Sen. Barack Obama rallied supporters in Minneapolis on Saturday, three days before Minnesota's first ever Feb. 5 Super Tuesday caucuses.

The scene was one the Minnesota Timberwolves can only dream of these days: a packed Target Center crowd of nearly 20,000 on its feet and cheering with playoff-game intensity.

"Wow, this is a pretty good crowd," the candidate remarked as he took the stage around 4 p.m. "What a sight all of you are."

A scan of the diverse crowd showed supporters black and white, young and old, and plenty in between. Scattered in the sea were union caps, head scarves, even a stetson above one man's brow. The music was equally eclectic, ranging from funk and soul to punk and country, and then live music from local band Golden Smog to warm up the audience.

"That's a first," singer Jeff Tweedy quipped after "the wave" broke-out around the arena during one of their songs.

As the band played, many people were still passing through security and streaming toward their seats. Supporters waited in lines that snaked through the downtown skyways and outside went across the 7th Street bridge over Interstate 394. Tammy Sinkfield, a 47-year-old St. Paul nurse, had no regrets about waiting two hours to get in.

Obama spoke for close to an hour, explaining his vision for change regarding the war, the economy, education, and global warming among other issues. Each bullet-point was punctuated by applause and the wave of red and blue placards in the crowd. Obama also emphasized his desire to unite the country with hope instead of fear.

"We are not as divided as our politics suggest," Obama said.

The message, as well as his energy on stage, resonated with those who attended the rally.

Amee Xiong, a 23-year-old graduate student who volunteers for the campaign, said it was her first time seeing Obama speak in person, and it solidified her support for him.

"The way he talks about hope, it give me hope, too," Xiong said.

Dennis Tronstad, 65, a farmer from northwestern Minnesota who was among the first inside the arena, said he hasn't felt as strongly about a politician since John F. Kennedy.

"When you listened to Kennedy, you felt the same way when you hear this guy talk," Tronstad said.