Isle Obama supporters rally for unity

Obama's win nearly guarantees he will lead Democrats

STORY SUMMARY »

With a primary election win in Oregon, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., collected enough delegates yesterday to all but guarantee his nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate.

Obama did not declare complete triumph, saying voters "have put us within reach" of the nomination.

U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., won a lopsided victory in Kentucky and said she will continue her campaign.

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While Sen. Barack Obama appears in line to win the Democratic presidential nomination, his supporters in Hawaii are feeling the reach of his well-organized campaign.

About 100 supporters rallied at Ryan's Grill at Ward Centre last night to celebrate Obama's victory in the Oregon primary and to get some last-minute instructions from Andy Winer, Obama's Hawaii coordinator.

Winer told the crowd that the Punahou graduate has endorsed former state Rep. Brian Schatz for Hawaii Democratic Party chairman. Democrats will pick a new state party chair at their convention this weekend in Waikiki.

Obama has also endorsed James Burns, former chief judge of the state Intermediate Court of Appeals, for the position of an add-on superdelegate to the national convention.

"I have gotten to know Jim personally and he has generously shared his insights regarding his father, Gov. John A. Burns, who remains a hero to Hawaii's Democrats," Obama said in a letter that was distributed at the rally.

Winer said the Honolulu rally was one of several held across the state last night for Obama supporters who are going to the state convention this weekend.

"It looks like about two-thirds of the 800 delegates will be Obama supporters and we want them to understand this is their party," said Winer, an attorney and political organizer.

"In a few weeks, the primaries will be over and Barack will be the nominee and we will need to pull together and run a coordinated campaign that includes all Democrats," he said.

Some of the first supporters of Obama, like Bettye Jo Harris, attended last night's rally.

"I know in my soul he can win," she said. "You can't stop him, he has the spirit of America with him."

Another supporter was Jan Yuen, a retired wedding consultant, who said she came to the rally because "this is more exciting than watching it on TV."

"You know, he just might make it. He's a local boy and then if he gets in, we will have change. If Hillary (Clinton) wins it will just be the same old, same old," Yuen said.

Schatz, who stepped down as a spokesman for the Obama campaign to run for party chairman, attended the rally to ask for support.

"We are reaching out as aggressively as we can," he said.