by Mike Dorning
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MANCHESTER, N.H.–Barack Obama kicked off his fall campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination today by turning to the same theme his chief rival stressed in her opening salvo a day earlier: experience in national politics.
Former First Lady Hillary Clinton wants voters to remember that she is a battle-scarred veteran of Washington’s bitter political wars and Obama is not.
Obama, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, is reminding voters of the same thing.
And at a time when high dissatisfaction with government—particularly among Democratic voters—Obama argues that the distinction works in his favor.
Without referring to Clinton by name, the Illinois senator sounded the theme at a rally in central Manchester on a warm, sunny morning that drew hundreds of supporters.
“There are those who tout their experience working the system in Washington,” Obama said, in a clear reference to Clinton, “but the problem is that the system in Washington isn’t working for us and hasn’t for a long time.””Too many in Washington see politics as a game,” Obama added. And that is why I believe this election cannot be about who can play this game better. It has to be about who can put an end to the game-playing. The times are too serious; the stakes are too high.”
Obama arrived in New Hampshire with his wife Michelle and two daughters fresh from a family vacation on Martha’s Vineyard a day after Clinton toured the state with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. The Clintons’ appearance was only their third joint campaign tour of this election.
In rallies in the state capital of Concord and the coastal city of Portsmouth, Clinton campaigned Sunday before the banner “Change + Experience,” arguing that her years in national politics would make her a more effective champion of reform.
Obama countered by stressing mission and commitment to the cause of change, citing his early years as a community organizer, biographical details that have been central features of his stump speeches since he began his campaign.
“I might not have the experience Washington likes, but I believe I have the experience America needs right now,” Obama said. “Hope and change are not just the rhetoric of a campaign for me. Hope and change have been the causes of my life.”
Obama also included what may have been a subtle rhetorical dig at former President Bill Clinton, who remains highly popular among Democrats but whose political career has aroused charges of obfuscation, particularly regarding Clinton’s statements about his Vietnam draft record and his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
“We have to tell people the truth. And you shouldn’t expect anything less from your President,” Obama said.
The lectern Obama spoke from was adorned with a placard displaying one of the campaign’s themes: “Restoring Trust in Government.”
Obama was scheduled to march later in the day in a Labor Day parade in Milford, N.H., and attend an ice cream social in Hudson, N.H.