BOSTON - Calling himself an “imperfect vessel” in the movement for change, Democrat Barack Obama said on Monday he never expected to cruise to easy victory in his bid for the White House and recognizes he has to work hard for it.
Obama, celebrating his 47th birthday at a Boston fundraiser, sought to push back against Republican John McCain’s attempt to caricature him as arrogant and “presumptuous” about his prospects for prevailing in the Nov. 4 election.
“It’s a good time to remind ourselves that we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Obama told the supporters gathered at the State Room, which boasts a panoramic view of the Boston Harbor.
“We’re going to have to work for it. We’re going to have to prove to the American people that we are worthy of governance,” he said.
In a series of recent ads, McCain mocked Obama as an overconfident Messiah-like candidate and likened his fame to that of popular culture icons Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.
One ad that was e-mailed to supporters last week, which refers to Obama as “The One,” uses clips from some of his soaring speeches and features the late actor Charlton Heston parting in the seas as he portrays Moses in the movie, “The Ten Commandments.”
But Obama said the slog of the campaign has underscored for him that he is far from perfect.
“I am an imperfect vessel for this movement. … Every day, as I go through this process, I am more painfully aware of my occasional flaw and foible.”
Obama, an Illinois senator, said McCain’s campaign has seized on his trip to the Middle and Europe to try to make the point that he was “acting presumptuous,” but he noted that McCain publicly urged the Democratic candidate to visit Iraq, which was one of the stops on the tour.
Obama recalled that the State Room in downtown Boston was the same venue where he spoke a day after losing the New Hampshire primary to his then-rival Democrat Hillary Clinton. That loss took many people by surprise after Obama had just won the Iowa caucus and was ahead of Clinton in polls in the Granite state.
But Obama said the loss was ultimately a good thing because “winning the presidency should not be easy.”
Similarly, Obama cautioned his supporters not to get to “giddy” about the prospect of victory in November.
Since clinching the Democratic nomination in June, Obama has maintained a modest but consistent lead over McCain, although lately McCain has come close to erasing that edge in some surveys.
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8 comments so far
Of course He is not presumptuous. Every first-term Senator has his own Presidential Seal.
Vero Possumus (’In Pogo we find Truth’)
- Posted by Allen HobanObama does not really believe his own rhetoric, how can we believe he thinks of himself as an “imperfect vessel.”
- Posted by PremaHe lies all the time. Every policy he put forth during the primaries, he has backtracked on. Tomorrow we can expect him to say he is a “perfect vessel.” Pride goes before the fall. Wasn’t it last week when he returned from his tour that he was heard commenting, “I am the symbol that the world has been waiting for.” McCain is now a percentage point ahead in Rasmussen and Zogby and the “big guns” attack machine of the Republicans haven’t even gotten started. Obama’s problem is himself.
“… We’re going to have to prove to the American people that we are worthy of governance,” Obama said.
Just when is he going to start doing this?
- Posted by Cat in NJObama is a sinking ship. He did not win the primaries. This was an extremely close election in the primary season and should go to the convention floor. In any other democratic primary season there would be no question of that.
But certain leaders in the democratic party wanted “unity.” They repeatedly tried to push Hillary Clinton out before the primary season was over, dismissed and took for granted her supporters, tolerated unprecedented media bias and sexism against Clinton and her supporters. Then they gave Obama some of Hillary’s delegates and other delegates based on “exit polls.” Of course we know how accurate exit polls are. If they had any credibility, we would have John Kerry as president right now instead of Geo. W.
In addition, Florida and Michigan were dis-enfranchised for not obeying the “rules” and moving their primary dates up but several other states did that very thing and that was okay with the democratic party.
Then we had “caucus fraud and intimidation” in several states on the part of Obama supporters against Clinton supporters.
We also have the presumptive candidate himself. Next to no experience and now that he doesn’t have Hillary as his foil he stands for “nothing.” Every day, it seems he back tracks on previously held positions.
Of course, none of the above even takes into consideration Rev. Wright, Father Pflegler (sp.?), endorsements of Hamas, connecions to Rezko, and other questionable political associates. These may never be fully examined because Obama seems to shoot himself in the foot almost daily now with his vacillating stances. Leaders like Pelosi and Brazile seem to be helping him self-destruct. Their arrogance like Obama’s is only matched by their stupidity.
Hillary may be supporting Obama but it will be a “cold day in hell” before many of we Clinton supporters will support Obama. And no we’re not going to fall in line because we are called “gun-toting, red-neck hicks, menopausal, bitter, crazy whiners, etc.” The Obama supporters continue to insult us as if this will make us “wake up” one day and say, “Yes they were right. What has been wrong with me?”
Since when has the opposition been won over by a campaign of insults, smears, lies, and telling them that they are not needed? It seems that some current leaders of the democratic party as well as Obama supporters could stand a few lessons in basic “diplomacy.” No better yet how about “psychology 101″?
- Posted by Cathy in Ks.He hasn’t take a victory lap for getting the Democratic nomination. That was a hard won thing, he beat the Clintons, and because of a few people’s “hurt feelings” he didn’t get his rightful bow. He’s been overly deferent, plenty humble.
- Posted by CCOver confident McCain (it is all a big show), always relying on his ability to talk tough and act like the ‘General’, could be likened to the heros of grade B World War II movies of the 1940’s. If McCain thinks that Obama is trying to parody Charlton Heston as Moses, I say the McCain is trying to act like John Wayne. You know, the real true American hero type. Sorry McCain, Wayne was a lot taller than you.
- Posted by Carole H.As to McCain’s insinuations that Obama is against nuclear energy, I myself, heard Obama speak up for nuclear energy and having lived in Illinois I know that it is the one state in the US with the most capacity for nuclear energy.
I agree totally with Cathy in KS. I was very involved in the HRC campaign and saw for myself the sham that was the Rules Committee. Of course now Obama wants to include all delegates from Fla. and Mich.- now that he has the advantage and that its all over bar the shouting from Clinton supporters.
- Posted by tessa GI am not sure that he will be a “sinking ship” however. The last thing we need is McCain and I think Obama will win. Axelrod is the Dem Karl Rove.
I am totally appalled by the Democratic leadership.
Because massachusetts will go blue I am going to write in Hillary
“Imperfect vessel”? I’d say it’s more like EMPTY VESSEL.
- Posted by Carol in Atl