Clinton Backers Try To Look Past Concerns

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli.

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Wendy Thomas showed up at Friday's rally in tiny Unity, N.H., wearing a Hillary pin.

And there was a good reason for that.

"I'm not supporting Obama," the Merrimack small business owner said. "I don't think he's vetted. I don't think he's experienced enough."

Malka Yaacobi, a musician from Cambridge, Massachusetts, said that she voted for Clinton in the primaries, and Obama still did not sit right with her.

"I will not say I'll vote for him," she said. " …I don't trust him and he doesn't have experience."

To the relief of Democrats worried that the long primary battle had polarized their party beyond repair, Thomas and Yaacobi appeared to be in the minority among the thousands of people who came out to the afternoon rally outside the Unity Elementary School, the first joint campaign appearance between the two brightest stars in the Democratic party since Hillary Clinton dropped out of the presidential race and threw her support behind Barack Obama.

Most of the former Clinton supporters asked said they would support the presumptive Democratic nominee - even if they have reservations.

"Would I prefer Hillary?" said Aimee Caruso, an editor from Lebanon. "Yes, but I'd be just as excited in a sense to see Obama." She said that she had come to see "how two people who battled, who danced a little bit, come together," and added that she took solace in the fact that Clinton would likely work with Obama if he became elected.

"It's always a team effort, right?," said Caruso.

"I'm with him," said Carol Bramblett, a retired onetime Clinton supporter from Ridge. She said that while she does have "maybe 1 percent reservations" about Obama, she was happy to have a Democratic nominee who "does have an inspirational quality we don't see in too many politicians."

Even some supporters of presumptive GOP nominee John McCain had kind words for the Democratic hopeful.

"I think it's a wonderful thing for the country to have Obama," said Ilya Mirman, a marketer and McCain supporter from Sudbury, Massachusetts. "I was rooting for him despite that I think he'd be a tougher candidate against the guy I'm supporting. He's a rock star."

Shauna White, a pre-school teacher from the town of Dublin, said she supported neither Obama nor Clinton in the primary. But she doesn't care for McCain, and had come to see if she might be persuaded to support the Illinois senator.

"I'm not 100 percent on board at this time, even though I have very strong reservations about McCain," she said.

The crowd responded enthusiastically to both candidates, who stood next to each other on stage in matching outfits - Clinton in a baby-blue suit and Obama in a similarly-hued tie. Clinton spoke first, urging anyone who had come to the rally and was considering not backing Obama to reconsider.

"We are one party, we are one America and we are not going to rest until we take back our country and put it once again on the path to peace, prosperity and progress in the 21st century,'' said Clinton.

She also joked about her sometimes contentious battle with Obama.

"I was proud that we had a spirited dialogue," the former first lady said, to laughter to the crowd. "That was the nicest way I could think of saying that."

At one point, an Obama chant rose up during Clinton's remarks; seemingly in response, a Hillary chant followed.

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More Coverage From Unity, N.H.:
Obama, Clinton Seek Unity In New Hampshire
Horserace Blog: Two Clinton Voters On Why They're Not On Board With Obama

Video: Clinton, Obama Head To Unity

Unity Prepares For Obama And Clinton

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The presumptive nominee opened his remarks with kind words for his formal rival, at one point simply noting, "she rocks."

"We need them, we need them badly," Obama said in reference to Clinton and her husband, adding, "that's how we're going to bring about unity in the Democratic Party."

Obama strategist David Axelrod said immediately after the rally that it might take time to bring some Clinton supporters over to his side.

"This has been a titanic struggle for the nomination, there is great passions here evoked on all sides," he said. "It's going to take some time, and some people won't be able to get passed it. I think most will."

Thomas, the Clinton supporter who said she would not support Obama, said she might reconsider if Clinton were added to the ticket.

"That's the only way that I would definitely say that I might vote for him," she said.

Peggy Belmonte stood in the back of the crowd holding a homemade sign reading "Obama/Hillary, Perfect Pair." She shouted "Hillary V.P.!" during Clinton's speech. But Belmonte said she would support Obama even if he didn't put Clinton on the ticket.

"I have to," she said.

And that response may sum up the attitude of most of the former Clinton voters who showed up in Unity, many of whom expressed a strong desire to move on from eight years of Republican leadership.

"I knew I liked Obama enough to go with him," said Bramblett, who acknowledged that she did have at least a moment of hesitation when Obama became the presumptive nominee. "You just can't switch buttons that easily, right?"

CBSNews.com political reporter Scott Conroy contributed to this story.
By Brian Montopoli

[zerato-2009]

"zerato
I wish i had your convictions about obama. I listen to what he says and like it but i just do not trusty the man. I no longer trust Hillary since she is backing him. Maybe this is part of her agenda to become president. I am only worried now about what is gong to happen to our country in the next fre years."
Posted by patriot12436

Trust has nothing to do with it. Clinotn and obama are political animals. Political animal always do what they do for political survival. Obama, if elected has to follow through on his main ssues the war and health care. Clinotn had to endorse obama because she would be blamed for obama''s loss in november. So trust has nothing to do with it, just political survival.

[jack3213]

There is never going to be "one Party" so better get into reality and realize the best the USA can succeed at is both parties working together. Obama & Clinton want ONE party- and that is just not reality. Working over the ailes and compromising is the key to accomplished iussues. McCain knows what that means.

[terrorislami]

YOU DO NOT LIKE THE USA IN THE MIDDLE EAST,,,

BLAME THE DEMONIC-RATS,,,

THE DEMONIC-RAT DOCTRINE,,,

On February 16, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said the "the defense of Saudi Arabia is vital to the defense of the United States." On February 14, 1945, while returning from the Yalta Conference, Roosevelt met with King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia on the Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal, the first time a U.S. president had visited the Persian Gulf region.

The Carter Doctrine was a policy proclaimed by President of the United States Jimmy Carter in his State of the Union Address on 23 January 1980, which stated that the United States would use military force if necessary to defend its national interests in the Persian Gulf region. The doctrine was a response to the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, and was intended to deter the Soviet Union%u2014the Cold War adversary of the United States%u2014from seeking hegemony in the Persian Gulf. After stating that Soviet troops in Afghanistan posed "a grave threat to the free movement of Middle East oil," Carter proclaimed:

Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force. (full speech)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_Doctrine

[terrorislami]

FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM IS THE PROBLEM,,,

DEMONIC-RAT HUSSEIN IS NOT THE SOLUTION,,,

[patriot12436]

McVet
I agree i do not want 8 more years of the same. I do not think our country can withstand 4 more years. I do not want McCain. Howevr i have not changed my position on obama. I still do not trust the man. I still hope if he is elected i am wrong. If not then our country is doomed.

[patriot12436]

zerato
I wish i had your convictions about obama. I listen to what he says and like it but i just do not trusty the man. I no longer trust Hillary since she is backing him. Maybe this is part of her agenda to become president. I am only worried now about what is gong to happen to our country in the next fre years.

[poppykock1]

dont talk about hillary she is 10 times better than that sand ***. he does need us clinton supporters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jedi080808]

Obama doesn''t need Hillary or the ten percent of her supporters who wont support him because they blame sexism instead of their flawed canidate.

They say that doing simple math means you were sexist. Give me a beak Hillary''s time is done. IT is a great day for American that they CLinton era is finally over!!!

[jedi080808]

Obama doesn''t need Hillary or the ten percent of her supporters who wont support him because they blame sexism instead of their flawed canidate.

They say that doing simple math means you were sexist. Give me a beak Hillary''s time is done. IT is a great day for American that they CLinton era is finally over!!!

[shippg-2009]

%u201CI was proud that we had a spirited dialogue,%u201D the former first lady said, to laughter to the crowd. %u201CThat was the nicest way I could think of saying that.%u201D

That is something the winner has the right to say, not the loser.

It turns out that Hillary and her people threatened superdelegates and big Dem donors that "they would be paid back big time" if they did not support her (meaning they would be "toast" when she became president). Then last week they (the Hillary people) begged Obama to have his people (and the superdelegates and big Dem donors) give lots of money to Hillary to pay off her debt. They were HORRIFIED that Hillary had the nerve to ask, after making those awful threats.

And people say she is the one who can be trusted. Wait until all the truth comes out about what a wench she is.