As expected, Hillary Clinton suspended her presidential campaign this afternoon at an event in DC.
Hillary Rodham Clinton suspended her historic campaign for the presidency on Saturday, declaring her full support for Barack Obama.
“I endorse him and throw my full support behind him,” Clinton said.
Clinton urged her supporters to rally behind her ex-rival, a show of support Democrats hope will help heal a party fractured by a bitter battle for the presidential nomination.
Clinton’s support for her former rival seemed unequivocal. “The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion, our strength, and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States,” Clinton said to a fairly receptive audience.
She praised Obama for his “strength and determination,” “grace and grit,” urging all of her supporters to “work as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.” Clinton said, “I endorse him and throw my full support behind him.”
Clinton left no doubt about her desire to elect Obama president, insisting that his path and hers “have merged.” She added, “I am standing with Senator Obama to say, ‘Yes we can.'”
Clinton also talked quite eloquently, not only about what’s at stake, but about the historic success she’s had this year.
She talks about breaking barriers. “I was proud to be a woman but I was running because I thought I’d be the best president. But, but, but I am a woman and like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious, and I want to build an America that respects and embraces every last one of us.”
“We must make sure that women and men alike understand the struggles of their grandmothers and mothers and that women enjoy equal opportunities, equal pay and equal respect.”
“Let us resolve and work toward achieving some very simple propositions: there are no acceptable limits and there are no acceptable prejudices in the 21st century in our country.”
She added, “Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it.”
Clinton, towards the end, reiterated a point she’s raised before, vowing to “work my heart out” to elect a Democratic president, adding, “I hope and pray you’ll join me in that effort.”
If there was any doubt about the grace and class we’d see from her today, Hillary Clinton showed this afternoon what she’s really made of. I’ve been watching her for years, and this was as great as I’ve seen her, ending on a high note.
As codas for campaigns go, you can’t get much better than this one.