Obama supporters rally in Palmer Square

Obama supporter Hannah of Princeton

Obama troops took to the streets in Princeton on Tuesday night, rallying at Palmer Square in support of the Illinois senator who is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, but who trails frontrunner Hillary Clinton by over 30 percentage points in a Quinnipiac University poll of New Jersey voters released last month.

The Obama backers here didn’t appear to care about the poll numbers.

"I never participated in any way before reading Obama’s books," said Phil Blackwood, an engineer from Lincroft who was passing out Obama ’08 stickers among the crowd of over 100 people. "I’ve been busy campaigning for him. Before this event, I walked around Princeton for two hours."

Blackwood said Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton became active in community service after their presidencies. What draws him to Obama is the candidate’s prior record as a community organizer in Chicago.

But for a lot of people here, the most important aspect of Obama’s candidacy remains his out-of-the-gate opposition to the Iraq War in 2002.

"This is a candidate who had the internal fortitude to stand up when most would not, and say that this war is wrong," Keith Hovey, chief coordinator of the grassroots organization, NJ for Obama, told the cheering crowd.

"You get the government you deserve, and we’ve been sitting on the sideline for too long," Hovey added.

Afton Hassett of Princeton, said the war factor for her is the deciding factor. "I just think Obama had the best judgement with regard to the Iraq War," said Hassett, whose Rhodesian Ridgeback, Hannah, sported an Obama ’08 button.