MELISSA BLOCK, Host:
And Michele, the Obama campaign has said it's going to come down to organization and turnout, but couldn't any campaign say just about the same thing?
MICHELE NORRIS: And tonight we'll see if that strategy pays off if we see more situations like the one Linda has just described where there were many first-time caucusgoers.
BLOCK: Now, Hillary Clinton has been banking on the support of women. Barack Obama is spending a lot of time of focusing on young people and trying to get college students to come back from break to caucus in Iowa, right?
NORRIS: Yes. And you know, it seems like that has worked at least anecdotally from what we've seen and heard here around Des Moines. We spoke to students who headed back to Iowa from Illinois and Kansas. One student is planning to caucus tonight at Drake, in the same room where he took his Biology 101 class. Overall, we found not just young people but a lot of the older people, people who've lived in the state for a long time who are planning to caucus for the first time or for the first time in years, Melissa.
BLOCK: And for Iowans, it's the end of a long, long campaign - beginning of a whole process for the rest of the country - but for Iowa, just about over. How do they feel about that?
NORRIS: Well, people are a bit worn down by all the calls, all the mailings, the pitches, and frankly, all of us, the giant press corps tromping all over the state. But they also take this process very seriously. We met one woman at a John Edwards rally, her name is Lee Olmstead(ph) and she took the time to actually get out and see all of the Democrats and almost all of the Republicans. She said it was important to hear the candidates, to ask them questions and to see them face to face. We should listen to her.
BLOCK: I wanted to hear their responses first and foremost but when I look them in the eye, I want to see where - how connected they were, if there was passion behind what they had to say, if there were - what I saw in their eyes is connected to what was in their hearts or if they were just reeling off figures they've been reeling off everywhere.
BLOCK: And where did she end up, Michele?
NORRIS: Well, Lee Olmstead, in the end, said she settled on Barack Obama but just, you know, last night, right before the eve of the - right on the eve of the caucus, she still wasn't - she wasn't absolutely sure, and she went to see John Edwards. You know, Melissa, all day long here, you would hear people greeting each other by saying happy caucus day like it was almost some sort of holiday. And after spending time here, I get the sense that people really are happy that it's caucus day but they're also happy that it's finally over.
BLOCK: Okay, Michele, thanks very much.
NORRIS: Thank you.
BLOCK: That's our co-host Michele Norris at Obama headquarters in Des Moines.