Obama's last campaign rally as big as NTR's

MANASSAS (VIRGINIA): As we ��� your correspondent and a colleague ��� huffed our way to the fairground at Manassas, Obama's last campaign stop on a cold night with a throng of thousands whose excitement warmed us, we recalled the many thrilling elections in India we had covered ��� NTR���s magical chaitanya ratham victory in 1983, Rajiv Gandhi���s post-assassination (of Mrs Gandhi) sweep in 1984, among others. In terms of passion, energy and excitement, this was the closest we had seen to that.

Americans are not big on political rallies of the kind we have in India. Distances are long ��� seldom walkable ��� and there are factors like work and school the next day that inhibit people from going to late night events. Most people prefer to put their feet up in front of a television to watch and hear the candidates. The four US elections this correspondent has covered have all been fairly sanitized from the heat and dust or the rough and tumble, that is typical of election campaigns in India.

By the time we reached the county fairground, some 80,000 people had packed into the arena. "They had started coming in at 5pm as soon as the ground opened", a local fireman said. He had never seen anything like it. The media enclosure was packed with hundreds of journalists and interlopers, some with their wards. "We are waiting for our mom," two young girls were wailing to a security guard. "She is stuck in traffic two miles away and we got down and ran."

Barack Obama arrived close to 10.30pm, He clearly looked exhausted and subdued ��� probably on account of the death of his grandmother a few hours earlier ��� and his energy levels were low. But a rapturous crowd responded with gusto to his exhortation of ������Virginia , your choice can change the world tomorrow������ ��� with Yes we can! Yes we can!

After seeing the rally ��� and there have been several of the same size and passion in other cities such as Denver and St.Louis ��� it is hard to imagine Barack Obama losing this election . We could be wrong.

But after witnessing several rallies of both parties, yet another bout of Obamania, and five hours in traffic on a Monday night, at least two correspondents doubt it very much.