[flyfree]

Sounds like techniques great orators have used since time immemorial. Obama is a great orator. He's also a socialist.

I don't think he is anything else.

[Ciexyz]

backward masking, anyone.

[editor-surveyor]

"Obama is a great orator."

Then so is Elmer Fudd!

[norton]

"techniques great orators have used since time immemorial"

There is something of a tent preacher in Obama's presentation.

I'd bet that if you gave Obama and Wright the same end point they'd both get the audience there by taking nearly opposite routes.
Both are adept at bringing an audience - different types of audience - around to accepting things they'd otherwise at least try to cover up.
Both seem very capable of saying one thing, with full audience acceptance, only to have the audience later deny they'd ever heard it.
Both use appropriate props that are familiar to the audience from the moment they walk in the door.

If you could test for 'happy', 'comfortable', 'supportive', and 'clueless' all at one time, you'd get the same high levels from attendees at either "church".

Personal note: I've been struck by the otherwise rational people who tell me they think they'll vote for Obama because, well, I don't know, I like what he says, he's........