Clinton Makes Last Pitch For Unity; Suspends Voice Vote To Nominate Obama

Denver, CO (AHN) - Democrats have officially nominated Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) for president of the United States on Wednesday after a state-by-state roll call vote that was suspended by a motion from former rival Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) asking for a simple vote by acclamation.

The roll call vote had observers worried that some delegates supportive of Clinton might take hold of proceedings turned out to be a highly orchestrated, and emotional, event. Delegates cast their votes early Wednesday, and balloting was held at the Pepsi Center after the convention was called to order.

Democratic National Committee Secretary Alice Travis Germond called the roll of states starting alphabetically with Alabama. Balloting was halted when New York's delegates came to announce their votes, amid cheers as Clinton made her way through the crowd to join her home state.

"Let's declare together with one voice right here, right now that Barack Obama will be our next president," Clinton said before moving to suspend the vote and nominating Obama by acclamation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who presided over the proceedings, asked Obama to give his response to the nomination on Thursday, following procedure.

It was widely reported that the roll call would be halted at some point, and that Obama would be nominated by voice vote, but it was unclear if Clinton would attend the nomination process. Her appearance may prove to be much more of a "catharsis" for Democrats, some who were either tearful, joyous or stunned at what is officially her exit from the campaign.

Two nominating speeches were made, each for Clinton and Obama, before the vote. A female Hispanic delegate, Dolores Huerta, gave the one for Clinton, reflecting the New York senator's overwhelming support among Latino voters. Obama, characteristic of his message of change and post-partisanship, was nominated by a "registered and lifelong Republican," Mike Wilson, an Iraq War veteran.

Clinton isn't the first woman to be part of a presidential nomination process in U.S. history, but the 18 million votes she earned during the primary campaign is the highest ever in election history for a woman. Her historic primary campaign is even more significant because of the 88th anniversary of the Declaration of 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote.

Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to become a presidential candidate when the Equal Rights Party nominated her in 1872. Margaret Chase Smith, a Republican senator from Maine, was the first woman to be included in a presidential ballot of a major party in 1964.