McCain and Obama Set for November Battle

(Rapid City, South Dakota)

 

    It was a night to be nice, with Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama all congratulating each other for a hard-fought campaign and congratulating each other for inspiring their various constituencies. And they noted they are all friends in the U.S. Senate. Don't expect the lovefest to last long. This is politics, a hardball sport. That's the way it is.

 

    Now that it's McCain vs. Obama in November, expect the gloves to come off. Already, Tuesday night McCain mocked Obama, saying that direct talks with the President of Iran are "not the kind of change" people want. He also said that Obama, 25 years his junior, "has fallen for failed ideas of the past."  Obama later praised McCain's heroic service to this country, then counterpunched: "I respect his (McCain's) many accomplishments, even if he denies mine," said Obama.

 

    
In Rapid City, South Dakota, the seat of Pennington County, local Republicans gathered to watch the election returns and speeches on TV. All the candidates had already left the state. Hillary Clinton's surprise upset over Barack Obama was the real shocker of the night.

 

    "Oh, I believe that Obama does not represent the demographic of this state," said Marli Erickson (shown on left), who in 2010 will be president of the Pennington County Republican Party. "He comes from an urban population area in Illinois. I don't see the commonality with South Dakota," she added. As for how John McCain can carry South Dakota, a traditionally Republican state, when it comes to the presidency, "McCain has to do a balancing act," Erickson said. "With the economy at home in the doldrums and the war in Iraq, his platform has equally to address both." Erickson works in the financial industry.

 

    Obama was the last person to speak on the TV tonight. He commended his opponent. "Senator Hillary Clinton made history in this campaign," Obama said from St. Paul, Minnesota. "She has made history, not just because she's a woman...but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans."  Obama congratulated Clinton for her surprising South Dakota victory and for her overall hard-fought campaign. No hints yet whether she is his VP choice.

 

    
A local Republican leader I spoke with, who asked that his name not be used, has some concerns. While he is voting for McCain, he worries the GOP has a tough road ahead with Obama. "He's young; he's articulate; and he has enormous appeal to young people," the man said. "Even in South Dakota, people have flocked to hear him speak."  Of McCain's speech tonight, the same Republican expressed more concerns. "It was almost pathetic. It seemed canned," the man said. "There was very little passion in it."  Nevertheless, he thinks South Dakota is still Republican enough to be safe for McCain in November. The rest of the nation is his concern.

 

    The most fascinating person I met tonight was an African-American man named Dana Jones. Dana has been a mortgage banker and is a military veteran. He moved here from Orange County, California. He got to meet Obama at a recent rally, where Jones told the candidate that his biggest concern is the nation's high school dropout rate. Jones, who is 44 and working on his MBA, said the two had a good talk. "He fully understands the implications on a global economic standpoint," Jones said. He is also excited that Obama made history. "I feel proud that he's a great candidate who just happens to be black, " Jones said, adding, "Even if he was white, I'd be proud of him." Jones says he supports Obama for his stance on issues, not because they are both black.

 

    It's going to be a great fall campaign. I am heading back to California to get ready!  Tell all your friends about www.MarkCurtisMedia.blogspot.com.

 

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