Obama said his election could improve race relations. "If I go visit a classroom as president of the United States, it changes how black kids think about themselves, it changes how white kids think about blacks," he said. "It means also that I can say certain truths that might be more difficult for other candidates to say. . . . I've talked about the need for more responsibility among black fathers. I've talked about the need for parents to do more to instill a sense of educational achievement in black kids."
The major difference between himself and the other Democrats that Obama has stressed throughout his campaign is a belief in his ability to unite the country and work with Republicans.
"You've got to break out of what I call the 50-plus-one pattern of presidential politics, which means you have nasty primaries where everyone's disheartened, then you divide the country 45 percent on one side, 45 percent on the other, 10 percent in middle, all of whom live in Florida and Ohio," he said. "Then maybe you eke out a victory of 50 plus one. You can't govern." Hillary Clinton is a "50 plus one" candidate, he said.
Obama cited his experience working with Republican senators on bills relating to arms control, government accountability and fuel efficiency standards. He also cited his 55 percent approval ratings among Republicans, despite his reputation as a progressive Democrat. He said building consensus and minimizing negativity does not mean being a wimp. "When I arrived in Chicago, I didn't know a soul," he said. "Twenty years later, I'm one of the most powerful Democrats in the state. I know how to throw an elbow if I have to."
Obama's emphasis on procedure was most apparent when he discussed his health care plan - which he says will be a top priority during his presidency, second only to Iraq. He called the plans of the three Democratic front-runners "95 percent identical" and said the only substantial difference was that he would not mandate universal health care. He believes government must first make health care affordable before implementing a mandate.
"The truth is, Edwards, Hillary and myself all essentially have the same health care plan with some very modest tweaks around the edges. The question then becomes who can actually deliver on it, and I believe I can deliver on it in a way the others can't," Obama said.
He particularly criticized Clinton's health care failure as first lady. "She says . . . it was a lonely battle," Obama said. "Well, 80 percent of the American people at that time wanted universal health care. So if she was lonely with 250 million people on her side, it was because she closed the door to negotiations that alienated potential allies, as well as didn't bring the American people into the process."
Although Obama has fallen behind Clinton in state polls by close to 20 percent, he believes that will change as more voters become engaged. "The default candidate for Democrats in this race was always going to be Hillary Clinton because she's Hillary Clinton as opposed to Hillary Rodham," he said. "There's a feeling of we know what we'll get with Sen. Clinton. With me, I've got to make the case much more affirmatively because I haven't been on the national scene as long."
But he said his executive experience, which he admitted is "modest," matches that of Clinton and Edwards, and he added, "The manner in which I've been able to put together a national campaign in the span of five or six or seven months that's competing with the most powerful political machine over the last 20 years, that benefits from the relationships of a two-term president and a sitting U.S. senator, says something about my management capacity."
Much of the interview centered on foreign policy. Obama defended his position, which Clinton and others have criticized, of being willing to meet with any world leader without preconditions. He said he would meet with Iranian leaders and tell them that he objects to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's rhetoric on Israel and the Holocaust and to Iran's support for terror and developing nuclear weapons. But he would also note that Iran seeks admission to the World Trade Organization and stronger economic ties to the West, and he would ask whether there can be a path toward normalized relations. "Now that may not persuade Ahmadinejad . . . but it sends a signal, not only to the Iranian people but to the world, that we're listening," Obama said.
Much more at:
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071012/FRONTPAGE/710120309
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