Barack Obama Makes Final Pitch in Boston

Obama, appearing in Boston right now alongside Deval Patrick, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, is giving his standard stump speech. But he is so confident and relaxed, he is absolutely at his best. The total package, stylistically, is far superior to Hillary Clinton’s appearance earlier today in Worcester.

“They did not want a politics based on p.r. and spin,” Obama said of voters. “They wanted straight talk.””I am here to report to you my bet has paid off, because the American people are ready for change.”

The atmosphere — and the speech — are very similar to what I saw in the days immediately leading up to the New Hampshire primary. Then, as now, it’s difficult to translate energy and excitement into votes. In New Hampshire, like many members of the press, I was misled by what I saw in Lebanon and in Manchester.

I wonder how much a relatively stolid event, such as the one where Richard Neal, the congressman from Springfield, stressed the Clinton’s contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland, and Jim McGovern promoted Hillary Clinton’s health care plan, will help to get out traditional voters versus the tremendous energy of the hooting, hollering, chanting, clapping youthful crowd of tonight.