LEWISTON – It was 47 years ago that Sheila Desgrossielliers stood in the cold in City Park listening to the most inspiring speech she’s ever heard – until Saturday.

When she was a sophomore in high school in 1960, she was so mesmerized by the stump speech of then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy that she got home late from his campaign stop in what’s now Kennedy Park and was summarily grounded.

On Saturday, she stood in line for two hours in Bangor to listen to another presidential candidate who struck the same impassioned chords and fostered the same inspiration as JFK, she said while speaking on her cell phone on the drive back to her Auburn home.

She and husband Ed had made the two-hour trip to see Barack Obama at a rally at the Bangor Auditorium along with thousands of other Mainers. They waited with Obama supporters, uncommitted Democrats, unenrolled voters and Republicans, all eager to see for themselves the insurgent Democrat whose growing popularity now has him running neck-and-neck with the one-time favorite, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.

Although Sheila was sold on Obama early on, Ed took more convincing. He had been leaning toward John Edwards, who bowed out before Super Tuesday. After Saturday’s rally, Ed was hooked.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been inspired by anyone so much since JFK,” he said, echoing his wife. “I was just awestruck … It was a breathtaking experience.”

The Auburn couple has worked on behalf of the state Democratic Party for the past six years. Ed Desgrosseillers will be a convener at the Democratic caucus today in Auburn. He said he planned to excuse himself long enough to share his impressions of the Illinois senator with fellow caucus-goers.

He liked it when Obama said that no American who works should ever be poor. Desgrossielliers, a former union member and now retired, said the senator had it exactly right.

Obama also talked about the problem of American companies exporting American jobs and the need for the United States to take the lead in combating global warming.

When Obama scanned the audience, he seemed to be looking directly at you, said Desgrossielliers, who conceded he now is indebted to his wife.

“I’m so happy she made me come,” he said.

Dylan Ruscansky, a senior at Lewiston High School, also said he was impressed by the candidate whose campaign he’s worked on as a volunteer.

Before the rally, Ruscansky shook Obama’s hand and greeted him.

“That was really great,” said the teen, who made the trip to Bangor with a fellow student.

He said Obama’s speech was “really compelling,” especially when he talked about restoring America’s image in the world by his willingness to talk to foreign leaders, even those perceived as enemies of the United States.

“He really evokes a lot of passion in people – and me,” Ruscansky said. He expects to be at Lewiston High today, where a caucus will be held, trying to persuade other Democrats to vote for his candidate, he said.