Chances are, tonight's 30-minute Barack Obama infomercial will have minimal effect on the final outcome of the 2008 presidential election.

Those leaning against the freshman Illinois senator were unlikely to be swayed by it (or even watch it).

The ranks of the truly undecided, meanwhile, have shrunk in most polls. And how many of those bothered to tune in to the first program-length ad by a presidential candidate since Ross Perot flipped budget charts in 1992?

That said, the Democrat and his message makers certainly gave it their best shot to appeal to those open to conversion but lacking a comfort level with the prospect of a President Obama. (A complete text of the infomercial's script and the full 27-minute video is available by clicking here.)

Wondering about his patriotism and his commitment to defending the nation?

The extended commercial opened with an image of amber waves of grain. And, as its recorded portion neared an end, retired Army Brig. Gen. John Adams testified to the "courage and the judgment" he believes Obama would bring to the job of commander in chief.

The ad ended with a perfectly timed cut to Obama appearing live before an audience in Florida for a final few sound bites.

"America, the time for change has come," he declared, sounding a theme that has driven his candidacy from its start in early 2007. And in urging voters to "choose hope over fear, unity over division," he summarized what, for many of his supporters, has been his most powerful appeal.

In between, the expertly photographed, poignantly told stories of "average" Americans that gave the ad its pace and served to set up Obama's domestic policy prescriptions touched key demographic bases.

The first, for instance, spotlighted a white, middle-class woman in the swing state of Missouri whose family is struggling to make ends meet. Not coincidentally, Obama strategists ...