Posted Aug 26, 2008
Sen. Hillary Clinton did more than bury the axe last night. She delivered an electrifying speech that gave a ringing endorsement of Barack Obama, encouraged the party to move beyond its internal discord and she cemented her position in the Democratic Party as one of its most influential powerbrokers and leaders.
“I'm here tonight as a proud mother,” she began her speech, “as a proud Democrat, as a proud senator from New York, a proud American and a proud supporter of Barack Obama.”
After a roaring, extended ovation with supporters screaming “We Love You Hillary,”the senator from New York urged the arena full of Democrats – many of her supporters crying - to throw their support behind Obama.
“I want you to ask yourselves,” she said in one particularly memorable moment. “Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage?”
Clinton’s voice was strong and full of emotion. Her words flowed unpracticed unlike at some moments in the primary when she seemed to be self-conscious and holding back a little. And her call to unity was sincere even though some say it was more about strengthening the party than praising Obama.
““Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose,”
She also stung the McCain camp with sharp criticisms, warning voters that they didn’t want “four more of the last eight years.”
“No way, no how, no McCain, she said.
Earlier in the day, about 1,000 of Hillary Clinton’s staunchest supporters, still unwilling to accept Sen. Obama’s win and unhappy that their candidate is not on the Democratic Party ticket, held a rally in downtown Denver.
While they rallied, Sen. Clinton attended a women’s event with other Democratic Party leaders, including Michelle Obama, with whom she had a brief backstage meeting.
“Wasn’t Michelle Obama terrific last night?” Clinton praised Sen. Obama’s wife.
Barack Obama, who watched Clinton speak from Billings, Montana, called Hillary and Bill Clinton after the speech to thank them.
“That was excellent,” he told reporters. “That was a strong speech.”
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