Yepsen: Obama's Superb Speech Could Catapult His Bid

Starting Gate: Obama Wows 'Em In Iowa

The Barack Obama boomlet has apparently begun. The Illinois senator is getting rave reviews for his speech at the Iowa Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson dinner Saturday night.

Want the evidence? Here’s what Iowa's premier political handicapper, David Yepsen, had to say on his Des Moines Register blog about the speech: "It was one of the best of his campaign. The passion he showed should help him close the gap on Hillary Clinton by tipping some undecided caucus-goers his way. His oratory was moving and he successfully contrasted himself with the others - especially Clinton - without being snide or nasty about it. … Should he win the Iowa caucuses, Saturday’s dinner will be remembered as one of the turning points in his campaign in here."

Since Clinton stumbled in the last debate, there has been an air of anticipation surrounding Obama and John Edwards. Would one of them capitalize on the slip and begin to emerge as the alternative to Clinton's seeming march to the nomination? Sure, it's one event, one speech and plenty of road left before the January caucuses. And Obama faces big questions about his strategy. Although all accounts point to a strong organization in the state, it's not at all a slam-dunk that the campaign can harness its support among young and non-traditional caucus-goers, especially just two days after New Years.

Still, it's hard to miss the hype over Obama's candidacy lately. He's managed to be aggressive without being negative for now. Most importantly, his stepped up criticisms of Clinton looks to have answered questions about whether Obama has the mettle to go the distance. After being out-raised by Clinton in the third quarter of this year, and poll after poll outside of Iowa showing the New York Senator with a commanding lead, Obama's campaign appeared to stall. Now, he's reviving his pitch for change – not just in the party controlling the White House but a more fundamental brand.

"If we are really serious about winning this election, Democrats, then we can't live in fear of losing," Obama told Iowa Democrats. "This party, the party of Jefferson and Jackson and Roosevelt and Kennedy, has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people when we led not by polls but by principle, not by calculation but by conviction, when we summoned the entire nation to . . . a higher purpose."

Obama rose to national prominence based partly on his rhetorically soaring speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. For much of this year, he's not repeated that performance. If he can build on his speech this weekend, the Obama boomlet may yet turn into something resembling the movement his candidacy has promised.

more here: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/11/12/politics/horserace/entry3487283.shtml