Obama fever hits the Granite State:

W

hen Sen. Barack Obama takes to the stage in Manchester on Sunday afternoon, he will look out at a sell-out crowd of more than 1,500. Audience members will have traveled from 13 different states, including South Carolina and Virginia. Of the 150 journalists covering the event, a handful will be from as far away as Japan and Denmark.

"As we lead up to the presidential primary, it’s the biggest one so far," said Maurine Bowman, the director of sales and marketing for the Radisson Hotel, where Obama will speak.

If the response to Obama’s planned visit is any indication, he will enter the Granite State a political rock star. Thus far in the 2008 presidential primary process, Sunday’s event is unparalleled in size and national attention. Late Wednesday, the New Hampshire Democratic Party sold out of tickets for the event, which is standing-room only.

Speaking of libertarians (meaning here, my mom), they’ll find this video funny (although, in truth, so did I).  It’s called State Employees: