UNITY - The "Unite For Change" rally more than doubled the population of Unity yesterday as 40 school buses shuttled more than 4,000 people to the field behind Unity Elementary School.

"This is a real shot in the arm for Unity," said longtime resident Ken Hall, who is known as the unofficial mayor of Unity. "For something this big to happen here, we never would have believed it."

Hall introduced Sen. Barack Obama and former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to an enthusiastic crowd of supporters at the rally.

"I also have a little confession to make," Hall said. "I'm a lifelong Republican.''

The audience quieted down until Hall added, "I voted for Senator McCain in the this year's primary, but I may be part of this change!"

And with that, the audience erupted.

Campaign staffers for both Obama and Clinton said planning and logistics for yesterday's rally went smoothly, despite the venue's obstacles, which included country roads and no on-site parking. Aside from long bus rides to and from the rally -- either from Twin State Speedway in Claremont or Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury -- metal detectors, bag searches and police dogs awaited the throng that turned out. But few seemed to care.

"I'm feeling the love," said Lisa Campbell, a massage therapist from Claremont and a former Clinton supporter. "We're unified, no doubt about it."

Campbell said the transition from supporting Clinton to supporting Obama was tough for the first few days, but when it came to deciding between Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, the choice was easy.

"I have the utmost respect for McCain as a hero and all that stuff, but I don't want him as my President," she said. "He's afraid to buck the party line. Obama's not afraid."

Unity, population about 1,700, was selected as the site of the rally because of its symbolic name and because Obama and Clinton each received 107 votes there in the primary election.

"Now, we look at them as 214 votes for change," Obama said during his speech.

The rally felt a bit like a country fair, but with a more serious tone. Voters purchased hamburgers and hotdogs from the local Kiwanis Club and mingled with friends and neighbors, and many bought Obama T-shirts after the event as they waited for shuttle buses to bring them back to their cars.

Alan Willard of Newport, an Obama supporter since the primary campaigns began, said he thought the rally achieved its goal of asserting unity among Democrats.

"People forget that if you can bring hope to anything, it's of enormous value," he said, "and that's what this campaign has done."

Willard said he gained more respect and admiration for Clinton because of her speech.

"I thought today was the first time the country was able to see the transcendent goodness of Hillary Clinton," he said.

Dozens of law enforcement officers and emergency personnel maintained crowd control and responded to at least six medical emergencies, said Mike Batista, a Sullivan County sheriff's deputy. Most of the medical calls were related to the heat, he said.

There were no criminal disturbances.

The public safety agencies staffing the event included the New Hampshire State Police, the New Hampshire National Guard, the Sullivan, Cheshire and Grafton county sheriff's departments, the Lempster Fire Department, two local ambulance services and several federal agencies.

By KRISTEN SENZ, Union Leader, June 28, 2008