Opinion: Obama wins Oregon primary, tells Iowans change is coming, change is...

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Illinois Sen. Barack Obama got mangled in Kentucky tonight by Sen. Hillary Clinton (see her video at bottom) by a better than two-to-one margin. But he basically ignored that setback and returned to an enthusiastic crowd at the scene of his initial primary season victory tonight and talked to Iowans over and over and over about change.

In fact, even before learning of his Oregon victory, standing before the state capitol in Des Moines, the freshman senator said the word change 14 times. That provides a pretty obvious clue to the major theme he envisions in the already building general election campaign against presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Obama congratulated Clinton on her overwhelming Kentucky victory and praised her as a pioneer,

perhaps an early indication of reaching out to Clinton supporters, many of whom still cling to hopes of a mathematical miracle in her struggle for convention delegates. Obama said, ‘Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has changed the America my daughters and your daughters will come of age.’

The crowd gave a half-hearted cheer.

He made the obligatory attack on McCain, saying, ‘The lobbyists who rule George Bush’s Washington are now running Sen. McCain’s campaign.’

‘McCain,’ Obama added, ‘is not change.’

‘Our journey may be long,’ Obama said, his voice rising. ‘Our work may be great. But we know in our hearts we’re ready for change.’

‘Iowa,’ he added to growing cheers, ‘change is coming to America. Change is coming.’

In case, you didn’t get it, Obama thinks change is coming. And he is it.

--Andrew Malcolm