DENVER, Colorado (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton introduced herself as a “proud supporter of Barack Obama” at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday as she called on her party to rally behind her former rival.
“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. This is a fight for the future. And it’s a fight we must win together,” she said.
Clinton’s speech was expected to be one of the key elements of the four-day convention. The New York senator competed against Obama in the longest primary season in modern history.
She suspended her campaign in early June and endorsed Obama, but some of her supporters have been hesitant to move into Obama’s camp, saying they are going to not vote at all or vote for John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.
“No way. No how. No McCain. Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president,” Clinton said. Her speech, which was the last of the night, followed a line up of other Democrats who used their time at the podium to attack President Bush’s record and McCain’s policies.
Clinton thanked her voters for supporting her historic campaign as a female candidate and reached out to those wary of Obama by telling them they weren’t in this for her, but for her cause. That cause, she said, is the same thing that Obama and the rest of the Democratic Party are fighting for.
Appearing strong and energized — and at times jovial — Clinton seemed to end speculation that she has not fully embraced Obama as her party’s candidate.
Clinton mentioned Obama by name more than twice as many times as she mentioned the party as a whole.
“I thought she was a class act,” said political analyst David Gergen, who worked in the Clinton administration. “I think it could well be said that nothing has so become her campaign as the way she has ended it here tonight.” Read More.