Obama and the Vital Center.

"'I don't think Oklahoma has seen this kind of enthusiasm for a Democrat since Bobby Kennedy,' marveled Lisa Pryor, chairwoman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, who is not endorsing a candidate...'He could be the first Democrat to win Oklahoma since LBJ.'" Is it SNL, his dance moves, or a certain je-ne-said-quoi? TIME surveys the Obama boom among Red Staters and Republicans, despite the fact that "Obama's voting record is the most liberal of any candidate, according to a National Journal analysis. Obama's score of 84.3% in the Journal's ratings formula, tops even that of Representative Dennis Kucinich, who was considered the most liberal Democratic presidential candidate in 2004."