When Is Seeing Believing? (Obama Stadium Rallies Reach 20,000+)

[propol]

Sunday, February 03, 2008 4:21 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: 2008, Obama

From NBC http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/03/634673.aspx

Obama crowds of late are breathtakingly large, enthusiastic. The candidate is often speaking to a massive overflow crowd of people from a bullhorn. The standard crowd size now numbers in the several thousands. Covering him, it almost feels like that magically unreal time in the few days leading up to his Iowa win and when he road that victory into New Hampshire. The candidate was swept up in an air of inevitability, generating a palpable buzz that even thrilled the reporters who reported on him on a daily basis.

Just yesterday Obama drew a crowd of more than 14,000 people in Boise, Idaho -- not necessarily a liberal bastion. In Minneapolis later in the day more than 18,000 people rose to give Obama a standing ovation at the end of his speech, and in St. Louis 20,000 people stood in a cavernous indoor football stadium to hear him speak late on a Saturday night.

But what, if anything does it all mean? Is it a sign of the tremendous potential of an Obama candidacy? Is it simply that Democratic voters are more engaged and interested in this election than they ever have been before? Does a cheering crowd really translate into votes? Ironically, reporting on Obama everyday, traveling on the same plane that he does, being driven to events on a press bus as part of his motorcade leaves the reporters following him the poorest judges of what the sentiment of voters' really are.

For those of us in the bubble, seeing the crowds and then hearing the poll numbers presents a quandary -- is what you see the reality of what's happening on the ground?

Take for example the case of Boise, Idaho. Obama's crowd was loud and boisterous at 9 a.m. in the morning. The candidate joked when he took the stage, "I thought they said there weren't any Democrats in Idaho." Campaign aides claimed that it was the largest crowd that had ever gathered in the arena at Boise State University. It appeared like Idaho had suddenly turned bright blue.

So what does it all mean? Does an enthusiastic crowd in Boise mean that there is a potential movement for change that could hand Obama a decisive victory in a bright red state. Does it mean that like in other parts of the country Democratic turnout will spike? http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/03/634673.aspx

[featherman]

1. Dems won't win Idaho although Wood River County votes Dem and

Boise has been trending Dem. The eastern part of the state is seriously Mormon and rancher Republican. Upstate is Libertarian to put it nicely. But that's no reason to exclude Idaho Dems from the primary process. Glad Obama made the trip.

[jkshaw]

2. "Does an enthusiastic crowd in Boise

mean that there is a potential movement for change that could hand Obama a decisive victory in a bright red state. Does it mean that like in other parts of the country Democratic turnout will spike?"

One can only hope propol. This enthusiasm reminds me of the kind of reception Franklin Roosevelt had in 1932, the song, "Happy Days Are Here Again," all that, even though I was little more than a baby at that time and know about it mostly from reading everything I could find on the subject. Roosevelt did make a huge difference in this country, though he had to work hard to do it. I hope the excitement over Obama and all he stands for isn't a bubble that will burst. I hope it's all real. I'm counting on its being real.