Mr. Obama clinches it | The Japan Times Online

Mr. Obama clinches it | The Japan Times Online: "Friday, June 6, 2008 EDITORIAL Mr. Obama clinches it" I t's over. Sen. Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2008. After a grueling, grinding battle to secure the nomination, he now must gird for a ferocious fight to win the November election. Mr. Obama bested Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton this week, when he secured the final delegates needed to put him over the threshold of 2,118 required to win his party's nod. Without conceding defeat, Mrs. Clinton spoke of party unity in a speech after the last two primaries — which she split with Mr. Obama — and reportedly told supporters she was open to running as vice president on the ticket. Mr. Obama, a first-time senator from Illinois, prevailed during the 17-month nomination race that included 56 primaries and caucuses, by presenting himself as the candidate of change, appealing to "hope" and demanding a new approach to "business as usual" politics. The reality of the first woman and the first black fighting for the nomination, along with Democratic enthusiasm to regain the White House, energized record numbers of voters to join the nominating process. Mr. Obama's message was important, and he is a gifted and inspirational speaker, but his machine was also impressive. His team learned from its mistakes, stayed on message and maintained the moral high ground during a sometimes ugly campaign. Voters of all ages responded, joined his team and gave him unprecedented amounts of money. In his speech Tuesday night, he praised his Democratic rivals and Mrs. Clinton in particular, calling her "a leader who inspires millions of American," adding, "Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton." Then he turned his sights on Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party's presumed nominee. In a taste of what will come during the presidential campaign, he criticized his Senate colleague for following in the footsteps of President George W. Bush. The campaign to November promises to be a bruising fight that will make the last one in 2004 look like a warmup exercise. It will not be pretty, but it will be absorbing as the candidates present choices for America's future.