By Susan Redden
sredden@joplinglobe.com
While their support still is divided between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, some local Democrats agree that the presidential primary campaign is winding down in favor of the senator from Illinois.
Obama on Monday was reported to be working to win over enough superdelegates to clinch the Democratic nomination with today’s primaries. If successful, he plans to formally kick off his general-election campaign against Republican John McCain in a speech after the polls close in Montana and South Dakota, the two final primary states.
Clinton also seemed to forecast an end to her campaign with an announcement that she would hold her primary-night rally in New York City rather than on the campaign trail.
Though she is a Clinton supporter, Susan DeCarlo, of Joplin, said she is ready to support Obama if he is the nominee.
“It looks like that is what’s going to happen, and what will be, will be,” said DeCarlo, who is chairwoman of the Jasper County Democratic Central Committee. “I will staunchly support whoever our candidate is.”
DeCarlo said she is mystified by supporters of Clinton — or Obama — who say they’ll vote Republican if their candidate does not get the nomination.
“It’s important that we all stick together, because the alternative is John McCain,” she said.
Doug Brooks, a superdelegate from Joplin, said Monday that the party would unite behind either candidate.
He also said the fact that the race for the nomination ran into June could be a blessing, as it has led to additional registrations, brought out more voters and beefed up the core of activists for both candidates.
“I have been at odds with those who thought this an unhealthy process,” said Brooks, who early on announced his support for Clinton.
“All you have to do is look at the voter rates,” he said. “There are many people who are involved in this who would not have been involved in the past.”
Two local Obama supporters, Paxton Williams and Steve Daniels, also said they do not believe the prolonged campaign has hurt the party.
“I do think it will be over tomorrow, and that he (Obama) will have enough superdelegates to put him over the top,” Daniels said Monday.
“I think the campaign has been good for the country because it has awakened the interest of all kinds of new voters and energized the party. I don’t think it has hurt it. I think we’ll come together as one, and Obama will be elected in a landslide.”
Williams said he believes Democratic and Republican campaigns are successful when they “get more people involved in the process.”
Williams said he hopes people, regardless of their political preference, “will take a little time to remember how special this is, for our country to have had a viable female candidate and a viable African-American candidate running for president. It says great things about the progress of our country.”
Williams said he has found Obama’s and Clinton’s stances on policy issues to be “very similar.” He said what attracted him to Obama was “his message of change.”
“I especially liked him saying that he wouldn’t be able to do everything on his own, and that he wants the people to hold him and other elected officials accountable,” he said. “I also liked the fact that he and his wife have been through a lot of things that most people have. I think he comes closer to understanding what regular people are going though.”
Daniels said Obama “is right on the issues involving working families, for getting control of mortgage lending problems and building up the country’s infrastructure.”
Daniels, business manager of Laborers Local 319, said Obama supports legislation that would make it easier for employees to join unions.
“I also believe he’ll bring a higher standard of ethics to the presidency — certainly higher than we’ve had in the last eight years,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Delegate count
Barack Obama on Monday night was 41.5 delegates shy of the 2,118 needed to clinch the nomination at the party’s convention in Denver. He gained 5.5 during the day Monday, including Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, a member of the House leadership who scheduled a formal announcement for today.
Hillary Clinton had 1917.5 delegates after adding two on Monday.
Source: The Associated Press
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