Obama and Clinton Appeal Together in Unity

Rivals turned allies, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton made a display of unity Friday in Unity, New Hampshire in their first joint public appearance since the divisive Democratic primary race ended. "Unity is not only a beautiful place as we can see, it's a wonderful feeling, isn't it? And I know when we start here in this field in Unity, we'll end on the steps of the Capitol when Barack Obama takes the oath of office as our next president," Senator Clinton said just after she and Senator Obama took the stage together. Senator Obama praised both Senator Clinton and her husband, President Clinton, as allies and pillars of the Democratic Party, saying: "We need them. We need them badly. Not just my campaign, but the American people need their service and their vision and their wisdom in the months and years to come because that's how we're going to bring about unity in the Democratic Party. And that's how we're going to bring about unity in America."

The two spoke to some 6,000 people who gathered in a wide-open field and overflowed some bleacher seats in this town of 1,700. It was a carefully chosen venue in a key general election battleground state: Unity awarded exactly 107 votes to each candidate in New Hampshire's primary in January. The joint appearance capped a tense Democratic primary season and post-race transition as the two went from foes to friends (at least publicly). This was the most visible event in a series of gestures the two senators have made over the past week to heal the hard feelings among their backers. Both were mindful of the need for the entire Democratic Party to swing behind Senator Obama as he faces Republican Senator John McCain in the general election.

Senator Clinton encouraged her supporters to join with his "to create an unstoppable force for change we can all believe in." She addressed any of her backers who are considering not voting or voting for McCain instead of Obama: "I strongly urge you to reconsider. I know that he'll work for you. He'll fight for you, and he'll stand up for you every single day in the White House," Clinton said, calling Obama "a leader who invests in our future."

As Senator Clinton spoke from a podium, Senator Obama sat next to her on a stool, coatless with his white shirt sleeves rolled up. His comments were equally warm when it was his turn to speak. "For 16 months, Senator Clinton and I have shared the stage as rivals for the nomination, but today I could not be happier and more honored and more moved that we're sharing this stage as allies to bring about the fundamental changes that this country so desperately needs," Obama said. "Hillary and I may have started with separate goals in this campaign, but we made history together. I’ve admired her as a leader, I've learned from her as a candidate. She rocks. She rocks. That's the point I'm trying to make," Obama said in response to cheers from the crowd.