Obama Shows Confidence in Iowa Sprint

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Obama Shows Confidence in Iowa Sprint
By JEFF ZELENY
Published: December 16, 2007

WATERLOO, Iowa — Senator Barack Obama is striving to seize on a moment of opportunity in the final weeks before the Iowa caucuses to challenge Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s long dominance of the Democratic field, even as he faces intensified questions about his vulnerabilities in a general election.

These days, he barely acknowledges Mrs. Clinton as he speaks to Iowa voters. But he finds himself at the center of a fusillade of criticism from his rivals, including a fresh assertion from former President Bill Clinton that electing Mr. Obama would be “rolling the dice” for America.

Addressing the shift in sentiment about his prospects of beating Mrs. Clinton in Iowa and holding her off in New Hampshire and other states that follow, Mr. Obama said in an interview: “A month ago, I was an idiot. This month, I’m a genius.”

The campaign of Mr. Obama, which slogged uncertainly through a period in the late summer and fall, alarming contributors who feared he might have missed his moment, is now brimming with confidence as he delivers a closing argument to Iowa voters. His speeches are noticeably crisper, his poise is more consistent and many supporters say they no longer must rely upon a leap of faith to envision him winning the nomination.

With one week remaining before the campaign pauses for Christmas, Mr. Obama is dashing through a 22-city tour from the Mississippi River in the east to the Missouri River in the west, rushing to lock in support before a holiday interlude. His organization is facing its greatest test yet: turning enthusiasm among many grass-roots Democrats into widespread support on Jan. 3 in precincts that will decide the outcome, particularly rural areas where his support remains uneven....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/us/politics/16obama.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin