Winning the Oregon primary placed Senator Barack Obama within striking distance of the nomination. Now it’s up to the Democratic Party to wrap up the nomination and continue on to the general election.

This week Senator Barack Obama continued his historic march towards the Democratic nomination; he won the Oregon primary and said that he now has the majority of elected delegates. According to his campaign report, “The polls are closed in Kentucky and votes are being counted in Oregon, and it’s clear that tonight we have reached a major milestone on this journey. We have won an absolute majority of all the delegates chosen by the people in this Democratic primary process.” Despite Senator Hillary Clinton’s win in Kentucky, the Obama camp now seems to be targeting Senator John McCain, the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party and an extension of the Bush administration.

In addition to his lead in all areas of the race for the nomination, Obama returned to his presidential campaign roots in Iowa—where he garnered his first win—as a thank-you gesture to the people who gave his campaign its breath of life. Clinton keeps repeating the false premise that she is ahead in the popular votes, counting Michigan and Florida. However, the disenfranchisement of which she refers relative to those states pales when one considers that in Michigan, Obama’s name was not even on the ballot. Clinton is claiming a win where hers was the only name on the ballot. Talk of disenfranchisement!

Since the last primary, Obama has scooped up another bunch of super-delegates including—the prize catch—former senator and presidential candidate, John Edwards, who praised Clinton during his endorsement of Obama; Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WVa.), who reportedly called Obama “ a shining young statesman who possesses the courage to extricate our country from Iraq;” Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hi.); Congressman Tom Allen (D-Me.); and former Sen. George McGovern.

Also, Billionaire Warren Buffett, affectionately known as the “Sage of Omaha” told a press conference on Monday, “I will be very happy if he is elected president. He is my choice.” And with the U.S. economy in the terrible shape that it is in—despite words to the contrary from McCain, who has already stated that he does not know anything about economics—Obama will need economic advice from the richest man in the world.

A recent report claims that it was evident that Obama knows how to run a campaign, but does he know how to win a war? It was, of course, referring to the upcoming one-on-one battle with McCain. However, it is rather ironic that McCain who has recently stated Obama is “inexperienced and displays reckless judgment” when it was the “experienced” McCain, like Clinton, who voted for the costly misadventure in Iraq, and he has continued to do so despite the human and financial cost. In addition he has hinted that he will blindly follow the present course in Iraq and has continued to back the unpopular “surge” which has supposedly decreased the level of violence and that, according to McCain’s experience is acceptable.

The experience needed to be president is not acquired by the amount of time spent in Washington or anywhere else. It comes from making wise and sound judgments despite one’s age. The passage of time (age) does not produce wisdom by osmosis; sometime time passes (age) without wisdom. Those who claim that the voters are not familiar with Obama because he has just arrived on the national political scene should look at the quality of the campaign has mounted relative to the other two “well-known, experienced” candidates. According to the public record, Clinton is deeply in debt and McCain is struggling financially. Also enough of the voters must have known Obama since he is ahead in the popular vote.

Obama has stated, “Too many of us have been disappointed by politics and politicians more times than you can count. Yet, in spite of all the doubt and disappointment—or perhaps because of it—people have stood for change. We still have work to do in the remaining states, where we will compete for every delegate available. But tonight (last Tuesday night), I want to thank you for everything you have done to take us this far—farther than anyone predicted, expected or even believed possible.”

Finally, the question McCain needs to ask the electorate is the same one the Republicans asked when the country was experiencing some economic problems about thirty years ago—ARE YOU BETTER OFF NOW THAN YOU WERE EIGHT YEARS AGO?

Published in : News, Obama Watch