E.J. Dionne’s column today ends:

One of the politicians who spoke before Obama at the rally, Delaware state Treasurer Jack Markell, cited the New Testament letter to the Hebrews in which St. Paul spoke of “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It was a revealing moment: While Clinton wages a campaign, Obama is preaching a revival.

That was certainly the impression my wife came away with, after attending last evening’s big Obama rally at the Hartford civic center–what with large numbers of people chanting “We Believe, We Believe.” She found it very exciting, and a little scary.