"The Obamapalooza is a Once-In-a-Lifetime Spectacle"

It is not simply Obama's crowd numbers that dazzle, but also the fervor.

Many people, women in particular, are excited about the prospects of Clinton becoming the first female president. But many of Obama's listeners — black, white, young, old — seem almost in awe, and they often talk of being part of history.

Some shout "I love you" as he talks. A few quietly weep. When he takes the stage, the roar is often deafening.

Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat covered both candidates and tried to describe the difference. In a Feb. 9 article he said Clinton "was impressive" at her Seattle rally, "with a speech packed with policy specifics and a certain intangible steeliness that signals she's got what it takes to be president."

But "the Obamapalooza," he wrote, "is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle."

Obama crowds pack arenas 9 months before election — will they mean votes in November? International Herald Tribune February 15, 2008.