DENVER � It was the night the Democratic Party was looking forward to ... and dreading.
As some of the pledged delegates for New York Senator Hillary Clinton vocally expressed support for their campaigner of option during her prime-time speech Tuesday night (August 26) at the Democratic National Convention, others worried that the divisions between the Clinton bivouac and that of presumptive Democratic candidate Senator Barack Obama could send a message of disunity at a time when the party was trying to put on its most unified nerve for the world.
"Whether you voted for me, or you voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single role," said Senator Clinton during her rousing speech, during which the floor of the convention center was a sea of signs that aforesaid either "Hillary" or "Obama" on one side and "Unity" on the other. "We ar on the same team, and none of us can afford to sit down on the sidelines. This is a fight for the succeeding. And it's a fight we must win together.
"We were all very concerned to figure her reasons for encouraging Barack Obama, and so I think it's selfsame clear tonight that she was a strong courier that we have to change our country and that it's OK, even though we supported Hillary Clinton in the past times, to unite behind Barack Obama," said Hector Balderas, 34, an elected Clinton delegate wHO serves as the state auditor for New Mexico and is the youngest Hispanic statewide elected official in the country.
Speaking away the Pepsi Center just after the Clinton address, Balderas was joined by Conor Kennedy, 14, word of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose family, like Balderas', faced some internal squabbling o'er which Democratic candidate they were leaving to back in this election.
"Even though I can't vote, I'm trying my best to support Obama and get the logos out about how great he is and what an inspiration he's departure to be," said the preternaturally on-message Kennedy, world Health Organization was wear a dark blue suit, red tie and Vans. "I've met a caboodle of women who switched from Hillary to McCain just because they were upset, so I think it's truly, really crucial that she came here. It's a great thing. ... She had everyone on their feet clapping for her. It was an inspiring speech, and I think that it radius to everyone."
After the bitterly contested primary, Clinton unequivocally threw her support behind Obama on Tuesday night, even if, as Balderas noted, there was a bit of a beat and some grumbling among members of the delegation over which of the unity signs to take during the speech. Free of the bitterness that marked the campaign, Clinton called herself a "proud supporter of Barack Obama" during the 23-minute address and repeatedly stressed the importance of those wHO supported her lining up behind Obama to frustration presumptive Republican nominee John McCain.
"No way, no how, no McCain," she said.
Despite the obvious, intense emotion on the floor, Balderas said her message of unity in spades sunk in. "People were ... clinging to her every word in many ways," he aforementioned. "She place things in proper view. She clearly said that it wasn't about her, it was about the many Americans who ar suffering, the many Americans who want change in this country, and so I think that we've left a better and more united party." As a first-time delegate, Balderas said he's learned this week that people may not needs set aside their preferences in footing of candidates, but that they will unite in an feat to "improve our country."
While it may not have healed all wounds, Balderas said Wednesday was probable going to be a new clarence Day, with a focus on McCain's and Obama's policies and the plan to beat the Republican prospect in November. "It volition take us some time, but we will be a joined party, and because of both leaders, we're departure to be a stronger party and we'll feel that power in November."
Despite the schism in his family, Kennedy said, from the start "we all knew we had deuce really with child leaders here. Even when our family was divided, we were not the ones fashioning fun of each other for that choice," he said, smiling. "As long as we're not ballot McCain, I think we're all cool about that. We really got golden with ... Hillary and Obama this year. ... It's great that they've come together."
According to a recent New York Times poll, as many as half of Clinton's delegates were onboard with Obama as the party's find fault, but a portion of them, maybe more than 5 percent, were not planning to support Obama.
On Wednesday, Clinton plans to release all her delegates to the Obama cause, officially conclusion her bid for the presidency, though CNN reported that just now hours before the Clinton address, some supporters were still ominous to jumpstart ship and possibly support McCain.
In the Pepsi Center on Tuesday, Clinton's backers were not shy about voicing their opinions on buttons, hats and T-shirts bearing the New York senator's diagnose and likeness. During the speech, the hundreds of attendees world Health Organization could not get onto the floor for the address huddled around monitors and cheered as loudly as the crowd inside did for the clapping lines.
As late as Tuesday afternoon, it was still unclear what would befall during Wednesday's roll-call voter turnout. According to reports, there was a tentative deal in place that would let some states throw off their votes in the roll call before somebody, possibly Clinton, cut the vote off and asked for Obama to be nominated by unanimous consent. Before the speech, Clinton had non publicly instructed her delegates on how to right to vote, and the uncomfortable sub-rosa dance order some Clinton backers wHO feel Obama has not shown the former first base couple the proper respect on edge.
"It seems to be a little more than of a problem than I anticipated," former Democratic Party chair Don Fowler told The Associated Press on Tuesday before the speech. "All you penury is two hundred people in that crowd to hiss and stuff like that, and it will be replayed 900 times. And that's not what you want out of this."
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