DENVER-
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Sunday he may not have a lot of experience in Washington, but he has experience where it counts.
Campaigning in Colorado, Obama spoke at a fundraiser in Denver as he sought support for his presidential campaign in the town that will be holding the Democratic National Convention next year and will be a major stop on the way to the White House.
Obama acknowledged critics who say he lacks experience, but he said experience in Washington isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. He said he has a lot of experience as a state lawmaker working to fix the death penalty, walking the precincts and as a civil rights lawyer.
“I say to them, ‘Look, I understand I’m a relatively young man. When you say I don’t have enough experience, what you really mean is that I haven’t been in Washington long enough. I’ve been in Washington long enough to know Washington needs to change,” he told a cheering crowd of hundreds of supporters at the fundraiser at an events center.
Obama said the United States needs a better health care system, better education and a better energy policy. He also said the United States needs to get out of Iraq.
He then appealed for supporters to get out the vote and for help with fundraising, telling them “this campaign is a vehicle for your hopes and dreams.”
Jess Arnsteen, a 20-year-old Internet businessman and a registered Democrat, said Obama has a vision.
“He talks to the future and says that every individual will have a voice in the future,” he said as throngs milled around Obama shaking hands after the rally.
Delicia Jones, a 16-year-old boarding school student from New York City too young to vote, said she has divided loyalties in the upcoming election. She wants to support Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, but she also likes Obama and hopes he can keep the promises he made, including a promise to provide health care for everyone in the United States.
Independent pollster Floyd Ciruli said Obama is trying to raise as much cash as he can because upcoming campaign finance reporting deadlines will be a major indicator of which candidates are leading in the campaign.
Campaign officials said Sunday they had no idea how much Obama raised in Colorado as they collected donations at the door, with suggested offerings ranging from nothing to $10 as lines snaked around the building waiting to get in. Tickets to get in were $100.
Ciruli said Denver, with a lot of Chicago business connections and a number of major law firms, can be a major source of cash for Democrats.
He also said Obama wants to get to know local officials, because Denver will hold the Democratic National Convention next year.
“He wants to have as many friends here as possible,” Ciruli said.
