The applause lines in Obama's speech

FAYETTEVILLE—Barack Obama got applause nine times in a speech today.

Three of the applause lines were standard-issue shout-outs for the military, an easy line in an audience of veterans in a heavy military area. One was the ending line of the speech.

But Obama also managed to get three laughs — ranging from snickering to hearty — not an easy feat in a speech on national security and ending the Iraq war.

A few snickered at a line about Hillary Clinton opposing the war after she started preparing a run for president. A few more laughed at a line about John McCain getting Al Qaeda and Iran mixed up in a recent speech.

But the biggest laugh came from a line directed at McCain's hyperbolic pledge.

"We have a security gap when candidates say they will follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, but refuse to follow him where he actually is," he said.

The applause lines, after the jump.

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On the best Democratic candidate:

"The way to win that debate and to keep America safe is to offer a clear contrast, and that's what I will do when I'm the Democratic nominee. Because since before this war in Iraq, I have made different judgements, I have a different vision and I will offer a clean break from the failed policies and politics of the past." (Applause)

On Iraq:

"When I am commander in chief, I will set a new goal on Day One: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it, not because our troops cannot bear the burden, as heavy as it is, but because it is the right thing to do for our national security and it will ultimately make us safer." (Applause)

On Hillary Clinton:

"Ask yourself, who do you trust to end a war? Someone who opposed the war from the beginning, or someone who started opposing it when they started preparing a run for president?" (Applause and some laughter)

On John McCain:

"Just yesterday we heard Senator McCain confuse Sunni and Shia, Iran and Al Qaeda. Maybe that is why he voted to go to war with a country that had no Al Qaeda ties." (Laughter and applause)

On Afghanistan:

"We have a security gap when candidates say they will follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, but refuse to follow him where he actually is." (Laughter and applause)

On the military:

"We must upgrade our tools of power to fit a new strategy. That starts with enhancing the finest military in the history of the world." (Applause)

Again, on the military:

"It is time to reduce the strain on our troops by completing the effort to increase our ground troops by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines while ensuring the quality of our troops." (Applause)

Again, on deployments:

"In an age marked by technology, it is the people of our military — our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — who bear the responsibility for complex missions. That is why we need to ensure adequate training and time at home between deployments." (Applause and cheers.)

At the end:

"It is time once again, for America, to lead." (Applause)