Obama Says Foe Clinton Can't Unite: He Claims Broader Appeal. The Retort: Polls Say Otherwise

Nov 04, 08:00 AM

Current Headlines: By Mike Dorning, Chicago Tribune

Nov. 4--WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama said Saturday that a ticket led by Sen. Hillary Clinton would be destined to largely repeat the disappointing Democratic performances of 2000 and 2004 and could hope only to "barely" eke out a victory.

Obama predicted that if the Democrats nominate Clinton, "you're going to basically see a repetition of the 2000 and 2004 elections, in the sense that the country's divided and both parties will be working at the margins to tip the election just barely in their favor."

In an interview with the Tribune, Obama questioned the front-runner's ability to convert broad public discontent with the Bush administration into a decisive Democratic victory, suggesting the political baggage she carries from the partisan battles of the 1990s would be a burden on her general election campaign for president.

"I have a better chance than any of the other candidates of bringing the country together and attracting independents and Republicans into a working majority for change. That is a harder argument for Sen. Clinton to make, I think, because people's views are set on her," Obama said.

The Illinois senator portrayed Clinton's campaign so far as one based on obfuscation and avoidance of clear stands.

In the primary, Clinton is trying "to make herself as small a target as possible to potential Republican attack by avoiding laying out too specific an agenda. But I think you can't build a majority and bring about real, meaningful change if that's the approach you take," Obama said.

In a speech in Spartanburg, S.C., shortly after the interview, Obama accused Clinton of playing from a worn campaign "textbook" that "encourages vague, calculated answers to suit the politics of the moment, instead of clear, consistent principles about how you would lead America."

Responding to Obama's comments, Clinton spokesman Phil Singer noted that Obama is trailing the former first lady in national opinion polls. "It doesn't look like he's persuading very many Democrats, let alone anyone else," Singer said.

Obama also said in the Tribune interview that he does not buy Clinton's explanations attributing delays in releasing White House papers involving her activities as first lady to the actions of the National Archives and former President Bill Clinton.

"I don't accept it, and I don't think the American people accept it. I think they understand that if Sen. Clinton urges former President Clinton to release those papers, then they'll be released," Obama said.

Newsweek reported last month that Clinton White House documents including her appointment calendar as first lady, her notes at strategy meetings, advice she gave her husband and his advisers on welfare reform and other matters, policy memos she wrote, even some key papers from her health-care task force all remain inaccessible to reporters and researchers.

Obama said the documents are "directly relevant" to Clinton's claims that her experience as first lady has prepared her for the presidency. Referring to the current status of the documents out of reach of the public, he added, "presumably this is something [the Clintons] have thought through."

He added that as the primary campaign continues, he hopes to distinguish himself to voters by impressing upon them that "my style of leadership is going to involve being honest with the American people about the challenges that we face and inviting them to participate in our government, to open it up and make it more transparent and accountable to them."

Obama, who pledged to pull U.S. troops from combat operations in Iraq within 16 months of taking office, contrasted his approach with Clinton's statements on Iraq.

"I've certainly been clearer in terms of how I would approach it. I've offered a specific pace for withdrawal. She has not," Obama said.

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mdorning@tribune.com

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