Senator Barack Obama tried again on Thursday to shift his campaign away from a focus on race that had threatened to envelop his candidacy, and bring other issues to the fore, notably the Iraq war and the economy.
There were signs that Mr. Obama, an Illinois Democrat, had suffered significant political damage from the firestorm over provocative comments made by his former minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. A nationwide Gallup poll showed Senator Hillary Clinton of New York taking a significant lead over Mr. Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, for the first time since early February, just after the Super Tuesday primaries. Mr. Obama continues to lead Mrs. Clinton in the tally of pledged convention delegates won.
Two days after delivering a major address in Philadelphia about the racial divide, Mr. Obama focused on the Iraq war on Thursday during a campaign visit to Charleston, W.Va. Having spoken Wednesday about the warÂ’s strategic costs, Mr. Obama put his emphasis Thursday on its economic costs, which he said weighed on ordinary Americans every day.
“When you’re spending over $50 to fill up your car,” Mr. Obama told a politely appreciative crowd, “you’re paying a price for this war. When Iraq is costing each household about $100 a month, you’re paying a price for this war.” |