Obama 'an impressive fellow', says McCain

Democrat Barack Obama is an “impressive fellow” whose success as the first black US presidential candidate for a major party should make every American proud, his Republican rival John McCain said today.

Mr McCain heaped praise on his presidential rival as he addressed America’s oldest civil rights group in a bid to improve his support among African-Americans, who have overwhelmingly favoured Mr Obama in polls.

The 71-year-old Arizona senator also told the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) that he realised the worst educational problems in the country were often found in schools in black communities.

Referring to Mr Obama, he said: “Don’t tell him I said this, but he is an impressive fellow in many ways.

“He has inspired a great many Americans, some of whom had wrongly believed that a political campaign could hold no purpose or meaning for them.

To cheers and loud applause, he went on: “His success should make Americans, all Americans, proud.

“Of course, I would prefer his success not continue quite as long as he hopes, but it does make you and me proud to know the country I’ve loved and served all my life is still a work in progress, and always improving.”

He added: “Senator Obama talks about making history, and he’s made quite a bit of it already.

“Whatever the outcome in November, Senator Obama has achieved a great thing - for himself and for his country – and I thank him for it.”

Mr McCain also apologised for missing the group’s annual convention last year, when many US political pundits had written off his presidential campaign.

“I hope you’ll excuse me for passing on the opportunity at your convention last year,” he said.

“As you might recall, I was a bit distracted at the time dealing with what reporters uncharitably described as an implosion in my campaign.”

Mr McCain told the group he would expand education opportunities for children in failing schools, including vouchers for children to attend private school.

“After decades of hearing the same big promises from the public education establishment, and seeing the same poor results, it is surely time to shake off old ways and to demand new reforms,” he said.

“That isn’t just my opinion. It is the conviction of parents in poor neighbourhoods across this nation who want better lives for their children.”

His speech came as a New York Times/CBS News poll showed only 29% of black people said race relations were good in America, compared with 55% of whites - about the same as eight years ago.

Majorities of both whites and blacks – about two-thirds – agreed the US was ready for a black president, but the perceptions of Mr Obama broke along racial lines, with 80% of blacks saying they had a favourable opinion of him, compared with just 30% of whites.

Meanwhile, Mr Obama continued his focus on national security and foreign policy as he prepares for an extensive trip abroad, including visits to Iraq and Afghanistan – and Britain.

Details have not been released for security reasons.

The 46-year-old Illinois senator, who has been criticised for being inexperienced on national security issues, said: “It’s time to update our national security strategy to stay ahead of the terrorists to see clearly the emerging threats of our young century, and to take action to make the American people more safe and secure.”

He also attacked Mr McCain, linking him to President George W Bush, as he told a round-table discussion at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, that: “America cannot afford another president who doesn’t understand the threats that confront us now and in the future.”

He pledged to focus on emerging nuclear, biological and cyber threats if elected president.

“The danger is that we are constantly fighting the last war, responding to the threats that have come to fruition, instead of staying one step ahead of the threats of the 21st century,” he said.

“Instead of adjusting to the stateless threats of the 21st century, we invaded and occupied a state that had no collaborative relationship with al-Qaida.

“Instead of taking aggressive steps to secure the world’s most dangerous technology, we have spent almost a trillion dollars to occupy a country in the heart of the Middle East that no longer had any weapons of mass destruction.”

Mr Obama added that another goal of his administration would be to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

“As long as nuclear weapons exist, we’ll retain a strong deterrent,” he said. “But we’ll make the goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons a central element in our nuclear policy.”

Yesterday, a Quinnipiac University poll showed Mr Obama led Mr McCain nationally 50% to 41% in the race to the White House, with a 2.4 percentage point margin of error.