With Super Tuesday finally upon us, Radar took a minute to check in with political reporters Nick Curran and Ray Gustini to find out what all's happening before the exit polls come tumbling in ...
Nick Curran: Can you feel the Super Tuesday excitement???
Ray Gustini: Palpable
NC: You're not crying or anything?
RG: No, I'm okay, I took a Xanax earlier, so I should be good for at least the first half of this conversation before the sobbing starts up again.
NC: So you're plugged into D circles right? What're you hearing? People getting really, really inspired by Obama?
RG: Very much so: We've discussed this before, but Democrats-of-a-certain-age simply cannot control themselves whenever they see a candidate or a platform that feels vaguely Kennedy-esque. And Obama has that, which is what has inspired a lot of these seasoned operatives to join up, and caught the imagination of baby boomer pols like Kerry, Dorgan, McCaskill, etc.
NC: Not being an Obama person, I find it all very fascinating. When I've seen him give speeches, people just get starry-eyed.
NC: Now even DeNiro's caught up in this swoon-fest?? Christ almighty.
RG: A lot of people have worked hard in the past week to get others to see Obama's support in D.C. circles as a referendum on the Clintons, but I think it's really more primal than that: He's captured the imagination of these people.
RG: De Niro, really?
NC: Yep.
RG: DeNiro probably just wants to hang out around Mrs. Obama. Heyo!