People nodding their heads? Exclaiming “Yeah”? Pumping their fists at a Kerry rally? Yes, indeed. Turns out that everything the media has been reporting about Kerry’s improvement on the stump over the last four weeks or so is true. He had a pumped-up crowd of three or four hundred people at the Elk Lodge this afternoon in Laconia. He inspired them, connected with questioners, and altogether made a very strong case for his candidacy.

I’m not sure why anyone considering voting for Dean or Clark wouldn’t go with Kerry instead. Kerry has picked up a lot of Dean’s message and presentation. He’s funny, passionate, and lathers on the anti-Bush vitriol. But in a more attractive political package and without the seeming nuttiness you get from Dean. Kerry’s line that Democratic voters should “not just send Washington a message, but send it a president” has real resonance. As for Clark, Kerry has all his major advantages – the heroism and military service without the Clark weirdness. Clark’s candidacy was always premised on a Kerry meltdown, and that premise is now dated. Kerry has also picked up the compelling part of John Edwards’ message, railing about special interests and lobbyists. Amazingly, Kerry is now running as something of an outside-Washington reformer. Kerry has even picked up a little Lieberman. Lieberman talks of bridging the nation’s partisan divisions, and forming a kind of unity government. Kerry doesn’t go that far, but says he will acknowledge the country’s divisions in a way Bush hasn’t.

Some of the energy at the Kerry rallies is obviously simply momentum. As they say in baseball, you are never as bad as you seem when you’re losing, or as good as you seem when you’re winning. Kerry is winning at the moment. The hard lesson Howard Dean has learned over the last few weeks is that in politics your opponents, if they are shrewd, adjust to take away your strength. Kerry has adjusted, and now has an excellent shot at the nomination.