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In the afterglow of the Democratic National Convention, Obama supporters had an extra bounce in their step Friday, even if they were too late to make it past security gates to see the Obama and Biden couples on the grounds of Portsmouth鈥檚 Strawbery Banke Museum.

鈥淚鈥檓 fired up,鈥� said local Didi Wallace, who was using flip-flops and wooden stakes to hold up a handmade sign a few blocks from the event that read, 鈥淢itt Who?鈥�

The longtime Democrat said she puts this year鈥檚 convention 鈥渁t the top.鈥�

鈥淚 was so depressed when Bush got reelected that I thought I really shouldn鈥檛 get emotionally connected, but, you know, once again I am emotionally connected,鈥� Ms. Wallace said with a laugh. 鈥淚 believe in choice. I believe in contraception鈥�. I鈥檓 gay and I want to protect my marriage.鈥�

Political conventions are largely an exercise in preaching to the choir 鈥� but candidates always hope that the choir will be motivated to go out and persuade other voters, especially in swing states like New Hampshire.

Only time will tell if the excitement will last, but on Friday it was palpable.

The convention speakers 鈥渨ere able to give us everything we needed to hear,鈥� said Lucresia Fields, a Tanzanian American who is volunteering for Obama in Somersworth, N.H.

鈥淚 am just so ecstatic about health-care reform. Having a small child, you always have to worry about what will happen to them,鈥� she said, looking at her son in the stroller. On election day, her large family, including a great-grandmother who has only voted once before, will all be voting for Obama, she says, and she鈥檒l be waking up other people in the neighborhood to go vote, too.

Stephen Dooda, a diehard Democrat from Portsmouth, was relieved to see that Democrats 鈥渨ent after their base鈥� during the convention, especially with Vice President Joe Biden鈥檚 speech. 鈥淭hey are finally responding to the fact that Democrats are Democrats; they鈥檙e not Republicans,鈥� he said.

The momentum caught up at least one undecided voter here: Brad Wilson, a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire. 鈥淚 made up my mind that I鈥檓 voting, 100 percent; I wasn鈥檛 really decided until today, but I like what [Obama] is saying,鈥� he said after attending Friday鈥檚 event.

Many people said they were especially impressed with how well Michelle Obama portrayed the 鈥渉uman side鈥� of the president.

鈥淭he first lady鈥檚 presentation was exceptionally penetrating, exciting, exhilarating,鈥� said Julius Wayne Dudley, an Obama for America team leader in Boston鈥檚 largely African-American Roxbury neighborhood. 鈥淪he knows the president in ways that most of us do not鈥� He came off as being super intelligent, knowledgeable, the kind of person that Americans should trust in a turbulent world.鈥�

Mr. Dudley, clad in Obama paraphernalia from head to waist, helped wrangle 16 tickets for grass-roots organizers to attend Friday鈥檚 event. They were up late to hear Obama鈥檚 convention speech and up early to carpool, and the women were especially excited to see Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden up close, he said.

As he sat outside the security checkpoints waiting for them, big cheers from the crowd of about 6,000 could be heard even though the event was blocks away.

The convention speeches from Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and Gov. Deval Patrick impressed Dudley in their call for Democrats to show some backbone for the fight. 鈥淚鈥檓 so pleased to see [these two from] Massachusetts fire up the crowd like old Ted Kennedy used to do it,鈥� he exclaimed.

Several people said that in the wake of the convention, they鈥檙e ready to do more than just cast a vote for Obama.

Joni Lacroix, a young woman from Hampton, N.H., campaigned for Obama in 2008. This time, she was particularly impressed with former President Bill Clinton鈥檚 speech on behalf of Obama. 鈥淚鈥檒l probably pop in [to the local campaign headquarters] to see what else is going on, and maybe I can help,鈥� she said.

Erin Heffron of Portsmouth said the crowd on Friday was 鈥減umped鈥� and she thought the conventions had a lot to do with it. Whenever Obama talks about repealing 鈥渄on鈥檛 ask, don鈥檛 tell鈥� or other accomplishments, it reminds her 鈥渉ow much he actually did get done in the last four years 鈥� they are big important things that we just take for granted鈥� We have to be reminded how big of a deal it was.鈥�

The women speakers at the convention especially revved her up, Ms. Heffron said. 鈥淚 always knew I was going to vote for Obama again, but it inspired me to talk to other people about it.鈥�