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Senator Obama secured enough delegate votes to bring him
to the coveted 2,118 required to secure the Democratic bid.
After she refused to drop out of the race on June 3, Clinton,
under pressure from other Democrats, suspended her campaign
and endorsed Obama during a speech at the National Building
Museum in Washington, D.C.
"I understand that we all know that this has been a
tough fight, but the Democratic party is a family and now
it's time to restore the ties that bind us together,"
she told cheering supporters.
A tight and historic race
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The long primary race was one of the tightest in recent
history, with Obama and Clinton drawing different support
from different groups within the Democratic Party. |
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Obama and Clinton fought
what is considered the tightest Democratic primary race in the
modern era, with each candidate appealing to distinct voter
groups. Clinton appealed to many white, working-class voters,
women and Latinos while Obama appealed to many new, young voters
and African Americans.
Obama praised Clinton in his victory speech.
"She has made history not just because she's a woman
who has done what no woman has done before, but because she
is a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength,
her courage and her commitment to the causes that brought
us here tonight," he said.
In her concession speech, Hillary Clinton had words of encouragement
for those who wanted her to be the first female president.
"You can be so proud that from now on it will be unremarkable
for a woman to win primary-state victories," Clinton
said. "The path will be a little easier next time...
that has always been the history of progress."
"Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest
glass ceiling, thanks to you it's got about 18 million cracks
in it and the light is shining through like never before,"
she said.
Uniting the Democratic Party
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Clinton did not immediately drop out of the race, but
later endorsed Obama and suspended her campaign. |
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Political analysts agree
that Obama will need the support of Clinton to unite the Democratic
Party following the long and divisive nomination run.
"If Senator Clinton goes out and actively campaigns
for Barack Obama, especially in places like Ohio, Michigan
and Florida, I think she can really help him there,"
Chris Cillizza of the WashingtonPost.com told the NewsHour.
"These voters who are with Senator Clinton have a lot
more in common ideologically and values-wise with Senator
Obama than they do with Senator McCain. And to remind them
of that is a very powerful message."
A Republican challenger
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The presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain, says
Barack Obama is inexperienced and naive. |
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Obama used his speech
Tuesday night as an opportunity to challenge Senator John McCain
of Arizona, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
“There are many words to describe John McCain’s
attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush’s policies
as bipartisan and new,” Obama said. “But ‘change’
is not one of them.”
Earlier in the evening, Senator McCain addressed a smaller
crowd in Louisiana, outside New Orleans, stressing that he
is the better, more experienced candidate for the presidency.
“He [Obama] is an impressive man, who makes a great
first impression. But he hasn’t been willing to make
the tough calls, to challenge his party, to risk criticism
from his supporters to bring real change to Washington. I
have,” McCain said.
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