OBAMARAMA

The Washington Post reports today on the unprecedented size of the crowds at Sen. Obama’s campaign appearances — a phenomenon made all the more remarkable by how early in the election season it still is. The article underscores this success:

Obama is expecting huge turnout for rallies Friday in Austin, Texas, and Monday in Cleveland. More than 10,000 people have signed up on Obama’s Web site for free tickets to each event, according to the campaign.

That’s a larger turnout than President Bush usually gets and certainly more than Obama’s rivals in the 2008 campaign are pulling in.

It also quotes a South Carolina Democratic operative on perhaps the most important aspect of this high turnout — the sorts of people who are there:

“I think the crowds are indicative of people wanting a fresh face and wanting a leader who can bring America forward,” said Trav Robertson, an experienced South Carolina Democratic campaign operative who attended events for Obama and rival Hillary Rodham Clinton in the past week and hasn’t settled on a candidate to support. Robertson said both Clinton and Obama brought out packed and excited crowds, although Obama held his event in a larger setting and seemed to bring out more people he hadn’t seen around in politics before.

Finally, the article notes that the campaign’s challenge will be to maintain this momentum — though that will be made easier by the massive list of supporters the campaign is compiling with each event.

Not to mention the fact that people are deeply excited about Sen. Obama. In the end, high turnout is just a symptom of the inspiration Sen. Obama’s candidacy has ignited in voters ready for change, of how his message resonates with the disenchanted. As long as that’s the case, reporters and everyone else would be wise to expect Standing Room Only. If that.