By Steve Morris

Although Barack Obama may lack the organizational support the Clinton campaign has garnered in the state of New Jersey, 150 enthusiastic supporters of the Democratic presidential hopeful gathered in the Hackensack Civic Center Wednesday evening for a rally to get their troops ready to hit the ground hard in the last few days before New Jersey's presidential primary on February 5th. 

The Obama camp is gearing up for a massive grassroots get out the vote campaign, in an effort to grab as many delegates as they can in New Jersey's proportional primary contest.  Unlike winner take all primaries, proportional primaries award delegates relative to a candidates' share of the vote.

Although the event only drew about 150 people compared to the 1,500 at Hillary Clinton's Bergen County Democratic Organization rally last week, electricity filled the air as Rep. Steve Rothman, State Senator Loretta Weinberg, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson and others delivered rousing speeches to the Obama faithful. 

"There is not the level of enthusiasm amongst supporters of other candidates, of qualified enthusiasm, as there is for our candidate," said Rep. Steve Rothman.

Obama is counting on the unwavering resolve and conviction of his supporters to be the catalyst needed for a stronger than expected showing in New Jersey. "Remember every vote counts, we need every delegate. Every delegate counts," rally organizers repeatedly told supporters.

"I think Barack was the first person to talk about cleaning up our political environment and if we don't clean up our political environment we're not going to clean up anything else," said Senator Weinberg.

After the rally Obama campaign workers spent another 20 minutes signing up several dozen volunteers to get the vote out to Bergen County in the days leading up to Tuesday's primary.   

Other local elected officials present at the rally included Englewood Councilmen Jack Drakeford and Gordon Johnson, Jersey City Mayor Jeremiah Healy, North Arlington Councilman Al Granell, and Haledon Mayor Dominick Stampone.  Conspicuously absent was noted Obama supporter Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who was home sick with a stomach flu.