BEAVERTON, Oregon (Reuters) - The battle for the Democratic nomination has been long and tiring. So much so that Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama seemed to forget how many states were in the United States.
“Over the last fifteen months, we’ve 
travelled to every corner of the United States,” the Illinois senator said during a campaign event in Beaverton, Oregon.
“I’ve now been in 57 states, I think — one left to go,” Obama said. “Alaska and Hawaii I was not allowed to go to … my staff could not justify it,” he added after hearing laughter from the audience.
Obama apparently did not realize that he had said 57, instead of 47, states visited so far.
“It sure seems like there are 57 states,” a travel-weary campaign aide said after the event.
Obama has actually been to 46 U.S. states so far during the campaign. He has not visited South Dakota, Arkansas, Alaska or Hawaii, an aide said.
The Illinois senator and his rival, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, have criss-crossed the country as they vie for the Democratic presidential nomination. The winner will face Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain in November’s general election.
Photo credit: Reuters/Steve Dipaola (Obama speaks about economy in Beaverton, Oregon)
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Of course Barack Obama knows there are 50 states in the United States even people who live outside of the United States are aware of that fact.He graduated from Havard,he was a law professor so clearly he`s not a dummy.I think that people forget that even smart people make mistakes too.It doesn`t make him ignorant or even a liar,it makes him human.For Reuters to make such a sneeringly ignorant and arrogant comment such as “To Obama,it seems like there are more than 50 states” is represntative of their own intellectual shortcomings, not his. All human beings make mistakes,so long as they learn from it that`s the important lesson.If they don`t then you can honestly call them ignorant.
- Posted by jrobertMs. Sandra Lewis, I have to side with Mr. Dawkins on his analysis of your commentary. Clearly you have tied your life experiences directly to the campaign of Senator Clinton and associate her failure to win with your failure to overcome your own hardships. Having been in the workforce for 44 years tells the readers that you have lived through the era of segregation and unequal pay for equal work. And yes, it still exists, but significantly less so than when you were in your peak.
Please, Ms. Lewis, consider your stance. Do you truly believe that HILLARY will be a good president, or would you support ANY woman with equal fervor, just because she sports a uterus? I, myself, would LOVE to see the day America puts a woman in office, but I hold HER to the same tough standards I hold any man to. The person who takes office must be able to do the job without malice or contempt, and Hillary has repeatedly shown us she is not capable of this. Hence the increasing support for Obama. He has not been corrupted yet, and this is America’s opportunity to take advantage of that. Yes, he is idealistic, and yes, he’s offered some lofty promises. But like the bumblebee that doesn’t know it’s not built to fly, Obama will press forth and make things happen. Even the politicians can see it - why can’t you?
- Posted by RatgurlI don’t think he’s been to Vermont during the campaign
Certainly not since summer ‘07 or else I would have been there, waiting in line to see him…
- Posted by Cathy[...] Still 57 states, not including Hawaii and Alaska, plus one more to go is pretty funny. [...]
- Posted by » 57 U.S. States! Behind R4NTJeez, someone makes a mistake and he’s again penalized for it. At least he wasn’t deliberately LYING. It was something said out of exhaustion or maybe even it was a joke. Who cares? Why aren’t people attacking Hillary for her lies about Ireland and Bosnia etc? Those were actual lies.
I’m a woman and awfully tired of hearing other women in my age or older blathering about Hillary Clinton and how nice it would be to have a female president. She is a liar and someone made a comment above that if Hillary had said 57 states, it would be complained about. Actually, no it would not. Obama has had a lot more class in not picking fights over stupid things. I’m over 35 now and think that I’d like to see a candidate that I feel will fix things like foreign relations, motivate people to help ourselves and not lie about -her- experience. She has no real experience above what Obama does. For all her foreign trips etc, he actually -lived- life as a kid outside the country seeing other places. I’d consider that on par to her many tea parties.
In the end, I’m sick of hearing people say that blacks all vote for Obama and women who are older all vote for Hillary etc. If someone is black and votes for Obama, good. There are blacks that obviously voted for Hillary too. I just am so tired of the gender and race card. I don’t even believe in ‘race’ in the first place. Some of us vote for non-superficial reasons. Being the first female or the first black president is not a reason for someone to get a vote.
- Posted by Zarthus[...] the two terms returned 27 results, only four of which could be considered Old Media outlets: at a Reuters blog; a Bloomberg “Campaign Notebook” item carried at the Houston Chronicle; a Los Angeles [...]
- Posted by BizzyBlog » Old Media Ignores Obama’s ‘57 States,’ But Couldn’t Get Enough of Quayle’s ‘Potatoe’As I’ve said before, Obama talks about change and I have yet to see in writing exactly what changes he proposes. I don’t think he has enough experience to run our country. True tho I’m GOP since 1962, I’m not happy with
- Posted by Jack from KansasPres. Bush’s Iraq war so I was going to vote for Ms Clinton however the powers that be ,not the citizens, have decided that Obama will be the democrat candidate therefore I will be voting for John McCain.
I hope Reuters does not look upon me with disdain, however, the security word I had to type was “love”. Timely, indeed, Reuters!
I love constructive critism and comments and I got a good feedback based on my comments. However, I must reply to the James Dawkins’ post. *** I know you are an African-American male, Mr. Dawkins. I also know you “love” Mr. Obama. This is entirely fair. However, your comments about my hate for males has to be a product of your psychosis that strong women have the misfortune of generating. I was an employee for 44 years. I had 44 years to see how women are held back. And the beat goes on.
- Posted by Sandra LewisGood grief people, he mistakenly said 57 when he meant 47. I can live with that. Our service members cannot live with John “100 years in Iraq” and “Bomb bomb Iran”
- Posted by DougSo he meant to say 47. If he’s not going to Alaska and Hawaii as he said, and he has one left to go, well.. I suppose you McCain supporters can compute simple mathematics.. but just in case, that would make 47.
Also, don’t act like McCain has never misspoke, do you not remember when he called himself a liberal?
And speaking of John McCain and numbers and what not.. how about the number of years he wants to keep spending your money to benefit war profiteers?
BTW, I’ll cast a vote for Obama over McCain, but I in no way support him.
- Posted by JizzleYou are joking! This man does not how many States there are in his own country because he is an elitist, as his comments about those who ‘cling’ to guns and religion being ‘bitter’ prove. Not to mention hanging around with a pastor for 20yrs whose comments are racist and anti-American in anyone’s terms; and not to mention hanging around with an unrepentant Weather Underground terrorist; nor taking money from a man now charged with criminal offenses in Chicago; not to mention - well what is next?
The man is an empty suit who makes a good speech. America needs a leader - Clinton, McCain it doesn’t matter just not Obama.
- Posted by Dean Wood