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September 27, Barack Obama rally at Washington Square Park (Andrea Bernstein/WNYC)

NEW YORK, NY September 28, 2007 —Senator Barack Obama filled Washington Square Park last night. It was a rally designed to ratchet up his campaign in Senator Hillary Clinton's adopted home state. WNYC's Andrea Bernstein reports.

Listen to Obama's speech

REPORTER: Thousands in the mostly young crowd waited for hours to get past the barriers set up by the Secret Service, until authorities made the decision just to let every one in rather than delay the rally further. When he finally took the stage, a shirt-sleeved Obama, silhouetted before the Washington Square arch under a darkening sky, did not disappoint.

OBAMA: They've got to have a leader in the White House who's willing to feed them hope and reason and tolerance instead of fear and conflict and division and that is why I am running for the presidency of the United States of America.

REPORTER: The Obama campaign believes the raw energy it elicited at the rally can help it make significant inroads into Clinton's support in New York. With far more delegates at stake in New York than New Hampshire, even a loss in New York could boost Obama's campaign. For WNYC, I'm Andrea Bernstein.