Obama swept primaries in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia yesterday. Uncle Jimbo reports on a large Obama rally in Madison. Meanwhile, Megan McArdle asks a good question:
I’m watching his speech now, and it’s inspiring. But it’s also saddening, because deep down, I don’t believe that Obama is going to change Washington, eliminate lobbying, etc. I wish he wouldn’t tell me things that I can’t possibly believe–and moreover that I can’t really understand anyone believing. He might be the best president; he might even make Washington work a little better, though I kind of doubt it. But he isn’t going to transform American politics in the utopian way his speech implies. No one who has dried out behind the ears could reasonably believe that he has this power. So why is he saying he does?
My exposure to Obama has mostly been through the debates, where his performance left me underwhelmed. Dean Barnett offers some insight into that; Obama unplugged iusn’t actually very impressive.
Shorn of his Teleprompter, we saw a different Obama. His delivery was halting and unsure. He looked down at his obviously copious notes every few seconds throughout the speech. Unlike the typical Obama oration where the words flow with unparalleled fluidity, he stumbled over his phrasing repeatedly.
So—who’s writing his speeches?
The View from Alexandria 
Obama writes a lot of his speeches himself. Anybody who has seen him in a townhall setting answering tough questions from voters knows he’s the best policy wonk Dems have had since Bill Clinton and quite possibly is better.