Obama-Clinton joint appearance faces skeptics

By David Lightman - McClatchy Newspapers

UNITY, N.H. — Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton plan a show of unity in this tiny New Hampshire town Friday. But many in the crowd that will be watching them, as well as Democrats throughout this swing state, aren't yet ready to follow their lead.

Many echo the view of veteran Claremont political activist Ray Gagnon, who said ”this is a good first step,“ but he's still less than enthusiastic.

The former rivals will campaign at Unity Elementary School, their first joint public appearance since the Illinois senator clinched his party's nomination this month. They also were to appear together before a private gathering of Clinton fund-raisers in Washington on Thursday night.

Although the tone Friday will be relentlessly upbeat, underneath the cheers will be the still-raw emotions of Clinton backers, as well as the wait-and-see reservations of lots of Democrats still wanting to know more about Obama.

”I felt good about Hillary Clinton. I loved Bill Clinton. I thought he did a fantastic job,“ said Tammy Dowd, a secretary from Unity.

Her impression of Obama?

”Inexperience,“ she said.

Obama badly needs to win over wary voters, because New Hampshire is one of November's swing states. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry, a senator from next-door Massachusetts, won the state's four electoral votes with 50.2 percent, while in 2000, Republican George W. Bush carried it with 48 percent, the only Northeastern state he won.

Unity, population 1,715, made its own claim for bellwether status in this year's January primary, as Obama and Clinton tied there with 107 votes each.