Hillary Clinton ends historic race, strongly endorses Barack Obama
After being criticized for defiant comments earlier in the week, Clinton calls on her supporters to fight for Obama's election. 'The stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been,' she says.
WASHINGTON — Putting an end to her campaign to be the first woman president, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton today enthusiastically endorsed her rival, Sen. Barack Obama, praising his determination and calling on her supporters to fight for his election.
Criticized earlier in the week for failing to make a gracious exit, Clinton tried to send a different message today, finally saying what Obama backers have wanted to hear for weeks.
"Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been," Clinton said. "We have to work together. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure Sen. Obama is our next president. I hope and pray that all of you will join me in that effort."
Repeatedly throughout the speech, the New York senator highlighted the historic nature of her candidacy, the strongest run for the nomination of a major party by a female candidate. Making a reference to her vote total over the course of the campaign, Clinton said she hoped that she had made "18 million" cracks in the glass ceiling preventing women from becoming president. And she said she hoped she had made the path to the presidency a little easier for the next female candidate for president.
"You can so be proud that from now on it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories," Clinton said. "Unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee. Unremarkable to think a woman could be president of the United States. And that is truly remarkable, my friends."
Clinton said that she would fight to lower barriers that women still faced.
"Like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there. I want to build an America that embraces the potential of every last one of us," she said.
Clinton also, albeit briefly, acknowledged Obama's achievement in becoming the first black major party nominee for the presidency.
"Together Sen. Obama and I achieved milestones essential to our progress as a nation, part of our perpetual duty to form a more perfect union," Clinton said.
Several thousand people crowded into the National Building Museum in Washington to hear Clinton end her candidacy. While she seemed excited and happy delivering her speech, it was clearly a bittersweet moment.
"Well, this isn't exactly the party I planned," Clinton said to open her remarks, "but I sure like the company."
