Obama says he's humbled by victory, confident of party unity

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN: Obama says he's humbled by victory, confident of party unity

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama, the newly minted presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said Wednesday it was "very humbling" to be the the first African-American to lead a major party's ticket and expressed confidence that the party would unify behind him.

"You think about all the people who had to knock down barriers for me to walk through this door," he said. "And the challenges they went through were so much more difficult, so much more severe, and the risks they took were so much greater that I will say, last night standing in that auditorium, it struck me that it was testimony to them."

The senator from Illinois also said his successful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination has taught America's children that the Oval Office was within anyone's reach. "I have heard from a number of people already, both black and white, that their kids -- 7, 8, 9 years old -- take for granted now that, of course, a black can run for president, that a woman can run for president," he said. "There is a matter-of-factness to it that I think bodes well for the future."

Asked if he was disappointed that his rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton, did not concede outright Tuesday night, Obama said his priority was unifying the party.

Obama won the 2,118 delegates needed to capture the nomination after the primaries in South Dakota and Montana on Tuesday. The win came after five months of, at times, bitter contests with Clinton. He now has 2,158 delegates, according to CNN estimates.

"I just spoke to (Clinton) today, and we are going to be having a conversation in the coming weeks," Obama said Wednesday. "I am very confident how unified the Democratic Party is going to be to win in November."...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/04/obama.wednesday/index.html#cnnSTCText

[applegrove]

1. He doesn't seem to mistep very often. His words are measured and sound Presidential.

[LakeSamish706]

2. This man's Graciousness brings tears to my eyes... He has been through...

hell and back during this contest and still he stays positive and Gracious.... If only we had a world full of Obama's, it would be a wonderful world indeed.