Obama's "Hope with Political Will"

The talk of Barack Obama's campaign has been "hope." Voters' belief in hope has been the driving force behind his grassroots efforts, and his opponents have criticized him for the hopeful optimism.

Today, Obama addressed a packed auditorium at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. He addressed the issue and touts "hope with political will." The crowd cheered.

Is this campaign theme going to work? The Des Moines Register's latest poll numbers suggest that it will. If it does and Obama wins Thursday in Iowa, he will be on a springboard to the Democratic nomination. And he will already have made history with the success of his grassroots movement - in terms of fundraising and caucus turnout.

It is an interesting aspect of his campaign especially in comparision to Hillary's. I was amazed at the difference in atmospheres between Hillary's New Year's Eve event and Obama's New Year's Day event.

The crowds were immensely different. Hillary was an older, seemingly more sophisticated crowd. Obama's crowd was younger and more energetic. Based on atmosphere, one would think the candidates were aligned with different parties. Upon arrival at Roosevelt High School, everyone was handed a yellow card with information about how to locate your precinct if you were a first time caucus-goer. Campaign volunteers also requested contact information from every supporter so that they can better facilitate Thursday night's caucuses.

If Obama wins in Iowa, it will surely be an indication that Americans really are seeking drastic change and that Obama's "hope with political will" is believable.