Obamessiah watch: "tent revival frenzy"; Rapture imminent (UPDATE)

Now this is cold, hard, objective reporting on the campaign trail from the San Jose Mercury-News, the least insane Bay Area paper. (Bolding is mine; I've corrected the Merc's frequent run-together words):

Obama inspires crowd with excitement, hope

By Julia Prodis Sulek
Mercury News
Article Launched: 06/12/2007 11:23:43 PM PDT

A twirling disco ball at a San Francisco nightclub cast fuschia diamonds of light on the starched white collar of presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday night as he whipped up a crowd of nearly 1,000 mostly young professionals into a tent revival frenzy.

To a deafening roar of whoops and applause, theDemocratic senator from Illinois strode back and forth across the stage telling the standing crowd packed onto the dance floor and filling the balconies that "people are hungry for change."

"That's right!" scattered voices called back to him

...

If Barack Obama wanted to fire up a crowd of young educated voters Tuesday night on his "Generation Barack Obama" tour, one need look no further than Elisabeth Voigt - a 29-year-old San Francisco lawyer who jumped up and down after she shook his hand.

Or Angelica Jongco, another lawyer, who said, "I feel like I'm part of something," after Obama grabbed her outstretched hand and shook it.

"We believe in you!" she told him.

"I feel inspired," she said. "I think I'm someone that can be cynical, but I do believe he will follow through on his promises - and he represents a choice that is different and inclusive in the way no one else is."

Sandeep Sood, 30, who lives in Berkeley and runs a software company, said after Obama's 8:30 p.m. rally that he felt like "you're in a church and everyone's going crazy."

"He's the first politician who speaks to our generation," Sood said. "I'm not really political, but I'm really inspired by the guy."

...

"I am so glad to be in San Francisco with so many progressive folks who want to see a change in this country," he said to the well-dressed crowd swirling martinis and raising up their cell phones to snap pictures.

Obama said he is often accused of being a "hope-monger."

"I tell 'em, I say, `I believe in this country. I believe in its possiblities.' "

But, he said he can't make changes by himself."No you can't!" cried out a woman from the balcony. "There's got to be a grassroots movements pushing it in the direction of change," he said.

"Once in a generation, a window opens. If we make that effort somehow America is made anew," he said to growing applause. "If you will be there with me!"

Call your friends, he said. E-mail them.

"Make this campaign a vehicle for your hopes and dreams!"

The crowd surged forward as he stepped onto the dancefloor to shake hands for another 10 minutes.

"I feel he's taking us with him" said Kate Botham,30, a second-year law student. "He wants us to be part of the change. It's not just him, it's cool."

As the crowd filtered out, the DJ's music spilled out of the lobby and onto Mason street.

It was an old Stevie Wonder hit, "I'll be loving you all the way."

Julia Prodis Sulek: get a room, honey. I don't need to see that.

UPDATE: Oh, looks like she filed a video report too. It's a little more objective and restrained.