Analysis: Obama will need to unite divided party
WASHINGTON -- Four months after he swept the opening Iowa caucuses, Barack Obama moved toward claiming the Democratic presidential nomination with strong showings on the last big primary night of the season.
Now the Illinois senator has a formidable to-do list: navigating a half-dozen final, smaller contests and clinching the 2,025 delegates needed for nomination. Uniting a divided party and appealing to base voters who have been cool to him. And pivoting for a fall election against Republican John McCain, who's had a three-month head start.
"First things first: We have to continue to fight as hard as we can to secure this nomination," says David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager. But "obviously, you know, we also don't want to wake up on the morning of June 4 or June 10 or whenever this is going to end and not be prepared."
The campaign has launched a 50-state voter-registration drive, and Plouffe speaks favorably of a proposal floated last week by Michigan Democratic leaders to split the difference between the campaigns over seating the state delegation. That's been in bitter dispute because the primary was held earlier than party rules allow.
Another big decision ahead is whether to accept public financing for the general election. Last year, Obama said he would if his Republican opponent did, but now his fundraising prowess has made it clear that doing so would forfeit what almost certainly would be an enormous financial advantage.
The long Democratic battle has brought some significant benefits to the party's nominee, including sparking a surge in Democratic registration across the country as GOP ranks stall. Turnout in Tuesday's North Carolina and Indiana primaries smashed state records.
Both candidates also have identified and organized supporters in states traditionally seen as Republican.
"I'll be very interested in November if we see … an impact because Democrats spent so much time and money in states they don't normally do that in," including North Carolina, says Jennifer Palmieri, an aide to John Edwards' presidential campaign. "And I think that the amount of money and organizing that they spent in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania is a very useful exercise."
