Obama shifts focus to ‘real race’, with McCain

Obama only mentioned Clinton by name once in his remarks at a rally here late Tuesday night, when he congratulated her on winning the Pennsylvania primary. He referred to McCain seven times, a pointed reminder to Democrats of the challenge that lies ahead.

“There is a sense of urgency about the time we’re losing and a sense of urgency that we not savage each other to the benefit of Senator McCain,” said David Axelrod, the chief strategist for Obama. “Ultimately, what this is about is the race in November.”

Still, his defeat in Pennsylvania was significant, with Obama losing by wide margins in many parts of the state where he had dedicated much time and resources. His strategists immediately began studying the results—and intended to interview voters in a post-mortem— to see what kept them from supporting Obama.

Advisers to Obama believe his efforts were damaged by the sharp back-and-forth between him and Clinton. They believe that her campaign defined him in a negative way, reinforcing questions about potential weaknesses in his candidacy.

“If Senator Clinton thinks she has a legitimate chance to win the nomination, she has every reason to stay,” Axelrod said aboard the campaign plane on Tuesday evening. “But if her only strategy is to try and tear down Senator Obama, I think that’s going to make a lot of Democrats uncomfortable.”