ABC NEWS: Obama for President (D) - UPDATED

June 3, 2008

After 16 months of rallies and debates, and months of primaries, Senator Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic nomination for president. At a rally at St. Paul’s XCEL Center in Minnesota last night, Obama claimed the nomination:

OBAMA 1 (CLICK TO LISTEN or download)

Obama praised his rival, Senator Hillary Clinton:

OBAMA 2 (CLICK TO LISTEN or download)

He also thanked his supporters:

OBAMA 3 (CLICK TO LISTEN or download)

Senator Barack Obama may have clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, but Hillary Clinton isn’t ready to leave the race yet. She addressed a crowd at Baruch College in New York City Tuesday night, saying she will “make no decisions tonight” and she will consult party leaders before making her next move. Clinton had these words for Obama:

CLINTON 1 (CLICK TO LISTEN or download)

Clinton said her supporters have a voice and government needs to listen:

CLINTON 2 (CLICK TO LISTEN or download)

WGNS will continue to provide you with ELECTION ‘08 coverage (More coverage below)…

BELOW REPORT FILED TUESDAY NIGHT:

WGNS - the ABC RADIO Affiliate for Murfreesboro, TN: Based on preliminary exit polls and our reporting, ABC News projects Sen. Barack Obama will have enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination after the final primary votes are counted tonight.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has reached the 2,118 delegates needed to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination — becoming the first African American major party presidential candidate in U.S history.

Obama, D-Ill., has the 2,118 needed to clinch the Democratic nomination for president, according to the ABC News scorecard, and is expected to win an additional number of delegates in today’s final primary contests in South Dakota and Montana and further superdelegate endorsements Tuesday.

Making history by becoming the nation’s first African-American presidential nominee, Obama, emerges victorious from one of the longest and most closely fought Democratic nomination fights in recent history.

“Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another – a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States,” reads an embargoed copy of Obama’s victory speech, first posted in full on the Drudge website.

As the last day of a grueling, five-month Democratic primary battle fight came to a close, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton watched as superdelegates flocked to her opponent and told fellow New York lawmakers that she is open to being Obama’s vice presidential candidate if he asks.

Despite Obama’s win, Clinton refused to concede the race Tuesday night.

“This has been a long campaign and I will be making no decisions tonight,” she told supporters in New York.

“In the coming days, I’ll be consulting with supporters and party leaders to determine how to move forward with the best interests of our party and our country guiding my way,” she said.

Offering congratulations to Obama “for all that he’s accomplished,” she said he “has inspired so many Americans to care about politics and empowered so many more to get involved. And our party and our democracy is stronger and more vibrant as a result.”

Saying many people have been wondering what she wants, Clinton said, “I want to end this war in Iraq, I want turn this economy around, I wanted healthcare for every American.”

Clinton repeated a widely disputed claim she has been making in recent weeks that she received more of the popular vote than Obama.

“And I want the 18 million Democrats who voted for me to get the respect that they deserve and to not be invisible anymore,” she said, taking a swipe at the DNC ruling on the disputed Florida and Michigan delegates.

Obama Faces Divided Party

The win is a huge accomplishment for Obama, 46, a first-term U.S. senator who would be among the youngest presidents in U.S. history if he wins the White House.

With a popular campaign message of hope and change, he attracted huge crowds, celebrity endorsements, and record-breaking campaign contributions. His candidacy also inspired record turnout by black voters, and enjoyed wide support from independents, liberals, young voters, and high-income Democrats.

Early on, Obama cast his campaign as a rejection of old-style Washington politics, and painted Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., as an incumbent.

In an attempt to heal a divided Democratic party, Obama is expected to effusively praise her historic bid to be the party’s first Democratic presidential nominee.

“Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she’s a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she’s a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight,” reads Obama’s victory speech.