win as Clinton says she is 'open' to running as his vice president
White House hopeful Barack Obama did not wait for the concession that Hillary Clinton seems unwilling to give.
"Because of you, tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States," Obama told cheering fans in St. Paul, Minn. All day Tuesday, super-delegates, including former President Jimmy Carter, pledged their votes to him, leaving Obama within four votes of his party's nomination. Just after the South Dakota polls closed at 8 p.m., the networks began calling the race for Obama.
(AP)
"There are those who say that this primary has somehow left us weaker and more divided. Well I say that because of this primary, there are millions of Americans who've cast their ballot for the very first time," Obama said at St. Paul's Xcel Center, where Republicans will nominate John McCain as their nominee in September.
Hillary Clinton, speaking to supporters in New York, congratulated Obama on running "an extraordinary race" but warned that, "I want the 18 million Americans who voted for me to be respected, to be heard."
Was that a warning she wanted Obama to offer her the vice president spot? Earlier in the day, she told supporters among New York's congressional delegation that she would be "open" to running as Obama's No. 2.
Tuesday night, as her supporters shouted, "Denver, Denver, Denver," Clinton continued, "In the end, though this primary was long, I am so glad that we stayed the course together. . . . The question is: Where do we go from here, given how far we've come? This has been a long campaign, and I will be making no decisions tonight."
Clinton urged supporters to visit her Web site and suggest what she should do. Some in her campaign say she will not formally concede, so she can replace Obama at the Democratic convention in August if he stumbles.
Obama praised Clinton, saying, "I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton."
Speaking in New Orleans, McCain likewise lavished praise on Clinton, suggesting "pundits" took the race from her. But in a signal of what's to come in the next five months, McCain criticized Obama over and over again, suggesting McCain would bring more change than Obama.
McCain sought to distance himself from Bush by criticizing the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. But Obama said McCain richly deserved criticism for tying himself to Bush's policies, especially the war in Iraq.
"I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine," Obama said.
Ironically, Obama lost South Dakota on Tuesday but later won the final primary contest in Montana.