Clinton, Obama pledge unity at joint rally in New Hampshire

Declaring this election one of the most important in American history, Senator Hillary Clinton on Friday stood on stage with her former rival Barack Obama and pledged to do all she could to help elect him as president.

With Barack Obama seated by her side at an outdoor rally in Unity, New Hampshire, Clinton told the crowd that Obama was offering change and John McCain was offering more of the same.

It was the first time the two Democrats had campaigned together and Clinton used the occasion to lump McCain with the unpopular incumbent president. "In the end, Senator McCain and President Bush are like two sides of the same coin, and it doesn't amount to a whole lot of change," she said.

"If you like the direction America is going, then vote for Senator McCain because you'll definitely get more of the same. But if you think America needs a new course, a new direction, then vote for Obama and you will get the change that you and we need and deserve," she said.

The New York senator also spoke directly to her supporters who were angry and disappointed after her primary loss and encouraged them not to vote for McCain or refrain from voting. "I strongly urge you to reconsider," she said. "I urge you to remember who we are standing for in this election," Clinton said, adding that she was standing for single mothers, soldiers waiting months for medical care, and for people who have lost jobs and health care and can't afford gas or groceries and feel "invisible to this president."

"That's why I'm standing with Senator Obama today," Clinton said. Because I know he'll work for you, he'll fight for you, and he'll stand up for you every single day in the White House." 

For his part, Obama lavished praised on Clinton and promised that she would be a part of the nation's efforts to lift up the country and tackle tough issues such as health care reform.

The location for the event was chosen because both candidates received 107 votes in the town during the New Hampshire primary. The name of the town, Unity, also conveyed the message the Democrats wanted to communicate after a tough primary fight.

The Obama campaign is hoping to pull off a victory in New Hampshire in the fall. New Hampshire is considered a swing state and narrowly voted for John Kerry in 2004. The state also voted for Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996.