Washington Bureau

Don’t count chickens, Obama warns

LEESBURG,Va.--In Barack Obama's second Virginia stop Wednesday, he said the presidential election could hinge on the state's 13 electoral votes and urged supporters not to get overconfident.

"I know some folks may not think so, but this looks like the real Virginia to me," said Obama, in a clear jab at a John McCain campaign surrogate who said Northern Virginia was not "real Virginia."

"This looks like authentic Virginia and y'all look like a bunch of Virginians," he joked to an estimated 10,000 people at Loudoun County's Ida Lee Park.

Obama criticized McCain for running a negative campaign, saying "that's what you do when you are out of ideas, out of touch and running out of time."

Obama, seeking to be the first Democrat to win Virginia since 1964, said there is a "righteous wind at our back."

But the candidate was quick to quash presumption on the part of supporters. When he said "if" he becomes president and supporters interrupted him, shouting "when," he quickly tamped down the cheers.

"No, no, no. I'm superstitious," he said. "I don't like counting those chickens before they're hatched."

Still, he said, "If we win Virginia, we'll win this general election."

-Neil Simon
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