DALLAS — All but written out of the presidential race last summer, John McCain crossed the finish line for the Republican nomination in first place Tuesday night, when he won the final batch of delegates he needed to clinch.
As former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, his chief remaining opponent, bowed out of the race and told his supporters it was time to "hit the reset button" and get behind McCain, the Arizona senator was making plans to visit the White House today for what amounts to his party's coronation -- the endorsement of President Bush.
As McCain took the stage at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, hand in hand with Cindy McCain, his supporters unfurled a giant blue banner bearing the magic number of delegates -- 1,191. McCain won all four Republican primaries: Vermont, Rhode Island, Ohio and Texas.
"We have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility and a great sense of responsibility that I will be the Republican nominee," McCain said after the strains of his now-familiar "Rocky" theme had faded out.
He pledged to make "a respectful, determined and convincing case" that he is the best person for the job and accused the Democrats of merely offering "useless arguments from the past" that do not address the security concerns of American families.
McCain vowed to compete in states Republicans have written off and to reach out to "communities of all ethnic backgrounds and income levels."
Before his victory Tuesday night, McCain told reporters it was time to broaden the campaign beyond the narrow scope of the Republican primaries. "We will contest every constituency in America -- whether they be workers; whether they be Hispanic, whether they be African American -- we're competing for their vote."
In recent days, McCain has frequently emphasized that he will try to win California. His advisors believe his work on the controversial immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for many of the nation's illegal immigrants will provide an inroad to Latino voters, particularly in the Golden State.
During a stop in San Antonio on Tuesday morning, McCain disputed a reporter's suggestion that Democrats would have an advantage with Latino voters this fall. He said his advocacy for free trade, equal opportunity and small-business initiatives, as well as his strong anti-abortion record, was "in keeping with the hopes and dreams and aspirations of the Hispanic community."
