Obama and Clinton present a united front

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and longtime primary rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) on Friday presented a united front and said they are determined to work together to retake the White House.

The much-hyped event in Unity, N.H., lived up to its billing as the two former opponents in the record-setting primary were all smiles toward each other.

{mosads}It is crucial for Obama to attract Clinton’s voters if he wants to beat Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). The former first lady was stronger than the Illinois senator with many important constituencies, such as women, working class whites and Hispanics. Obama has to be able to convince these groups that he is as much their candidate as Clinton was and he needs her to make this case for him.

She addressed the crowd first in the small town, where both candidates received the same number of votes in the January primary.

“I am here today to ensure that, come November, New Hampshire will have a special place in Barack’s heart,” Clinton said.

She noted that this was a “hard-fought primary campaign” and that the two had “gone toe to toe.”

“But today, and every day going forward, we stand shoulder to shoulder,” Clinton said with Obama by her side.

The former first lady stated that she was “proud and privileged” to help unite all Democrats and combine them into “an unstoppable force.”

“Republicans may have wished that we wouldn’t stand united,” Clinton said. “But I got news for them. We are one party and we are on America.” She added that Democrats would not rest until they retook the White House and returned the country to a path of prosperity.

During her remarks, Obama led a “Hillary, Hillary” chant. Also, when she said that she had been in politics for four decades, Obama said “It can’t be more than two,” generating laughter from the crowd.

Clinton “strongly urged” her supporters to not stay home in November or vote for McCain.

She stated that Bush and McCain are two sides of the same coin, adding that this “doesn’t amount to a whole lot of change.”

Obama praised Clinton in his remarks.

“Thank you, Hillary Clinton,” he said, adding he could not be happier and more moved to share the stage with her.

“I have admired her as a leader, I have learned from her as a candidate,” he said. When an audience member interjected “she rocks” into his remarks, Obama stated: “She rocks, that’s the point I’m trying to make.”