As to tactics ahead, Obama said that Clinton "made a series of arguments on why she should be a superior candidate. I think it's important to examine that argument."
"We're happy to join the debate, If that's the debate they want to have," Obama said, noting Clinton's efforts to portray him as lacking her level of experience. "In the coming weeks, we will join her in that argument."
Obama also brushed off a question about a joint ticket with Clinton. "We are just focused on winning this nomination," he said. "I think it is premature to start talking about a joint ticket."
Obama had nothing on his public schedule Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, he flies to Wyoming to campaign and was also expected to go to Mississippi over the weekend -- sites of the next two Democratic contests.
Meanwhile, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe acknowledged that Clinton "had a good night last night in terms of the raw vote." But he said that she made such shallow gains in picking up new delegates that, proportionately, she was worse off in terms of overtaking Obama's delegate count than before.
"There were a lot of delegates at stake last night and she faced a big deficit," he said. Plouffe said she needed substantial pickups "to make the math work" and keep from falling farther behind. "That did not come to fruition," he said. The number needed to overtake Obama keeps rising, with only a dwindling number of delegates left.
