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Obama flips burgers for voter
05/07/2008 13:01 - (SA)
Montana - Barack Obama spent the US Independence Day holiday in the western state of Montana, watching a parade, eating a hot dog and trying to woo moderate voters in the traditionally Republican stronghold.
Obama, accompanied by his wife, two daughters, sister and other relatives, watched the town's Fourth of July parade before going to a campaign-sponsored "family picnic" for hundreds of people.
The presumptive Democratic nominee, who has highlighted the theme of patriotism throughout the week, talked to the crowd about his personal background of being raised by a single mother.
"I know that there is no other country out there where I could be standing before you as somebody who could potentially be president of the United States," Obama said Friday. "We are going to change the world."
His Republican rival, John McCain, was spending the holiday weekend in his home state of Arizona after wrapping up a three-day visit to Colombia and Mexico on Thursday to promote free trade and burnish his foreign policy credentials.
The Obamas also celebrated the birthday of their oldest daughter Malia, who turned 10 on Friday.
The Obamas spent part of the afternoon sitting for interviews with such family friendly magazines as People, Essence and Parents, and television's Access Hollywood. Aides were seen carting Hula Hoops, colouring books and whiffle balls so the girls could be photographed playing.
The relatively low-key campaign day came on the heels of a dustup Thursday for the Illinois senator over his Iraq war policy.
While visiting Fargo, North Dakota, Obama talked about Iraq and his upcoming trip there. The Iraq war, which Obama has called a mistake and McCain has strongly supported, has been a key difference between the two presidential contenders.
Obama indicated that his talks with military commanders in Iraq could refine his promise to remove US combat troops within 16 months of taking office. Republicans seized on that statement to make the case that Obama was changing course on one of his core policies.
Obama, who has tried to portray himself as a transcendent politician who will bring change to Washington, called a second news conference to clarify, saying that what he learns from the military commanders will refine his policy, but "not the 16-month timetable" for withdrawing US troops from combat in Iraq.
During his presidential campaign, Obama has gone from the hard-edged, vocal opposition to Iraq that defined his early candidacy to more nuanced rhetoric that calls for the phased-out drawdown of all combat brigades that, at a rate of one or two a month, could take 16 months. He has said that if al-Qaida builds bases in Iraq, he would keep troops either in the country or the region to carry out "targeted strikes."
But the apparent softening of the Illinois senator's position on Iraq has not marked his only grasp for centrist voters.
Obama has spoken out for the death penalty and against strict gun control, traditionally conservative stances. He has backed new rules allowing government eavesdropping on terror suspects and called for giving more government money to religious groups that tackle social ills.
The Independence Day trip to Montana marked the fourth time Obama has visited the state. Only two Democratic presidential candidates have carried Montana and its three electoral votes since 1948.
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