The Oprah Road Show

The Stevie Wonder song wasn't exactly seasonal. But his soundtrack of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"—blasted out on cue the moment Oprah Winfrey joined Barack and Michelle Obama to shake hands with fans (and supporters) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday night—carried its own very clear message. It may be early December, but it's time for the caucus candidates in this early-primary state to seal the deal.

Obama's senior strategists believe they—and the rest of the field—will soon lose voters' attention as the holiday season shuts down political life several days before Christmas. They say Iowans are already weary of phone and e-mail contact and may well react negatively if the intrusions continue through the festive period. With the student population ready to head home, this is the time to make their closing arguments.

And that was how Oprah hit the road with her candidate of choice, spending the weekend shuttling from Iowa on Saturday to South Carolina and New Hampshire on Sunday. Not everyone thought she'd be an asset. Some wondered if anyone cared about the political commentary of a daytime TV star. Others pointed to one poll that suggested she would lower support for a presidential candidate. And still others wondered out loud if Oprah would even be comfortable talking politics instead of books.

But several days before Oprah took the stage, it was clear that the speculation was misplaced. The volume of tickets flowing out of the Obama campaign offices suggested something exceptional. On day one, Oprah pulled in more than 28,000 people to two events in Iowa. In Columbia, S.C., another 30,000 showed up.

To put that into perspective, the Iowa crowds represent more than 20 percent of all the voters who showed up to the Democratic caucuses four years ago. It's four times as many voters who turned up for the Jefferson-Jackson dinner last month, which used to be called the biggest event in the state's Democratic politics. That's the kind of turnout that money just can't buy.

Oprah herself was more than ready to engage in politics—and confront the patronizing pundits with a touch of humor. "Despite all of the talk, all speculation and the hype," she began in Des Moines, "I understand the difference between a book club or a free refrigerator—that was a nice refrigerator—I understand the difference between that, and this critical moment in our nation's history."