Obama, Clinton appear jointly for first time since end of primaries
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
UNITY, N.H. — Two fierce and sometimes spiteful rivals offered a schoolyard embrace Friday, standing in the same state where one had first blocked the other from what could have been a much quicker and less painful path to the Democratic presidential nomination.
Sen. Hillary Clinton praised the man she beat in January’s New Hampshire primary, triggering a prolonged primary fight that threatened to drain party unity and resources for November.
“We may have started on separate paths, but today our paths have merged. Today our hearts are set on the same destination for America,” Clinton said. “Today, we are coming together for the same goal: to elect Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.”
When it was his turn to speak, Obama joined the crowd in cheers of “Thank you, Hillary.”
Much remains unresolved about what role Clinton may play in Obama’s campaign, including whether she may have a spot on the ticket as a vice-presidential nominee, though the Obama camp has dropped hints it is looking at other candidates. A team of high-powered Washington attorneys is negotiating over such open questions as whether the Obama campaign will provide her staff and a private plane to campaign on his behalf, as well as how much help Obama will provide with her campaign debt.
But Clinton demonstrated she could adeptly shift from the starring role of candidate to a supporting one as surrogate and offered assurances she and former President Bill Clinton were ready to help on the campaign trail.
Obama’s and Clinton’s first joint public appearance was mostly about outward gestures, and the symbolism for the political couple was striking.
His baby-blue tie matched the color of her pantsuit. He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek when they met on the airport tarmac in Washington for the flight together up to New Hampshire. They embraced before the crowd, whispered in each other’s ear and worked the rope-line together.
The night before, in a private event at a Washington hotel, Clinton appeared together with Obama at a gathering of many of her top fundraisers to ask for their assistance with his campaign.