Obama broadens support among Democrats, endorsed by Chris Dodd, praised by Luis Farrakhan

www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-26 23:23:14

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) --

Sen. Barack Obama (D-ILL.) has been broadening his support among Democratic voters, with especially strong support among men, a new poll has found.

He is now viewed by most Democrats as the candidate best able to beat Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in the general election on Nov. 4, according to the New York Times/CBS News Poll released Tuesday.

The poll found that after 40 Democratic primary elections, Obama has made substantial gains across most major demographic groups in the Democratic Party, including men and women, liberals and moderates, higher and lower income voters, and those with and without college degrees.

For the first time in a New York Times/CBS poll, he moved ahead of rival Sen. Hillary Clinton (D- NY) nationally, with 54 percent of Democratic primary voters saying they wanted to see him nominated, while 38 percent preferred Clinton.

A USA Today/Gallup Poll released Monday showed a similar result, 51 percent for Obama to 39 percent for Clinton.

The poll shows that Obama's coalition -- originally derided by critics as confined to upper-income reformers, young people and blacks -- has broadened significantly.

In December, for example, he had the support of 26 percent of the male Democratic primary voters; in the latest poll, that had climbed to 67 percent.

But there are signs of vulnerability for Obama, too.

While he has a strong edge among Democratic voters for his ability to unite and inspire the country, Clinton is still viewed by more Democrats as being prepared for the job of president.

And while he has made progress among women, he still faces a striking gender gap.

Obama is backed by two-thirds of the Democratic men and 45 percent of the women, who are equally divided in their support between the two candidates.

White women remain a Clinton stronghold.

When all voters are asked to look ahead to the general election, McCain is more likely to be seen as prepared for the presidency, able to handle an international crisis and equipped to serve as commander in chief than either of the Democratic candidates.

Former rival endorses U.S. presidential hopeful Obama

www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-26 23:08:36

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) --

U.S. Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. Barack Obama (D-NY) received endorsement Tuesday from Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), one of his former rivals in nomination race.

At a news conference in Cleveland, Ohio, Dodd called on fellow Democrats "to come together, to get behind this candidacy (of Obama)."

He is the first ex-Democratic hopeful in 2008 to back Obama.

Dodd warned that a heated fight for the Democratic presidential nomination could damage the party.

Obama is in a heated battle for the Democratic presidential nomination with Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY).

According to CNN's tally, Obama now leads Clinton in the race for delegates 1,327 to 1,255.

The two will next compete on March 4 in primaries in Ohio, Texas, Vermont and Rhode Island.

Obama has won 11 contests in a row since Super Tuesday on February 5.

Supporters of Clinton -- including former President Clinton -- has said she must do well in Texas and Ohio if she is to soldier on for the nomination.

Farrakhan says Obama "hope of the entire world"

www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-26 20:00:40

BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) --

During his first major public address since a cancer crisis, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan said Sunday that presidential candidate Barack Obama is the "hope of the entire world" that the United States will change for the better.

The 74-year-old Farrakhan, addressing an estimated crowd of 20,000 people at the annual Saviours' Day celebration, never outrightly endorsed Obama but spent most of the nearly two-hour speech praising the Illinois senator.

Farrakhan rebuilt the Nation of Islam, which promotes black empowerment and nationalism, in the late 1970s after W.D. Mohammed, the son of longtime leader Elijah Mohammed, moved his followers toward mainstream Islam.

"This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better," he said. "This young man is capturing audiences of black and brown and red and yellow. If you look at Barack Obama's audiences and look at the effect of his words, those people are being transformed."

Farrakhan compared Obama to the religion's founder, Fard Muhammad, who also had a white mother and black father.

"A black man with a white mother became a savior to us," he told the crowd of mostly followers. "A black man with a white mother could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall."

Said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton: "Sen. Obama has been clear in his objections to Minister Farrakhan's past pronouncements and has not solicited the minister's support."

Farrakhan has drawn attention for calling Judaism a "gutter religion" and suggesting crack cocaine might have been a CIA plot to enslave blacks.

(Agencies)

Editor: Gareth Dodd

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