Obama Criticizes Conventional Thinking In New Ad Airing In New Hampshire

Monday, October 22nd 2007, 9:35 am

By: News On 6

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) _ Presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Monday launched a new ad focused on his message of change and implicitly criticizing his Democratic rivals for being conventional.

In the 30-second television ad, Obama says it's time for the president to restore the United States' standing in the world and abandon conventional ideas _ key themes from his standard speech.

``We're going to lead with our values and our ideals by deed and by example,'' Obama says in the spot airing in New Hampshire. ``I want to go before the world and say America's back. America is back.''

Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, has made his relatively recent entry into national politics a selling point for his campaign. In turn, he has repeatedly criticized front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton as too entrenched in the political establishment to bring any effective change or end the unpopular war in Iraq.

``We are a beacon of light around the world. At least that's what we can be again. That's what we should be again,'' Obama says. ``When we break out of the conventional thinking and we start reaching out to friend and foe alike, then I am absolutely confident that we can restore America's leadership in the world.''

The issue of negotiating with countries unfriendly toward the United States, such as Iran, has been a major difference between Obama and Clinton. Clinton said during a debate that she wouldn't sit down without conditions with enemies; Obama said he would. The conflicting positions fed one of the campaign's first foreign policy debates.

Obama also began a three-day swing through New Hampshire on Monday, planning to file his paperwork to get on the New Hampshire primary ballot.