Hillary Clinton ordered grieving supporters yesterday to unite behind Democratic nominee Barack Obama in an emotional final act to a White House quest that fell just short of history.
Senator Clinton, whose prime-time speech at the Democratic national convention was greeted with euphoria, said, ''Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose.
''We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines.''
Senator Clinton vowed to work for the election of the man who thwarted her presidential dreams and is set to make his own history by becoming the first black presidential nominee.
The former first lady milked a deafening ovation as the crowd, blanketed with signs bearing a stylised version of her ''Hillary'' signature, feted her almost as though she had won the exhausting primary fight.
She told thousands in the arena, and millions of her army of women and blue-collar voters watching on television, that despite their fierce primary duel, ''Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president.''
Wistfully, Senator Clinton looked back on the thousands of kilometres, and thousands of speeches and meetings, that made up her presidential campaign, which ended when Senator Obama clinched the nomination in June.
''You taught me so much, you made me laugh and ... you even made me cry. You allowed me to become part of your lives, and you became part of mine.''
Senator Obama watched her former rival's speech from Montana, and hailed her oration as an ''outstanding'' appeal for Democratic unity.
''That was excellent, that was a strong speech. She made the case for why we're going to be unified in November and why we're going to win this election.''
Senator Clinton lashed Republican John McCain as a ''twin'' of unpopular President George W.Bush, saying he stood for ''more war, less diplomacy''.
Senator Clinton, introduced by daughter Chelsea, said she had not spent the past ''35 years in the trenches'' to suffer more ''failed leadership'' from Republicans.
The New York senator also traced her place in history, noting that her mother had been born before women in America could vote and yet saw her granddaughter vote for a woman as president.
''This is the story of America, of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.''
Her speech was scrutinised for her willingness to heal the wounds of a primary campaign that split the Democratic Party in two and offered hope to Republicans in a tough year for the demoralised party.
But she gave her blessing to Senator Obama from the outset, providing valuable television pictures of an arena of cheering Democrats united after a compelling battle for the party's nomination.
The speech was the first of a one-two punch from the Clintons former president Bill Clinton will address the convention today after a barely disguised feud with the Obama campaign.
Senator Clinton's 18 million primary voters are crucial to Senator Obama, as his White House race with Senator McCain has tightened to a dead heat and the rivals are slugging out a desperate battle for swing states such as Ohio. Watched from the audience by her husband, Senator Clinton launched into a strong criticism of the candidacy of her ''friend'' Senator McCain.
''He has served our country with honour and courage,'' she said of the former Vietnam War prisoner.
''But we don't need four more years ... of the last eight years,'' she added, in an effort to saddle Senator McCain with the unpopular legacy of Mr Bush. AFP
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff