Wow: Obama in St. Louis

By Michael J.W. Stickings

"All I can say is, wow," said Obama, standing in front of 100,000 people in St. Louis, under the Gateway Arch, a record crowd for his presidential campaign.

As the WSJ puts it: "To be sure, big crowds don't always signal a big turnout on Election Day. But Obama's ability to draw his largest audience yet in a typically red state that just weeks ago looked out of reach, could signal a changing electoral map."

The current RCP Average for Missouri is Obama +2.5. A recent CNN poll had McCain up by a single point, but most polls conducted this month have had Obama in the lead. The most recent poll, by Rasmussen, has him up by six points.

What else can one say about the excitement Obama is generating? (Contrast this with the vicious mob scenes at McCain-Palin rallies.)