A curious passerby peers into the door of the Black Repertory Company on Westminster Street, in Providence, where a fundraiser was being held for presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. Obama did not attend the event.

The Providence Journal / Connie Grosch

PROVIDENCE — With national public opinion polls showing New York Sen. Hillary Clinton running strongly ahead of her rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, the question in national circles has been: Can anybody stop her?

Last night, David Plouffe, campaign manager for Clinton’s closest rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, told about 100 Obama supporters at a downtown fundraiser that the enthusiasm and energy of Obama’s supporters coupled with the senator’s message will lead to victory in early caucus and primary states and puncture Clinton’s aura of inevitability.

Plouffe spoke at a fundraiser at the Black Repertory Company and attended a $1,000-per-person fundraiser with about a dozen supporters at the Providence home of Johnnie Chace. Adult supporters paid $100 to attend the Black Rep event and students chipped in $23 each.

In an interview, Plouffe’s argument for Obama drew on history and the soaring expectations Clinton’s poll numbers and campaign have set for her. Recent Cable News Network, Zogby and Gallup polls all have Clinton with leads of roughly 20 percentage points.

Public opinion surveys done before anyone votes in the primaries and caucuses can be deceptive, Plouffe said. “We view national polls to be largely irrelevant to this process,” Plouffe said. “This is a sequential, state-by-state process.”

Expectations of a Clinton victory will be so high, Plouffe asserted, that she cannot afford to lose any of the early primary and caucus states, such as Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina.

“If she does not win all of the early states she will be in trouble,” said Plouffe.

In the 2004 presidential election cycle, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean was way ahead of the pack before Democrats voted. “In November [2003], John Kerry was considered dead in the polls and look what happened,” Plouffe said.

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry rolled over Dean in the Iowa caucuses and in the New Hampshire primary and sewed up the nomination early, well before the Democratic National Convention.

Plouffe made a big push last night to recruit volunteers — especially the college students who traditionally perform much of the presidential primary grunt work — to help Obama in the leadoff primary state of New Hampshire.

“Our campaign is fueled by people in the grass-roots,” said Plouffe. “A lot of them are actually going up to New Hampshire this weekend.”

Rhode Island traditionally has little influence in the presidential nominating process. The state primary is now scheduled for March, but there likely will be a move to move it up to Feb. 5 when the General Assembly reconvenes for a veto session on Oct. 30.

Obama’s fundraiser was in sharp relief to Rhode Island events for Senator Clinton. Clinton has endorsements from many elected Democratic officials in the state, including U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Rep. James Langevin, and support from key party fundraisers and operatives, many of whom worked on campaigns and raised money for her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Bill Clinton’s longtime link to Democratic Party leaders has helped his wife, Plouffe acknowledged. “He is a tremendous political asset,” said Plouffe. “Their campaign has been very adept at collecting on political debts.”

Hardly any elected officials were at Obama’s event last night. There were more Brown University students than labor leaders or experienced Democratic operatives. (Craig Robinson, the Brown University basketball coach, who is Obama’s brother-in-law, attended.)

State Rep. Edwin Pacheco, a 26-year-old Burrillville Democrat, was the lone lawmaker in the audience. Pacheco said he is impressed by Obama’s inspiring speeches and message of honesty and transparency in government. “I think he is kind of like this generation’s John Fitzgerald Kennedy, he is idealistic and inspiring.”

Obama himself was in Boston last night for a rally on Boston Common, where he appeared with Massachusetts Governor Patrick, who has endorsed the Illinois senator.

While the polling seems to show that the Clinton campaign has done a good job in blunting her Senate vote in support of the Iraq war to the war-weary Democratic base voter, Plouffe said Obama’s early opposition to the war is still a contrast with Clinton.

“He says things no one else is willing to say,” said Dane Holmgren, of Cranston, an Obama supporter. “I am impressed by his position on the war.”

Brown student Doug Eacho, a freshman, said he thinks Obama is authentic and Clinton is too concerned with the inside political joust.

“I think Hillary Clinton is very good at the game of politics,” said Eacho. “Which is fine if you think politics should be a game; not so to people who don’t feel politics ought to be a game.”

Carter Vincent, of Providence, said he supports Obama because he is “smart and says what he believes.” But Vincent acknowledged his wife was supporting Clinton. “I figure either way we will get a big improvement over what we have now.”

smackay@projo.com