Obama draws massive crowd in Oregon

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Wow, indeed.

An estimated 75,000 people turned up at an Obama rally in Portland today, the largest Obama rally yet. And we're still finishing up the primaries. Just wait until the general election campaign.

(NYT's The Caucus has a few photos. For more photos, see Daily Kos here and here. For local reaction, some of it first-hand in the comments section, see Blue Oregon.)

Truly impressive.

There is concern, I know, about the extent of Obama's appeal among working-class whites and in certain swing states, but there is no denying that he has engaged the electorate in a profound way and that he has become a formidable political leader. He has inspired millions with a message of hope and change, and with the substance to back it up. Whatever the polls may be saying -- and it looks like he's up by a few points over McCain -- he has the force of history-in-the-making at his back.