(From Jo Mannies at the scene of the Clinton rally at McCluer North High School.)

Turnouts for rallies don’t guarantee an election victory. But Saturday’s turnouts were impressive nonetheless for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C.

Nearly 900 people came out early Saturday to pack the Carpenters Hall on Hampton Avenue in St. Louis on behalf of Edwards.  Some had to stand in the lobby or in an overflow room.

But that crowd was eclipsed by the throng that showed up at McCluer North High School in Florissant to see Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

An hour before the doors officially opened, the high school gym was already full – as were the halls outside, a neighboring cafeteria and another meeting room.

Both events featured a mix of people by age and gender. Interviews with a sampling of them indicated while they preferred their rally’s headliner, they would go to the polls to support their rival in November if their preferred candidate loses.

Republicans have held few public events so far, making comparisons with Democrats difficult.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani held a couple public events, including one in St. Charles, that drew several hundred. But Giuliani’s events were last fall, before would-be voters began paying attention.

State Democratic Party Chairman John Temporiti, who was at Clinton event but emphasized his neutrality, said, “I am thrilled that there is such an engagement of all classes of people, desperately wanting to be involved.”