With the day time talk show queen in tow, the Obama campaign expects mammoth attendance this weekend as the senator hits the campaign trail with Oprah Winfrey.
The duo is set to make two stops in Iowa this Saturday, then one in New Hampshire and South Carolina on Sunday -- just a few weeks before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses that will make or break presidential contenders.
Wrapping up the tour at Williams-Brice Stadium, South Carolina is expected to get the biggest number of attendees. CNN reports that people were already camping outside the senator's South Carolina office for tickets to the free public event.
"This event far exceeded our expectations," Obama spokesman Kevin Griffis told CNN. The demand for tickets in that state, they report, called the campaign to move the event from an 18,000 seat arena to the 80,000 seat stadium.
In Iowa, the Obama campaign has cleverly made the Oprah appearance into what CNN has called a “valuable organizing and recruiting” tactic – much sought after tickets to the event will be earned though either volunteering four hours of time to the campaign or providing personal information.
In September Oprah helped raise $3 million for Obama at a California fund raiser, her support already paying off. Political analysts doubt whether Winfrey's presence can sway voters significantly but say it could give the Illinois senator the media attention he needs for a strong showing in the caucuses.
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