Barack Obama Does Rolling Stone

 

Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate, takes on the cover of the new issue of Rolling Stone.  Check out some highlights below from the interview:

The campaign has taken a nasty turn in the past few weeks. Has it changed your opinion of McCain personally, the way he’s run his campaign?

I just think he wants to win. And I think he’s decided that the environment’s not a good one for Republicans, so he’s going to do what he thinks is necessary. I am surprised that he would hire people who are connected to the same kind of destructive politics that Bush directed at him in 2000.

Were you disturbed by the disdain he exhibited toward you during the first debate?

No. I think that’s a sign that we must be doing pretty well.

Tell me your reaction when you first heard that he had picked Sarah Palin as his running mate.

I didn’t know her, so it was a surprise decision. Look, you have to give them credit: It obviously energized the conservative wing of the party. And that’s worth something in politics.

Weren’t you shocked, at least a little, by the choice of someone with no real experience on the national stage?

As I said, we didn’t know her, so we were surprised. It wasn’t anticipated.

Speaking of running mates, why didn’t you pick Hillary? There are still a lot of people out there who wish you had.

Look, Hillary was on my shortlist. She is an extraordinary public servant, and she’s going to be a great ally in years to come, should I be fortunate enough to be elected. I thought that the skill set that Joe Biden has — his temperament, the relationship we had built on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — made him a great fit at this time. But Hillary’s extraordinary as well.

CLICK HERE for more from the interview.