Delayed But Gracious Clinton Exit Leaves Fractured Party

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's delayed yet ultimately generous exit from the presidential race Saturday starts the healing process for a divided Democratic Party, clearing the way for Sen. Barack Obama to begin reaching voters whom he has failed to attract -- and securing a future for Clinton in the party she still hopes to lead some day.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., conceded defeat, endorsing rival Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., but Democratic unity may be difficult to achieve after an often bitter and close race.

(AP Photo/J. David Ake)

But the somber faces that turned out to see Clinton end her campaign -- and the scattered boos that greeted her mentions of Obama's name -- suggested the lengths to which both Clinton and Obama must go to move beyond the battles of the longest primary season in history.

The Democratic Party is, as Clinton said, "a family," but it's more often resembled "The Simpsons" than "The Waltons."

To Sen. John McCain's delight, 2008 was no exception.

The primary campaign that formally ended with Clinton's suspension of her campaign cleaved the party in two -- dividing along lines of black and white, male and female, blue-collar and white-collar.

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In this history-making year, Clinton's challenge as she joins Obama on his quest -- whether or not she joins his ticket -- will be to subsume the personal piques of the just-ended campaign and convince her supporters to believe as strongly in him as they have in her.

"I ask all of you to join me in working as hard in working for Barack Obama as you have for me," Clinton said.

Clinton backers note with sadness and frustration that the candidate seemed to find her most effective voice too late.

When her humanity, her passion -- and, yes, even her femininity, her unique status as the first viable female candidate for president -- shone through, Clinton became an electoral force, winning contests long over the race was deemed to be over.

Saturday's speech was another strong, memorable performance. She did more than recognize Obama's victory -- she enthusiastically embraced his vision for the country, which, for Obama to be successful this fall, must be more than the sum of its policy parts.

"I am standing with Senator Obama to say, 'Yes we can,' " Clinton said.