Game on for Obama the Barnstormer? (1) Political Power Bass: Presidential Hopeful Mike Huckabee (Left) Plays His Bass during an Appearance on Jay Leno's the Tonight Show (2) Front-Runners: Hillary Clinton (Far Left) Is Still Ahead in the Polls but Barack Obama, Seen above with His Wife Michelle at a Campaign Rally in Des Moines, Could Still Take the Lead

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Byline: DAVID COHEN

AT A PACKED church hall in Indianola, Iowa, where more than 900 peoplehave come to hear Barack Obama, Marilyn Piper cuts an unlikely figure. Drapedin pearls, her arms still goosebumped from the subzero temperatures outside,she wears a satin ivory wedding dress and clasps the tuxedoed arm of her groom,Dean.

"We came straight from our reception, in fact we cut it short a little to gethere on time," she says. "I've never voted in a caucus before but Obama reallyexcites me and even though today is my wedding day, I want to hear what he hasto say." Later she joins in the applause as Obama, 45, gives a barnstormingspeech and implores the crowd: "There is a moment in the life of everygeneration to make their mark in history and this is that moment. If you standwith me, we can take Iowa, we can win the Democratic nomination, we can win theNovember election, we can change America and we can change the world."First-time caucus-goers such as Marilyn are expected to make up half the votersat today's Iowa caucus and could hold the key to victory as the state kicks offthe closest presidential primary race in living memory. Late polls show thatObamaattempting to become America's first black presidentis favourite to win the Democrat nomination in this mid-western state, with onepoll putting him on 32 per cent over 25 per cent for Hillary Clinton and 24 percent for John Edwards. But with 40 per cent of voters saying they may stillchange their mind, anything can …