Obama Knocks Clinton

Some New Hampshire voters have found over the past few months that Senator Barack Obama’s stump speeches haven’t lived up to the hype.

Sometimes they’ve meandered; sometimes the delivery has been flat.

His speech in Concord’s Eagle Square however, was sharp and focused.

He wanted to clearly contrast himself from Senator Clinton.

And he did that by referring to a recent fight that began earlier this week at a South Carolina debate.

Senator Obama had said he would meet with the leaders of countries such as North Korea and Iran- a stance that Senator Clinton chided as naïve and irresponsible.

She went on to say such an action would give dictators propaganda points.

TAPE: I am not afraid of losing the pr war to dictators. I am happy to look them in the eye and say what needs to be said... I don’t want Bush-Cheney light. I want a fundamental change. It’s time to turn the page and say to the world, we are ready to lead.

After the speech, Obama elaborated on what he meant when he talked about ‘Bush Cheney Light.’

T.11
:48 I do think what she seems to be posing is a continuation of a Bush diplomatic approach, which is you don’t talk to people without pre-conditions, and I think that is fundamentally wrong. I think that is part of a traditional Washington mindset that led to a war without asking tough questions.

Later in the afternoon, Clinton fired back.

During a taping of CNN’s Larry King Live, She said she’d been called a lot of things, but never George Bush or Dick Cheney.

She added that the country must end the Bush era of ignoring enemies, but she said she doesn’t want to see the power and prestige of the President put at risk by rushing into meetings with certain leaders.

Obama continues to trail Clinton in national polls many by at least ten points.

And in New Hampshire Clinton has also secured more high profile endorsements than Obama.

But with the official endorsement of New Hampshire Congressman Paul Hodes, Obama not only picked up the biggest endorsement to date, but got to take a jab at Clinton.

20:34 I am proud of this endorsement. And part of the traditional game in Washington is racking up endorsements. And we’ll never have the most endorsements, b/c we haven’t been in Washington that long. We haven’t traded that many favors...

With Obama’s large war chest in place, Hodes says he doesn’t see any impediments to the senator ultimately winning the party’s nomination.

And Hodes sees an energized and confident candidate heading into the fall.

24:58 as issues arise, such as the one about the underlying philosophy of foreign policy that those issues will help to sharpen the differences and show folks he is the man for the job.

After the speech, one undecided voter who traveled from Nashua said she was impressed with the Senator.

Not enough to endorse him yet, but got a lot closer.

For NHPR News, I’m DG.