UNITY, N.H. — Sen. Barack Obama wanted a symbolic beginning for his alliance with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and he achieved it Friday when the former rivals spoke here together at an afternoon rally designed to unite Democrats.
Besides the message its name sent, the town of Unity also had the distinction of splitting its votes evenly in New Hampshire’s presidential primary, with Clinton and Obama each picking up 107 votes. It also served as a carefully chosen backdrop for transitioning the former first lady into a substantial role in the Obama campaign.
“I know what we start here in this field in Unity will end on the steps of the Capitol when Barack Obama takes the oath of office as our next president,” Clinton said, speaking to a crowd of 4,000 outside Unity Elementary School on a steamy day.
“I don’t think it’s at all unknown among this audience that this was a hard-fought primary campaign,” she continued. “But today and every day going forward, we stand shoulder to shoulder for the ideals we share, the values we cherish and the country we love.”
Neither side expects major problems in melding the two operations, but after the party’s closest nominating contest in modern history, there is no expectation that it will happen overnight. The emotions from the primary fight remain raw for some Clinton supporters, but Obama advisers were encouraged by Friday’s first step.
“I think they stand in a pretty good place,” said senior adviser David Axelrod.
Taking his turn at the lectern after Clinton introduced him, Obama was effusive in his praise for her. “As someone who took the same historic journey as Sen. Clinton, who watched her campaign and debate, I know firsthand how good she is, how tough she is, how passionate she is, how committed she is to the causes that brought all of us here today.”
Soothing Clinton’s backers
Clinton’s first order of business will be soothing her disappointed and even angry supporters, including many women who regard Obama as an upstart who denied the country its first female president. Clinton could help boost Obama’s support among women, whose backing will be crucial to his prospects in November.
In Unity, she vouched for the rival she had sparred with for 18 months.
“I know Sen. Obama. I’ve served with him in the Senate for four years. I’ve campaigned with and against him for lots of months,” she told the crowd. “So I’ve had a front-row seat to his candidacy. And I’ve seen his strength and his determination, his grace and his grit.”
But even in Unity, some Clinton backers were not ready to let go.
“We want Hillary!” a handful of fans shouted as she spoke. “It’s over!” a voice yelled back.
“We cannot let this moment slip away,” Clinton pressed on. “For anyone who voted for me and who is now considering not voting, or voting for Sen. McCain, I strongly urge you to reconsider. I urge you to remember what we are standing for in this election.”
Help on economic matters
Obama advisers also view Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, as having a unique ability to speak to voters for whom the economy is a chief concern. That was a weakness for Obama in the primary campaign and an area in which his campaign would welcome help from the Clintons.
Stitching the Democratic Party back together after the grueling primary campaign is one of Obama’s top priorities, and his advisers expressed optimism that Clinton has shown no reluctance to help make that happen.
If Obama is able to fully consolidate the Democratic vote, he will make it much harder for his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, to win the presidency, because many more Americans currently identify with the Democratic Party rather than the GOP.
In recent weeks, Obama has made a point of speaking fondly of both Clintons, and he struck a similar note in Unity. “I know how much we need both Bill and Hillary Clinton as a party and as a country in the months and years to come. They have done so much great work,” he said. “We need them. We need them badly.”
One Clinton voter who was not impressed was Carmella Lewis, a Clinton delegate from Denver. Lewis traveled to Unity to see her candidate one last time and jeered throughout the event, while waving an autographed Clinton campaign sign.
At one point while Obama was speaking, she plugged her ears with tissue paper.
“I can’t stand him,” she said. “I’m either not voting, or I’m voting for John McCain.”
