"I would reject and denounce" Farrakhan's support, Obama said during a lengthy back-and-forth.
He was prompted to offer a rare reflection on the race question during the news conference when a reporter asked how he would sell his candidacy to white Ohio voters who rejected an African American gubernatorial candidate in 2006. Obama warned against selling the American people short.
"I think right now they are looking for somebody who can bring the country together, who will push against the special interests in Washington, will listen to them, will fight and advocate for their hopes and their dreams and their aspirations," he said.
"And if that person is green, they'll vote for him," Obama continued. "if that person's purple, they'll vote for him, and if that person is African American, I think they'll vote for him."
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maria.laganga@latimes.com
mark.barabak@latimes.com
La Ganga reported from San Francisco, Barabak from Columbus. Times staff writers Michael Finnegan in Ohio and Maeve Reston in Texas also contributed to this report.
