Clinton raises the stakes
Wednesday, 21 Nov 2007 10:05
Clinton brought up her rival Obama's upbringing in Indonesia.
The race between US presidential hopefuls was tarnished by personal attacks yesterday, with Hillary Clinton questioning Barack Obama's credentials.
After Mr Obama opened up a small lead over his Democrat rival for the first time, Ms Clinton raised the contentious issue of his upbringing in a predominantly Muslim country.
Illinois senator Obama lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, between the ages of six and ten, after his mother married an Indonesian man, an experience which he addressed on Monday.
"Probably the strongest experience I have in foreign relations is the fact I spent four years overseas when I was a child in south-east
Asia," he said, adding that living overseas had increased his ability to look at international issues subjectively.
However Ms Clinton, senator for New York, argued that her rival's upbringing means he is ill-equipped to cope with foreign affairs.
"Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of ten prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face," she said in a statement.
The references to Mr Obama's time in Indonesia follow his public response to internet references to his supposed Islamic faith, with right-wing bloggers implying he attended an Indonesian madrasa, with the unfounded supposition that this education would be similar to a jihadist training school.
However Mr Obama attended an ordinary public school and posted a fact-check on his personal website last week saying he "is not and has never been a Muslim".
The discussions of Mr Obama's childhood came as the results of a Washington Post/ABC poll in Iowa showed the Illinois politician opening a small lead over Ms Clinton on key issues.
Twenty-three per cent of respondents saw Mr Obama as best placed to deal with Iraq, compared to 21 per cent for Clinton, with the other Democratic party frontrunners, John Edwards and Bill Richardson, each polling 15 per cent each.
Some 43 per cent of those in the typically crucial swing state believed Mr Obama has a new direction and ideas for the nation, compared to just 21 per cent for Ms Clinton.
But only 12 per cent of Iowa Democrats saw Mr Obama as having the necessary experience to lead the US, while 38 per cent of those surveyed believed Ms Clinton was sufficiently equipped to become head of state.
Thirty per cent of Democrats in Iowa would vote for Mr Obama, with 26 per cent favouring Ms Clinton, 22 per cent behind Mr Edwards and 11 per cent backing Mr Richardson.
The first Democratic party caucus is held in Iowa on January 3rd.