Sen. Barack Obama says he respects Gov. Ted Strickland's endorsement of Sen. Hillary Clinton, his opponent in the Democratic presidential primary.

"Gov. Strickland, I think, made a calculation during the summer (about who was winning), and I respect him for making that political calculation," Obama said Saturday in an interview with The Dispatch.

Obama noted that he did a fundraiser for Strickland when he ran for governor in 2006 and also did events for Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, who has endorsed Obama.

When asked what impact he thinks the popular governor from Appalachia will have on next Tuesday's primary, Obama said, "There's no doubt that Gov. Strickland has an influence. It's always good to have the political machinery of a state in your corner."

Obama also said "there's no doubt that Sen. Clinton is the favorite in this state," but that he's confident he will do well. He said if he carries either the Buckeye State or Texas, he'll be able to make the case that the nomination should be his.

-- Mark Niquette mniquette@dispatch.com