Home > Postcards > Archives > Presidential race category
Presidential race
August 26, 2009
Ted Kennedy sang, not so tunefully, in Laredo
A reader alerted us to this moment from Ted Kennedy’s stop in Laredo on behalf of then-Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in February 2008:
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, President, Presidential race
UPDATED: My frail Kennedy memory; what do you recall?
I’ve got a weak memory of Ted Kennedy, though it’s not about the illness that killed him.
In 1972, Kennedy introduced Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern, the senator from South Dakota, at a huge rally in downtown Philadelphia. I was perched on my Dad’s shoulders hanging onto a lamppost. And my memory is that the crowd roared more for Kennedy, the introducer, than for McGovern, the longshot who seemed to overly dwell on a break-in that had taken place at the Watergate complex in Washington.
Surely our readers have stronger memories of Kennedy, perhaps from his 1980 run for the Democratic presidential nomination. I’m asking; fire at me at wgselby@statesman.com or feel free to comment below.
Meantime, thanks to a nudge from Democratic blogger Phillip Martin, here’s a link to Kennedy’s 1980 speech to the Democratic National Convention.
Factoid: President Carter walloped Kennedy in the Texas presidential primary of 1980 which, to be fair, occurred well after the president had all but locked down re-nomination. In Texas, Carter drew 770,390 votes, Kennedy 314,129. Jerry Brown of California ran a distant third, getting 35,585 votes.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, President, Presidential race, U.S. Senate
August 20, 2009
Tea Party "express" stopping in four Texas cities, but not Austin
A Tea Party “Express” bus tour starting in California and bound for Washington, D.C. plans to pause for events Sept. 2-4 in El Paso, San Antonio, Waco and Dallas.
The goal: To “highlight some of the worst offenders in Congress who have voted for higher spending, higher taxes and government intervention in the lives of American families and businesses,” a Web post states. “These members of Congress have infringed upon the freedom of the individual in this great nation, and it’s time for us to say: ‘Enough is Enough!’”
The tour won’t stop in Austin, according to the schedule posted here, a surprise considering its route surely shoots north on Interstate 35, practically in hollering distance of the Texas Capitol. I’m trying to reach organizers to learn more.
Some tea-party activists stress their distance and disagreements with the major political parties. Yet the bus tour originating in Sacramento Aug. 28 is being funded by the Our Country Deserves Better PAC, which has focused its energies previously on defeating Democrats including Barack Obama and Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate majority leader. It’s a decisively pro-Republican group. That said, I understand the Republican Party of Texas is not involved in the tour.
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment Categories: Comings and goings, Democratic politics, Presidential race, Republican politics
December 15, 2008
Texas electors going for McCain without incident
Barring a sudden toss of shoes—no sign of that—presidential electors for Texas were delivering the state’s 34 electoral votes to U.S. Sen. John McCain without incident as of mid-afternoon today.
McCain lost nationally to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois. But the Arizona Republican carried Texas with 55.5 percent of the Nov. 4 vote.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Republican politics
December 11, 2008
Report: Swing voters lifted Texas Republicans in statewide races
Larry Willoughby, a professor at Austin Community College, popped a report today suggesting that more Texas voters are casting straight-ticket Democratic ballots than before — with a smaller share of voters voting straight-ticket Republican ballots than before. The report reviewed voting in 47 counties representing 83 percent of the Nov. 4 vote.
Republicans still voted straight-party ballots more than Democrats, though. And statewide, GOP candidates won largely due to voters who spread their support among candidates of different parties.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Presidential race, Republican politics, U.S. Senate
December 2, 2008
Giuliani: GOP needs to open arms to more voters
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, in Austin today for a motivational seminar, said that nationally, the Republican Party needs to welcome voters who may disagree with others over social issues such as abortion. The former mayor of New York, who floundered this year as a GOP presidential candidate, favors abortion rights himself.
He said today it’s too early for him to be thinking about running for governor of New York in 2010 or for president in 2012.
Giuliani, a partner in Houston-based Bracewell & Giuliani, called his leading Texas supporter, Gov. RIck Perry, an effective governor who’s part of the party’s national debate.
Where does he see Perry winding up?
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment Categories: Governor, Health & human services, Presidential race, Republican politics
November 12, 2008
Palin calls in to Austin radio show
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called in to the J.B. and Sandy show on Austin’s radio station Mix 94.7 today on behalf of a cousin she said she has in Austin. The station shortly posted the audio, which can be heard here.
Palin made no news, but re-confirmed that she wanted to give a concession speech introducing Sen. John McCain on election night.
Asked what she expects to do next aside from returning to her gubernatorial duties, Palin replied:
You never know what will happen in life. That’s the exciting part of just where I am in life, putting my life in God’s hands and saying, you know, show me the next open door and I’ll plow right on through that.
Palin closed by saying she spent two summers as a teenager attending basketball camps in Texas and running on a track team in Beeville and George West and other communities in South Texas.
Permalink | Comments (46) | Post your comment Categories: Comings and goings, Presidential race, Republican politics
November 11, 2008
Perry holding Thursday presser with Palin
The word is out that Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is chairing the annual meeting of the Republican Governors Association in Miami, will hold a press conference Thursday morning with other governors including Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the former GOP vice presidential nominee.
Count on them to tell observers that Washington is different from state capitals. Spending is out of control. Republican leaders have lost touch with basic conservative principles. And the future of the party lies with state leaders such as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Not expected: Particularly new policy ideas, though one never knows what leaders say at press conferences.
Permalink | Comments (31) | Post your comment Categories: Governor, Presidential race
Democrats holding Austin hearing on primary-caucus system
A Democratic Party advisory panel plans its final hearing on possible changes to how voters choose the party’s Texas presidential delegates for 10 a.m. Friday at the Texas AFL-CIO Building at 1105 Lavaca St. in Austin.
The panel, helmed by state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, has been collecting feedback on the system in advance of making recommendations to the State Democratic Executive Committee. See more information on the effort here.
Boyd Richie, the state party chairman, invites Democrats to testify at the hearing or to e-mail thoughts to testimony@txdemocrats.org .
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Presidential race
November 6, 2008
Obama wore Longhorn gear on Election Day
ESPN college basketball analyst Andy Katz told the “Mike and Mike in the Morning show” that he played basketball with Barack Obama on Tuesday afternoon as America was voting. (Obama regularly plays a few games on election day).
Katz told the guys that Obama walked into the Chicago gym where they played wearing a Texas Longhorns sweatshirt.
Katz said Obama “was all about basketball” and didn’t seemed at all preoccupied with the election, and even scored a couple of times. He also said he mentioned to Obama putting a basketball court at the White House, but having been there a few times myself, I can report there is already a basketball goal and small court on the South Lawn.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Hutchison: McCain loss forecast in "donut" vote
She was kidding, of course. Had to be.
But U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, told a luncheon crowd at the University of Texas post-election conference on politics that she knew Sen. John McCain was in trouble when Sen. Barack Obama won the “Krispy Kreme” donut vote.
Her words: “I knew that it was going to be a bad night when the results of the Krispy Kreme election were announced and Obama had won. If John McCain couldn’t take the donut-eaters conference, I knew that we were lost.”
I couldn’t find an online description of a Krispy Kreme vote, though this site suggests giveaways of donuts and Starbucks’ coffee fueled Obama’s big day.
As I type, Hutchison is a few minutes into her remarks and hasn’t re-hinted at her desire to run for governor in 2010.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Elections, Governor, Presidential race, U.S. Senate
November 4, 2008
Williamson Obama celebration
At 10:05 p.m., the TV networks called the presidential race for Obama. Within minutes, Democratic supporters had filtered out of the election-night party onto a frontage road of Interstate 35 near RM 620.
Waving Obama/Biden signs, they quickly had passers-by honking and cheering out the windows of their cars. Some cars and trucks heading south on Interstate 35 even tooted their horns.
One car with a McCain bumper sticker just went by honking and flashing its lights.
Quite a sight in Williamson County, a GOP stronghold in GOP-dominated Texas.
Then again, quite an historic night, no matter how you voted.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Republican blogger says it's over for McCain
Republican blogger Ali Akbar of Texas, who attended the University of North Texas, has concluded that his favorite candidate, Sen. John McCain, won’t win tonight.
Akbar, saying as much at the same time that CNN said it was being conservative with its results projections, wrote friends on Facebook.com: “We lost.”
When others objected, Akbar replied: “Trust me guys…. trust me. It’s not just exit polls. Florida is bluer than we needed, North Carolina’s (Sen. Elizabeth) Dole lose by margins we didn’t even predict, and we didn’t win Pennsylvania.”
After Akbar’s post, CNN projected Sen. Barack Obama as the winner of the Keystone State, which was carried by Democrat John Kerry in 2004.
Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Republican politics
McCain camp in Arizona is optimistic
Sen. John McCain’s Texas co-chairman reports from McCain’s campaign gathering in Arizona this evening that supporters remain optimistic, believing among other things that McCain closed well in Western states including Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.
“There is still quite a bit of optimism here,” said James Huffines.
Austin TV advertising consultant Mark McKinnon, a cheerleader for McCain who had no formal general-election role with his campaign, is also with McCain’s supporters in Arizona. He didn’t have an immediate comment.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Nine million Texans expected to vote by close of day
Hope Andrade, the Texas secretary of state, expects more than 9 million voters to act by the time polls close at 7 p.m. tonight, meaning nearly seven in 10 registered voters will have turned out either in the early-voting period or on Election Day.
On Monday, Andrade projected that 68 percent of the state’s 13.5 million registered voters would ultimately vote.
In contrast, 7.4 million voters participated in the 2004 presidential election in Texas, up from 6.4 million Texas voters in the ‘04 presidential race.
Those are big numbers, yet if they hold true, the state still won’t set a record for percentage of registered voters turning out. According to figures posted online by Andrade’s office—start here—a record 73 percent of registered Texas voters turned out for the 1992 presidential race. President George H.W. Bush won his home state that year over Democrat Bill Clinton, who beat Bush nationally. Dallas billionaire Ross Perot also was in the mix that year.
The share of registered voters previously reached 68 percent twice, in 1980 and 1984, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s office.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Elections, Presidential race, Republican politics
November 3, 2008
Imagine it's Thursday and the election is over ...
Will you have your fill of politics once Tuesday’s election is over?
For everyone needing more to chew on, the University of Texas has pulled together a day-long gathering Thursday featuring at least two possible candidates for governor in 2010: U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and Houston Mayor Bill White, a Democrat. State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, also is expected as part of a panel.
The event at the AT&T Conference Center, titled “Who’s Right? Who’s Left? What’s Next? Texas Politics and Policy Beyond 2008,”, the conference hosted by the LBJ School’s Center for Politics and Governance starts with a 10 a.m. coffee with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Hutchison penciled in to speak at lunch.
Later in the day, closing remarks are expected from White.
To RSVP, and to line up the free lunch, go here.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Campaign finance, Democratic politics, Governor, Presidential race, Republican politics, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate
October 23, 2008
Harris County's early vote stirs conflicting forecasts
Harris County Democrats are marveling at what they believe to be a nearly 3-to-1 Democratic-Republican margin among voters who have turned out to vote early in the county.
But Republican pollster Mike Baselice of Austin says Democrats ought to be worrying. His review of early-voting tallies led him to say: “Republicans are doing just fine.”
Critics could dismiss the competing interpretations as partisan sniping over similar numbers. In fact, the distinct reads are based on different ways of analyzing the early voting. It’s still helpful to remember that activists from both parties consider Harris County a bellwether for what’s probably happening statewide (though it’s more Democratic-leaning than the state as a whole, Baselice said). Results there are worth noodling on.
First, the Democrats’ view:
Gerry Birnberg, chairman of the Harris County Democrats, said that through the first three days of early voting, 62,000 early voters also voted in the March 4 Democratic primary. That compares with 21,000 early voters who turned out for the GOP primary — giving him a path to claim the 3-to-1 margin he’s touting.
“That’s pretty good wind at our back,” said Birnberg, a lawyer who’s hoping Democrats take many local offices including judicial posts from historically dominant Republicans.
Birnberg said some 126,000 voters acted early through Wednesday.
If it turns out that the three-day tally accounts for about 15 percent of total early-voting turnout, as it has in previous years, he said, the county’s total early vote could approach 790,000, perhaps signaling record-shattering turnout through the Nov. 4 election:
We could well see more than 50 percent of the total vote voting early and more than 62 percent, perhaps 65 to 66 percent, participating in this election. Both would be records, indicative of tremendous interest in this election…Birnberg’s bottom line:
I’m declaring a huge turnout. If you’re asking me if I’m declaring victory, of course not. Things are looking very upbeat for Democrats right now in Harris County. We really do expect to sweep the county. I expect it to be a Dallas County-style sweep (referring to Democrats’ winning all local offices there in 2006). But am I declaring victory? Not at all.
Baselice guffawed at Birnberg’s take. His assessment, based on voter interviews, is that up to 25 percent of the state’s first-time Democratic primary voters this spring are likely to favor Republican John McCain for president and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, for re-election.
Baselice said that since 2000, voters who participated in at least one Democratic primary in Harris County outnumbered one-time-or-more GOP primary voters by nearly 2-to-1. Yet through the first two days of early voting there, voters who had voted in a Democratic primary since 2000 were outvoting Republicans by only 1.5 to 1. (Raw numbers, he said, were 49,159 early-voting Democrats this month compared to 32,456 Republicans.) So, he theorized, either the Democrats are running behind in getting out their early vote or the Republicans are running ahead of schedule.
Noting that the county’s 2008 Democratic primary voters outnumbered Republicans by a wide margin (407,102 compared to 169,448), Baselice said: “Unfortunately for the Democrats, they can’t limit (November) turnout to people who just participated in the March primary.”
I couldn’t immediately reach Chairman Birnberg’s counterpart with the Harris County GOP.
But Ed Emmett, a Republican serving as Harris County’s judge, said he’s not concerned about the early tilt for Democrats, partly because he doesn’t believe every voter is casting a straight-party ballot.
Emmett said:
For the first time in a long time, Democrats have a reason to go vote. The whole (Democratic) plan has been to get them to vote early, which is what they’re doing. It’s a good wake-up call. … I feel pretty comfortable. Unless my polls are just dead wrong, I feel pretty good.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Elections, Presidential race, Republican politics, Secretary of State, U.S. Senate
October 21, 2008
Cornyn: Obama presidency historic opportunity, but...
Cheered outside by sign-waving supporters, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, voted at the Travis County Courthouse today before speculating about how Democrat Barack Obama could prove a great president.
Cornyn said that if Obama defeats the Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, he can work with him — if Obama doesn’t govern from the left.
“Barack is a charming, obviously very talented guy,” Cornyn said. “It really depends on him, in large part, because I think he has a historic opportunity, if he’s elected, to be a great president.”
Cornyn continued:
On the other hand, if he decides to surround himself with left-leaning ideologues, he’ll have a short term and a tumultuous presidency, so i really think the choice is up to him. If he wants to assemble a cabinet, a sort of Lincoln team-of-rivals’ concept, that it’s clear he’s not just going to succumb to his voting record in the Senate, which has been very hard left. So I think it could be a historic opportunity.
But?
But I am still hoping John McCain wins.
Cornyn said he didn’t vote a straight-party ticket, but didn’t elaborate on which Democrats or Libertarians he favored.
Cornyn said he voted against an Austin proposition intended to rein in tax subsidies to projects like the Domain in North Austin.
“I voted to allow that in the local government’s discretion rather than to ban it exclusively,” Cornyn said. “I’m concerned about the way they’re being used, but I didn’t want to ban the opportunity to attract businesses to areas that need the economic development.”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, U.S. Senate
October 20, 2008
Alliance says it's registered half-million immmigrant voters
Voter mobilization groups from across the country said Monday they had attained their collective goal to register 500,000 new immigrant voters in time for the presidential election and would shift their efforts to turning out 1 million immigrant voters in battleground states.
“We’re reaching the next phase of this amazing journey we began in 2006 together,” said Rudy Lopez, deputy director for politics with the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Change. The center is one of the 14 partners in the We Are America Alliance, which sprang from the 2006 nationwide protests in support of comprehensive immigration reform. An estimated 4 million people took to the streets in demonstrations across the country.
The alliance says it is spending $10 million in its coordinated registration and voter mobilization effort, which it describes as unprecedented in Latino, Asian and immigrant communities.
Some political analysts believe the efforts could impact outcomes in hotly contested states with growing immigrant and Latino populations. Hispanic voters, in particular, could tip the election in states like Florida, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico, where Latinos make up significant shares of voters. Those four states, which account for 46 of the 270 electoral votes needed to elect a president, went for President Bush by a total of about 500,000 votes in 2004.
In a conference call with reporters, Maria Rodriguez, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said voter registration in that state has increased by 8 percent since 2006, but registration among Latino voters there rose by 21 percent.
Rodriguez attributed the surge to immigrant voters’ desire for immigration reforms giving unauthorized immigrants opportunities to become legal U.S. residents. Both Senators Barack Obama and John McCain support such a framework, though the Republican Party platform does not.
Rodriguez noted that the rally cry of marchers during the 2006 immigration protests was “Today we march, tomorrow we vote.”
“Well, today is tomorrow,” Rodriguez said.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Some Texas fundraisers sitting out presidential race
Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain are each counting on select Texans to bundle up campaign donations for their presidential campaigns, as described here.
Since the March Texas primary, both candidates have recruited some Texans to their side who had previously raised money for other candidates.
But a look at list of bundlers posted on the nominees’ respective Web sites showed that some people who had supported other candidates in the primaries chose to sit out the general election, rather than to troll for dollars for the candidate who beat their first favorite.
The bundler lists can even be seen as misleading.
Case in point: Dallas lawyer Doug Haloftis is identified as an Obama bundler by Obama’s campaign simply because he raised tens of thousands of dollars for an introductory event for Obama in Dallas.
But Haloftis was — and remained — aligned with Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton’s bid, so much so that he ended up raising $500,000 for Sen. Clinton’s campaign.
And, he said, he never came around to raising general-election money for Obama.
To go out and raise tens of thousands of dollars, he said, “you have to be very excited about someone’s candidacy. Me personally, I am still smarting from the disappointment of the (vice presidential) selection,” referring to Obama’s choice of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as a running mate instead of Clinton.
Haloftis said that doesn’t mean he has misgivings about Obama as the nominee. “He’s qualified to be president,” Haloftis said, and will get his vote.
On the Republican sidelines, Houston investor James Lee was a national finance chairman for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s campaign. He did not dive into fund-raising for McCain.
“After having given Rudy my all… I decided to sit on the sidelines,” Lee said. “It’s not a reflection of lack of support for Sen. McCain.”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
October 15, 2008
Spelce shares McCain's pork-rib recipe
Neal Spelce, the former Austin TV newsman signed on as a consultant to Sen. John McCain’s campaign, expects to be coming home after tonight’s final presidential debate. My story on his work for the campaign appears here.
Spelce has already picked up McCain’s personal recipe for preparing baby-back pork ribs, which is surprisingly simple.
Spelce says:
His seasoning is simple. He mixes black pepper, salt and garlic powder equally for his seasoning. He sprinkles the seasoning liberally on both sides of the rack of ribs and grills the ribs slowly.
Then, while grilling, McCain:
squeezes fresh lemons on the ribs as he turns them regularly with tongs. He hovers over the grill, while making conversation with his guests. One of his grilling aprons carries the words “Commander-in-Chef.”
And when the ribs are ready, Spelce recalls, McCain:
usually asks someone to hold the grilled rack while he slices off individual ribs. Guests who have been there before ease their way toward where he is carving the ribs, knowing he will hand them a piping hot rib before the serving platter has been filled. While these dry grilled ribs are quite tasty, the leftovers are also scrumptious eaten cold the next day.
Finally, Spelce advises, cold beer or wine complement the ribs.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
October 7, 2008
Debate watch parties not far apart tonight in Austin
Austin-area Republicans are holding a presidential debate watch party downtown tonight. The Travis County Republicans’ do, starting at 7:30 p.m., is at Annie’s West, 706 W. Sixth St., between West Avenue and Rio Grande St.
Travis County Democrats won’t be far away. Doors open at 7 p.m at the Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr., for the party’s debate watch party—including a mini-concert featuring Jimmie Dale Gilmore and remarks by Luci Baines Johnson. RSVP here or call (512) 477-7500.
Look for the parties to team up for the next debate Oct. 15 — as their locations converge somewhere near Lady Bird Lake — with Willie Nelson singing and KVET-FM’s Bob Cole serving as master of ceremonies. This is, of course, not going to happen.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
October 6, 2008
Stekler, Smith hosting premiere party for "The Choice 2008"
If you’ve riffled today’s newspaper, you know today is the deadline to register to vote. More on that here.
If you need another nudge to consider the major-party candidates for president, University of Texas documentarian Paul Stekler invites the public to attend the premiere of his work, “The Choice 2008,” a segment of PBS-TV’s “Frontline” when it airs next Tuesday Oct. 14. The documentary explores the John McCain-Barack Obama presidential race.
Join Stekler and Evan Smith, editor of Texas Monthly, for the moment at KLRU-TV’s “Austin City Limits” studio on the sixth floor of the rust-colored building at Guadalupe and Dean Keeton (formerly 26th Street) on the UT campus.
Doors open at 7 p.m., the show airs from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Refreshments will be provided.
RSVP by going here.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
October 2, 2008
Austin's Spelce helping Palin prepare for debate
Austin’s Neal Spelce, the former TV newsman who worked closely with President Johnson and his family, is almost certainly the Texan closest to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin today.
Spelce has been helping Palin prepare for her debate tonight with Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential choice. I’m told by a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because they’re not authorized to speak for Sen. John McCain’s campaign that the two are in a St. Louis studio this afternoon doing a walk-through in the debate’s setting.
Spelce, who once advised both Democratic Govs. Mario Cuomo of New York and Ann Richards of Texas before convention keynote speeches, evidently signed on to help Sen. John McCain before the Republican National Convention.
He was with McCain in St. Paul, for instance, before McCain delivered his acceptance speech the night after Palin’s dramatic moment.
Permalink | Comments (23) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Austin's Bill Oliver pokes at Gov. Palin in "Nowhere Man" spoof
Just in time for tonight’s vice presidential debate, Austin singer Bill Oliver (a longtime protest singer and self-described environmental troubador) has converted “Nowhere Man” by the Beatles to a spoof/poke at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in a song audible by clicking here.
Lyric excerpt:
She’s the anti-Hillary Has her own artillery
And:
Nowhere ma’am, the free world is at your command
Oliver said he recorded the song at Austin’s Flashpoint Recording Studios, helped by Bob Livingston on vocals and bass, Paul Pearcy on percussion/drums and Bradley Kopp on George Harrison’s guitar part.
Oliver said he started with more than 10 verses — some more pungent than what was recorded.
“First off, I don’t want to upset any Beatles’ fans,” Oliver said. “I (also) wanted to make sure I got my point across without getting too personal.”
I’ve not heard of Texans composing ditties jabbing the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. You?
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
UPDATE: Dueling Palin-Biden debate watches, Perry to watch in Vegas
UPDATED: While Gov. Rick Perry plans to watch in Las Vegas, Austin-area residents interested in watching tonight’s televised debate between the major-party vice presidential prospects have dueling opportunities to do so — one hosted by Travis County Republicans, the other by Texans for Obama.
The GOP invites debate watchers to the Water Tank Too, 15821 Central Commerce Drive in Pflugerville, where Republicans plan to gather starting at 7:30 p.m. For directions, call 989-8100.
Texans for Obama will be watching at Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd. The party starts at 7 p.m., before the 8 p.m. debate.
UPDATE: Perry intends to view the debate with other Republican governors gathered in Las Vegas for a forum sponsored by the Republican Governors Association, which Perry chairs. According to a fact sheet fetchable here, the day’s events include a campaign briefing, luncheon with T. Boone Pickens and a health care roundtable.
The vice-presidential debate watch party is penciled in for The Sports Bar & Grille in the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
September 23, 2008
UPDATED: Texas Supreme Court rejects Barr's ballot challenge
The Texas Supreme Court this morning rejected Libertarian presidential nominee Bob Barr’s request that the court toss the major-party nominees off the Nov. 4 ballot in Texas. Barr argued that the candidates weren’t yet nominees before a state deadline for submitting the names of nominees to the Texas Secretary of State’s office.
The court’s ruling came without an opinion. Peek at its post here.
The action came less than a day after parties to the challenge, including political parties and the state, filed briefs objecting to the removal of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain from the ballot.
UPDATE: Drew Shirley, Barr’s Austin attorney, reacted:
Obviously, I’m disappointed for a couple of reasons. I think it’s clear that the Secretary of State broke the law by certifying the late nominations of both parties, so I’m disappointed that the petition was denied. I’m also disappointed that the Supreme Court declined to hear oral arguments or even issue an opinion explaining their ruling, so now we’ll never know what convoluted reasoning they used to deny the petition. To paraphrase Ben Bradlee, we may have lost, but that doesn’t mean we were wrong.
Permalink | Comments (35) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Supreme Court of Texas
September 18, 2008
Barr says he's OK with House picking president
Bob Barr, the Libertarian presidential nominee, said he’d be OK with the U.S. House choosing the next president if the decision comes to that.
“It’s not as if the sky will fall, the country will disappear,” Barr said in Austin today .
The surprising turn could play out if two things happen.
First, the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court (or, perhaps, a federal court handling an appeal) would have to side with Barr and order the state of Texas to strike the Democratic and Republican Party presidential nominees from the Texas ballot.
Barr is asking the state’s highest civil court to make the move because he says the other candidates couldn’t legally meet a state-set Aug. 26 deadline for candidates to ask to be on the ballot.
Why? The state deadline for requesting a ballot spot landed before either Sen. Barack Obama or John McCain had been nominated by their respective national parties. The parties’ national conventions occurred the last week of August and first week of September. (Credit the Olympics for the delay.)
Second, with the major-party nominees deprived of Texas’s 34 electoral votes, it’s possible that no candidate would reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency in the Nov. 4 election.
Under the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the lack of an outright winner of a majority in the Electoral College would throw the race to the U.S. House, where each state would have one vote for president. The constitution also specifies that the House consider up to three candidates.
As of now, the system for resolving such a tangle could signal an advantage for McCain because more states are considered Republican-leaning. But it’s close, according to this site.
Under this scenario, the Senate would choose the vice president — perhaps ushering in a president from one party and a veep from another. That’s dependent on Democrats keeping their Senate majority, though. Each senator would have a vote.
Barr said: “I have great faith in the Constitution, absolutely. I wish the other two parties did.”
Permalink | Comments (36) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Barr: Government should let Ike evacuees go hom
Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party presidential nominee, lately has let supporters know he disagrees with government moves in Texas to deter Hurricane Ike evacuees from going home right away.
Barr is slated to talk to Austin reporters today about his legal action intended to knock Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama off the November ballot in Texas. In a press release posted on his campaign site, Barr says: “Government has no right to keep people from their property. Let the people go home.”
“There is something inherently wrong with the government forcibly keeping people away from their homes and property,” Barr said, responding to what his campaign calls the government’s “continuing and heavy-handed attempt to bar Hurricane Ike evacuees from returning to their homes.”
“There is, of course, an obvious risk to returning to a disaster area,” Barr said. “However, government should not forcibly prevent evacuees from returning to their own houses and property. It is their choice, for better or for worse, to return to their homes.”
“It is absurd to keep people from their property when they willingly return or have remained,” Barr said. “Instead, the government makes them refugees, reliant on the inefficient and expensive ‘charity’ of government.”
“During Hurricane Katrina, the government said, ‘Trust us,’ and look what happened. Now, the government is saying the same thing again. Yet, many of these people would be better off on their own instead of in the hands of FEMA or some other government agency.”
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
September 17, 2008
Presidential campaigns focus ads in a few other states
An analysis out today from the Wisconsin Advertising Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison revisits the notion that Texas, like many states, is not viewed as a battleground state by either of the major nominees for president — at least based on TV ad buys.
The candidates’ campaigns haven’t bought any TV time in Texas (not counting ads bought on El Paso stations seen by voters in neighboring New Mexico) since the national party conventions.
Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain are pouring TV money into the same states that drew attention from President Bush and Democratic nominee John Kerry in 2004, according to the analysis, which draws on research by TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG.
“Campaigns run ads in states they think they can win or where they think they can bait the other side into spending money,” said UW Professor Ken Goldstein.
In the week after the parties’ respective conventions, Obama’s campaign bought time in 17 states while McCain’s campaign did so in 15 of the 17—choosing not to spend immediately in Indiana and Montana, the study states.
The 15 shared states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Clip and save that list if you’re interested in a meaningful taste of the presidential race in the weeks before the Nov. 4 vote.
On TV, at least, it won’t be happening here.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
September 15, 2008
Palin coming to Texas, spoofed with Hillary Clinton on 'SNL'
Word is out that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP vice presidential nominee, intends to come to Texas early next month for fundraisers, though she won’t pause in Austin.
Briefly, Palin intends to hold three events — one in Dallas at noon Friday, Oct. 3, another in Houston that evening, and a third at brunch in San Antonio the next day.
This weekend, Palin and Sen. Hillary Clinton were spoofed at the top of NBC-TV’s “Saturday Night Live.”
Watch below:
Permalink | Comments (75) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
September 12, 2008
Sen. Biden not coming to Austin, but fundraising dinner is on
Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, was poised to raise money in Austin tonight toward electing Sen. Barack Obama president.
But Obama spokeswoman Shannon Gilson said this afternoon that the campaign cancelled Biden’s trip to Texas.
In an e-mail, the campaign told donors: “While the hurricane may not affect the Austin area directly, we made this decision out of respect for our fellow Texans in distress.”
A high-dollar Austin fundraising dinner with Biden, though, is still on, despite his absence.
According to an organizer who spoke on condition of anonymity because they’re not authorized to speak for the campaign, more than 10 couples have committed to dine at a price tag of $28,500 per couple. Proceeds will go to the Obama Victory Fund, which is managed by the Democratic National Committee.
Obama said through his campaign today: ““As another storm threatens the Gulf Coast, I’m praying for the safety of all those in Hurricane Ike’s path, and urge everyone to heed the warnings of local authorities and seek safer ground immediately. Those who choose to stay are putting not only themselves at risk, but the emergency personnel working to ensure their safety. Now is the time to help those who want to leave but aren’t able to - and once the storm passes, we must work to provide swift relief wherever it is needed.”
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
September 9, 2008
Cecile Richards appearing on "Larry King Live" tonight
Cecile Richards, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention two weeks ago, plans to appear during a segment starting at 8:30 p.m. Central time tonight on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” Richards’ spokesman Tait Sye tells me.
I’d expect King to ask Richards, eldest daughter of the late Texas Gov. Ann Richards, what she makes of the Republican ticket. Richards, who heads Planned Parenthood of America, is sure to voice concern about Sen. John McCain tapping Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.
Palin, who is solidly anti-abortion/pro-life, is expected to give her first post-nomination interview to ABC-TV’s Charles Gibson on Thursday.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Presidential race
Newsweek: Palin didn't ban books and other misperceptions
Newsweek magazine has identified a few misperceptions of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP vice presidential nominee.
The magazine’s post states:
We’ve been flooded for the past few days with queries about dubious Internet postings and mass e-mail messages making claims about McCain’s running mate, Gov. Palin. We find that many are completely false, or misleading.
Among the not-so’s: Palin didn’t ask the city librarian in Wassilla to ban specific books and special-education funding has not decreased on her watch as governor.
Read on here.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
September 4, 2008
Obama not impressed by Republican convention
Barack Obama, speaking to voters today in York, Penn., said he wasn’t bowled over by the GOP convention to date:
“You wouldn’t know that this is such a critical election by watching the convention last night. I know we had our week and so, you know, the Republicans deserve theirs. But it’s been amazing to me to watch,” Obama said. “Over the last two nights, if you sit there and you watch it, you’re hearing a lot about John McCain - and he’s got a compelling biography as a POW. You’re hearing an awful lot about me, most of which is not true. What you’re not hearing is a lot about you.
Peek at his campaign’s video of his comments here.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Republican National Convention
September 1, 2008
Ron Paul supporter asks Texas delegates to oppose media fairness measure
Alan Smith, an alternate delegate from Austin, wasn’t slow to share his less-government views with colleagues at the convention.
The Ron Paul supporter said he’s placing a letter on every chair at the Texas delegation breakfast today asking for signatures on a petition opposing a measure that would require news outlets to give all sides equal time on issues—a restoration of the so-called fairness doctrine.
Smith’s letter states:
News outlets should be free to offer whatever commentary they wish without the force of government. And the question of the news itself being objective should be a matter of principle, not force.
Here, here!
Uh, I mean it’s happening here.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Republican National Convention, Republican politics
August 28, 2008
Libertarians say McCain, Obama missed Texas ballot deadline
Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr’s campaign claims Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican presumptive nominee John McCain aren’t eligible to be on the November ballot in Texas because the two parties missed a deadline that says parties must submit the names of their nominees at least 70 days before an election.
Since neither party had formally nominated a candidate by the 70-day mark, which was Tuesday, they missed the deadline.
But Ashley Burton, a spokeswoman for the Texas Secretary of State, said the state expects an amended filing and that the two major-party nominees will be on the ballot.
“Previous case law has provided for this occurrence,” Burton said. She said late Thursday that agency lawyers were not immediately available to explain that case law.
Said Barr campaign manager Russell Verney, “In Texas, we have a clear deadline that was not met by the Republicans and Democrats, but it is all but certain that some way, some how, the establishment candidates will find a way on the ballot. Some people are just above the law.”
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Primacaucus hearings resume Sept. 6 in Harlingen
Sen. Royce West of Dallas insisted today that he remains undecided on whether Texas Democrats need to end the controversial method of choosing presidential delegates both by voting at the polls on primary day and through primary-night caucuses.
A party-appointed advisory panel studying the “primacaucus” system has set its schedule of upcoming hearings, which will wrap up in Austin on Nov. 14. (Mark the date if you want to speak directly to the party leaders considering changes.)
The hearing dates and cities:
Sept. 6: Harlingen
Sept. 12: Houston
Oct. 17: Arlington
Oct. 18: Nacogdoches
Nov. 8: Lubbock
Nov. 14: Austin
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic National Convention, Democratic politics, Presidential race, Texas Senate
August 24, 2008
Stuck in Denver again (Monday night party)
The headline above is my little joke about landing in Denver in time for the first night’s proceedings—featuring a speech by Michelle Obama. Meantime the same night, the Texas delegation to the convention is throwing down for a party.
The invitation/notice shows 13 corporate and association sponsors for the do, with the guest speaker expected to be Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter. As I mentioned last week here, the venue, Mile High Station, is in keeping with the high hopes of Texas Democrats.
Fetch the invitation here.
With no one except Sen. Joe Biden biding to be vice president at the four-day convention, I’ll be on the prowl for sideshows and political whodunnits. Got one or two handy? Let me know, you hear?
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Presidential race
August 14, 2008
Former McCain strategist sees possible Obama landslide
Texas Monthly’s Paul Burka took his pencil and pad to visit Texas-rooted consultant John Weaver in Washington. The result was a provocative account, including Weaver’s fret that Sen. Barack Obama will best Sen. John McCain by a landslide if McCain’s strategy doesn’t change — though critics might discount Weaver’s thoughts as sour grapes.
Bottom line: Weaver has had a heck of a ride, starting with his long-ago assignment to profile a little-known Texas A&M University professor, Phil Gramm. Effectively divorced from John McCain’s then-reeling presidential campaign since last summer, Weaver clearly felt free to open up.
An excerpt:
“The party has lost its principles,” he told (Burka). “We’ve had the (Tom) DeLay and Mark Foley scandals. DeLay was a poster child for the hubris of our Republican leadership. He rewarded his K Street friends when the Republican party is supposed to be the party of Main Street. Spending is now the most since the Great Society, but without the heart. That’s a loser.” He shook his head. “We need to go through a wilderness. I have a bad sense we’ve just started.”
I wonder if Burka will elaborate online about the roots of a rift between Weaver and Karl Rove when both of them were GOP consultants on the rise. His Weaver story leaves readers to guess at some of what happened.
It’s worth a coffee break to read Burka’s story.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
July 31, 2008
Obama-McCain event in Belton not looking likely
Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential hopeful, raised campaign money in Houston on Thursday but has not agreed to address Fort Hood soldiers alongside his Republican opponent.
A consortium of military and veterans’ groups had hoped to host Obama and Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton on Aug. 11. The idea was that the two candidates would discuss military issues before an audience of troops, veterans and their families.
McCain agreed to the event, which CBS offered to broadcast, but Obama’s camp says he has a previously scheduled commitment. A campaign spokeswoman did not say what that commitment is.
“We basically had asked for alternate dates in which he might be available,” said Carissa Picard, one of the organizers of the would-be event in Belton. “They haven’t been able to provide those to us yet.”
The Aug. 11 event is off, but Picard said she still hopes the two sides can agree to a different date.
Phillip Carter, Obama’s veterans director, said the chance to meet with troops was one of the main reasons why Obama recently went to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.
“During his many visits to Texas, Senator Obama met with veterans and military families to discuss his commitment to stand up for them when he’s commander-in-chief and looks forward to continuing the dialogue with veterans across the country,” Carter said.
Obama has held numerous events with veterans in recent months and his wife, Michelle, had held roundtable events with military families.
But U.S. Rep. John Carter, a Round Rock Republican who represents Fort Hood, criticized Obama on Thursday for passing on the Belton event but finding time to raise money in Texas.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
July 28, 2008
UPDATED: San Antonio lawyer to steer Obama's Texas campaign
Word is out that Sen. Barack Obama’s Texas operation will be headed by Juan Sepulveda, a San Antonio lawyer who’s already been busy as a volunteer in AlamObama, the grass-roots group advocating for Obama based in the Bexar County seat.
UPDATE: Obama’s campaign issued a statement today naming Sepulveda its Texas state director.
A campaign statement quotes Sepulveda saying: “Our priority is expanding our strong grassroots movement for change across the state so we can help Democrats up and down the ticket and win the White House in November. Texans stood for change in record numbers and they know that John McCain, a candidate who is offering more of the same failed Bush economic policies that benefit the wealthiest Americans, isn’t the change we need.”
UPDATE NO. 2: Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, already had Craig Goldman aboard to oversee operations in several states including Texas; glimpse his background by scrolling this site.
James Huffines, McCain’s Texas chairman, e-mailed me today: “We will be very lean on paid staff in Texas but we will use our resources well.”
Sepulveda, who is also a Rhodes scholar, is president and founder of The Common Enterprise (TCE), whose mission is to help nonprofit groups, philanthropic organizations and businesses help build stronger communities. He’s taking a leave from the group starting today to work for the Obama campaign.
The Stanford law graduate, who has an undergraduate degree from Harvard University, already was a member of Obama’s National Latino Leadership Council and previously served as a senior adviser for Democrat Bill Bradley’s 2000 presidential campaign. He also worked closely with Willie Velasquez, founder of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project to increase the political participation of Hispanics.
Yet to come: Confirmation that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee intends to place 10 field workers in the state which no Democrat has won for president since Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Where those Obama workers end up also remains to be resolved. Does Obama concentrate on Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, where he did very well in the March primary? Does he reach out to South Texas? Does his campaign ignore rural and West Texas?
Another unknown: If the campaign bases its statewide outreach in downtown Austin or not.
It’s fair to say too that the campaign intends to continue to depend on volunteers to raise excitement in Texas. It’s a very big state after all.
Obama campaign spokeswoman Shannon Gilson said last week: “We currently don’t have staff in Texas, but we will have a presence in August.”
Obama’s Texas plans are taking shape as he’s telling reporters that he believes he’s putting more states in play than past Democratic nominees; see an Associated Press take here. Also, Pollster.com lately rates Texas as “leaning Republican” for president, rather than “strongly Republican;” peek here.
Permalink | Comments (42) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
July 22, 2008
Nader v. Strama, almost, on Sunday in Austin
Here’s a salve for anyone missing the buzz of this year’s presidential primaries in Texas: Ralph Nader intends to visit Austin on Sunday, with an event that could test his appeal as an independent presidential candidate about the same time as a fund-raiser for Democratic Rep. Mark Strama.
Nader, whose independent run for president in 2000 has been blamed by some critics for siphoning votes from Democrat Al Gore, is slated to hold a rally at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Trinity United Methodist Church, 600 E. 50th St. His campaign suggests donations of $5 to $10.
Strama, meanwhile, is throwing what his camp calls “Stramarama” from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Threadgills South. More on that is posted here. (If anyone knows of a Republican do the same day or so, please let me know.)
Nader, joined by his running mate, San Francisco lawyer Matt Gonzalez, plans to speak to issues he believes the major-party candidates have left off the table including the need to establish a government-run single-payer health care system and a no-nuclear solar-centered energy policy.
Nader’s campaign site is here.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
July 14, 2008
John Dean attending fundraiser for Travis County Democrats
John Dean, President Nixon’s White House counsel at the time of the Watergate break-in and cover-up, is slated to be among participants in this week’s Netroots conference in Austin.
I spoke with him 35 summers after he testified against Nixon before the U.S. Senate’s Watergate committee.
Among his comments: “Democrats need to keep their act together because my old tribe scares the hell out of me.”
On a lighter note, the Beverly Hills resident said he doesn’t hear Chairman Sam Ervin’s rumbling drawl in his sleep—nor does he have a handle on what caused the infamous gap in the tape recordings of Nixon’s conversations with aides.
Folks not attending the conference can catch Dean on Thursday night; he’s set to speak to the North by Northwest Democrats from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Waterloo Ice House at West Sixth St. and Lamar Blvd.
Dean calls himself an independent, but the Waterloo do is a fund-raiser for the Travis County Democrats. Dean could be signing copies of his latest book, a tome co-authored by Barry Goldwater Jr. on the late Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Presidential race
July 9, 2008
Doozy or dud: Republicans pick Obama sticker
The Republican Party of Texas has declared a winner of its anti-Sen. Barack Obama bumpersticker contest.
Doozy or dud?
Peek below or order here.
Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Presidential race, Republican politics
July 8, 2008
Texas GOP takes on Obama with bumper sticker
The Republican Party of Texas today announced the winner of its bumper sticker contest. The party says thousands of online voters picked this: “Obama For Change: That’s all you’ll have in your pockets.”
“While we are having a bit of fun with this campaign slogan, we know that an Obama presidency is no laughing matter,” says an e-mail from the Republican Party of Texas announcing the bumper sticker contest winner. “Never before have we seen this combination of pure liberalism with inexperience … even from the Democrats!”
Get your bumper sticker here
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
June 25, 2008
Reaffirmed: Obama's campaign plans include Texas
Politico.com, in a posting today, revisited Sen. Barack Obama’s unusual intention to put campaign resources into every state. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee evidently thinks he’ll have money and volunteers enough to do so.
Steve Hildebrand, Obama’s deputy campaign manager, said the campaign plans to focus firepower on 14 states George W. Bush won in 2004, hoping to score upsets in places such as Virginia, Indiana and Georgia.
But the post says winning the White House won’t be Obama’s only goal:
“In an unusual move, Obama’s campaign will also devote some resources to states it’s unlikely to win, with the goal of influencing specific local contests in places such as Texas and Wyoming.
“‘Texas is a great example where we might not be able to win the state, but we want to pay a lot of attention to it,’ Hildebrand said. ‘It’s one of the most important redistricting opportunities in the country.’”
Texas Democrats, Politico.com incorrectly reports, are five seats away in each chamber from control of the state Legislature, which will redraw congressional districts after the 2010 census. That holds true for the Texas House, but Republicans hold a 20-11 margin in the Texas Senate.
Back story: Hildebrand sent an e-mail June 9 to Obama supporters stating:
Today, I am proud to announce that our presidential campaign will be the first in a generation to deploy and maintain staff in every single state.
The network of volunteers and the infrastructure built up during the historic primary season — on behalf of all the Democratic campaigns — have given us an enormous and unprecedented opportunity in the general election.
We need to register new voters and bring people back into the political process. We need to reach out to Independents and Republicans who know that our country cannot afford another four years of George W. Bush’s disastrous policies.
And we need to overcome the three-month head start that John McCain has had to raise money and build support.
After a fund-raising pitch, Hildebrand’s e-mail picks up:
As in every presidential election, some states will be more competitive than others, and we will scale our resources accordingly.
But unprecedented grassroots energy during the primary means that the list of competitive states will be longer than ever before — and it will include states like Virginia and Montana that aren’t traditionally within reach for a Democratic presidential candidate.
And in every single state, our staff will build volunteer capacity that will provide help where we need it and impact races up and down the ballot this November.
Obama spokesman Josh Earnest said today that Obama’s Texas staffing will shake out before August’s Democratic National Convention in Denver. An important detail: There’s been no sign that Obama intends to buy potentially expensive TV advertising time in Republican-leaning Texas — though, Earnest said, don’t rule it out.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
June 18, 2008
UPDATED: Vendor apologizes for buttons; he sold four
The Orlando, Fla. vendor of the Barack Obama/White House button that touched off a furor said today that he sold only four of the $2 buttons at last week’s Republican Party of Texas state convention, including one snapped up by a newspaper employee.
In the first interview he’s given on the flap, Jonathan Alcox said he came up with the button’s message — “If Obama is President… will we still call it the White House?”—based on a newspaper cartoon showing Obama in front of a sign for the White House, thinking to himself something like: “That’s the first thing I’ll change.”
“I’m not crazy,” Alcox said. “Why would I go out there and purposely put a button out there that’s going to offend people? We’re in this for business.”
“I thought what we were doing was clever and funny,” Alcox said. “We’ve never had a black president… It was just a mistake.”
Alcox said he’s sold buttons at Republican and Democratic political gatherings for 17 years. He said he brought a dozen of the White House buttons to the GOP state convention in Houston to see how they’d sell. He won’t be making more, he said, having concluded based on a surge of criticism that the button was offensive.
He said the buttons were never for sale on his Web site.
Alcox said his best-selling button at the Republican event said “NOBAMA.” One of his best-selling buttons at the Texas Democratic Party’s convention the week before said: “GOBAMA.”
The White House button has led the Texas GOP to donate the $1,500 Alcox paid for two booth spaces to Midwest flood relief.
UPDATE: Party spokesman Hans Klingler said today: “This vendor need not apply to another Texas GOP state convention. The proceeds from their booth space will be donated to charity. We will not tolerate nor profit from bigotry.”
“Our state convention was energetic, unifying and positive. We will not allow any dishonor to be brought on our hardworking grassroots leaders by the actions of a misguided few. The Republican Party of Texas is proud of its principles, record and diversity,” Klingler said.
Alcox said earlier that he could yet vote for Obama for president. “I haven’t made up my mind,” he said.
Finally, he asked that critics stop besieging him with expletive-laced e-mails.
Permalink | Comments (48) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Republican State Convention
Ron Kirk objects to Obama button reference; Texas GOP making donation
Ron Kirk, the former Dallas mayor who has coached Sen. Barack Obama’s Texas campaign, says that if a campaign button poking at Obama’s skin color was sold inside the hall where the Republican Party of Texas held its state convention last week, the party owes an apology.
A convention blog posted Saturday afternoon by Christy Hoppe of The Dallas Morning News included this photo of the button:
Hoppe reported that the button was for sale at a convention booth run by Republicanmarket.
Kirk said Wednesday: “If it was in the (convention) hall, which the Republican Party controls, then shame on them. That’s an absolute outrage and disgrace. Whoever sold the button is incredibly distasteful and playing to the worst stereotypes and biases.
“They ought to apologize—not just to the Obama campaign but to every African American family in Texas.”
If the party let a vendor in the hall sell such a button, Kirk said, “that means they basically blessed it.”
Kirk conceded that such buttons are protected under the First Amendment.
That said, he continued: “It also is a commentary on the values and practices of the Republican Party in Texas versus what they preach.”
Hans Klingler, spokesman for the Republican Party of Texas, said party officials had no idea the button was for sale until they saw it blogged. He said that the party doesn’t review the content of booths during the convention, adding that there will be procedures put in place in the future to scout for objectionable items.
“We were stunned; the whole convention was about unity and diversity,” Klingler said. “It was heartbreaking.”
“We would never want anything offensive or overtly bigoted to be at our convention,” he said.
Klingler said the party plans to donate its $1,500 in proceeds from the booth rental to flood relief in the Midwest.
As of Wednesday morning, the Florida-based Web site titled Republicanmarket.com shows hundreds of buttons available, but none with the message above. The only Obama reference I found on a button for sale Wednesday morning said “NOBAMA.”
I’m following up soon with the vendor’s take on this flap.
Permalink | Comments (32) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Republican State Convention
June 17, 2008
Obama's face on a Republican bumpersticker?
Talk about reverse psychology: The Republican Party of Texas has launched a bumpersticker contest by urging activists to pitch in their best ideas for a sticker—and the sample they’ve posted online has Barack Obama’s face affixed, like this:
Peek at the pitch I got here.
It might be safe to assume that the inclusion of Obama on the sample does not mean he’ll be on the ultimately chosen GOP sticker. As it is, the party put this underneath the sample: “image is for sample only, final product will differ.”
Permalink | Comments (29) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Republican politics
June 16, 2008
UPDATED: Clayton Williams trying to resked McCain, but...
Clayton Williams and other organizers of what was originally going to be a fund-raiser today in Midland hosted by Williams for U.S. Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign now say it probably won’t be rescheduled.
But as recently as this morning, Williams and other organizers of the party were trying to settle on a new date that would work for the candidate and for leading Republicans, according to two activists who were in on a conference call with McCain’s campaign.
Reports out of Washington over the weekend said the Monday fund-raiser that was to be thrown by Williams, the 1990 GOP nominee for governor of Texas, had been cancelled by McCain out of sensitivity to Williams’ infamous joke that year comparing bad weather to rape. At the time, the joke contributed to unease about Williams among female voters, many of whom helped elect Democrat Ann Richards.
Bob Campbell of the Midland newspaper posted a story at odds with the national reports. Its essence: The fundraiser was simply being rescheduled because so many people wanted to attend. Peek here.
I followed up with Sue Brannon, who chairs the Midland County Republicans, and Ernie Angelo, a longtime Repulican leader in the county. Both said they were in on a conference call with the McCain campaign Monday morning in which there was discussion of re-setting the fundraiser for July 7 — though, Angelo and Brannon said, that date turned out not to work for Republican leaders including the local congressman, Mike Conaway. Others whose schedules needed to be checked included the state’s U.S. senators, John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick of Midland.
“We are working on a date right now with the McCain campaign. He definitely wants to come to Midland. He just wants to find a time,” Brannon said.
Angelo said that with the July 7 date not workable for all the leaders, he doesn’t expect McCain to find another date he can fly in.
“The consensus from everywhere is if it could be rescheduled that it ‘d be fine, but the chances of that happening are not good because of the conflicts of everybody being available,” Angelo said. Besides, he said, “if (McCain) has to spend time in Texas, we’re in trouble. The odds are that he won’t be able to come back.”
Brannon said Williams shouldn’t be taken to task for a joke he apologized for at the time.
“Let’s face it,” Brannon said. “Claytie has paid for that off-color joke for 18 years. To dig the thing up again, this is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard of.”
UPDATE: Jan Soifer, an Austin Democrat, passed along this statement signed by various Texas women:
“It is offensive and outrageous that Sen. McCain would allow someone like Clayton Williams to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for his campaign knowing full well the notorious comments that Williams has made, including his ‘joke’about rape: “If it’s inevitable, just relax and enjoy it”; his comments when he was running against Ann Richards for Governor, that he would deal with her the same way he’d deal with a cow on his ranch: “head her and hoof her and drag her through the dirt”; and his comments about frequenting prostitutes at the Chicken Ranch, a well-known Texas brothel in La Grange, and the Boy’s Towns of Mexico. It’s clear that Sen. McCain is more interested in raising money than he is about the concerns of women in Texas and across the country.”
Soifer said the signers were Molly Beth Malcolm (former Texas Democratic Party Chair), Betty Richie (DNC member), Susan Hays (former Dallas County Democratic Party Chair), Ginny Agnew (Democratic activist), Laurie Felker Jones (women’s health advocate and Democratic activist), Amy Everhart (Democratic activist), Perla Cavazos (Austin Women’s Political Caucus President) and Soifer (president, North by Northwest Democrats).
If McCain’s campaign chimes in, I’ll update this blog. Williams didn’t return a call for comment.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Republican politics
June 13, 2008
Photographing Huckabee
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, no longer a presidential candidate, got at least a partial ovation as he stepped to the dais to deliver his remarks, which were laced with humor and a quick vow to devote his energies to helping “my second choice for president as a Republican,” the presumptive GOP nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
He drew a second, bigger ovation after revisiting his fundamental belief that life begins at conception — and a pop of applause for another call for a national sales tax to take the place of the federal income tax.
Fans here rushed the stage to take his picture.
Clusters like the one below stayed at stage-side through the first seven minutes of his speech:
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Republican State Convention
June 12, 2008
Ron Paul getting out as candidate, but...
He’s going to tell supporters in Houston Thursday night that he’s proud to be fathering a new political committee to help freedom-loving candidates. I snagged him for a moment and he cheerfully posed for this shot:
In an interview, Paul played down the end of his candidacy, stressing instead the launch of a political group to help like-minded candidates, the Campaign for Liberty.
Paul’s campaign intends to shift about $4 million to the group, which will host a conference in September to coincide with the Republican National Convention in Minnesota.
Paul said he and supporters are simply changing the method of advocating beliefs in the U.S. Constitution, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from abroad and an end to federal income taxes, among his favorite topics.
He said he’s known since the day before he filed his candidacy that his journey wouldn’t end in the White House.
While he’s no longer a candidate, Paul said, “I never thought I was… I was just promoting a cause.”
“I’m really excited about what’s happening,” Paul said. “Really and truly, this is the beginning of something big.”
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment Categories: Comings and goings, Presidential race, Republican State Convention, Republican politics, U.S. Congress
June 7, 2008
Obama wins Texas -- finally
Unless Democratic officials say otherwise later Saturday, it looks like Sen. Barack Obama will take 99 Texas delegates to the August Democratic National Convention in Denver with Sen. Hillary Clinton landing 94 delegates based on voting on primary day and at battles starting with the boisterous primary-night caucuses. It took this long to say (that’s three months since the March 4 primary) so for sure because the total depended on which Democratic delegates showed up for this weekend’s state convention.
So ink in the headline for sure: Obama Wins Texas.
That result was solidified this morning as Kirk Watson, chairman of the convention, announced the results of the presidential preferences recorded by delegates signing in for the state convention on Friday. Specifically, 7,239 delegates signed in; 4,144 for Obama (57 percent) and 3,088 (43 percent) for Clinton.
The 99-94 Obama edge doesn’t take in how 35 superdelegates from Texas will vote. Our pre-convention count of them had it 14 for Obama, 14 for Clinton and 4 undeclared, with three spots to be filled after party Chairman Boyd Richie nominates them; he hadn’t done so as of 11 a.m. Saturday.
Again: Obama Wins Texas.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic State Convention, Democratic politics, Presidential race
June 5, 2008
Chelsea Clinton to stand in for Hillary at convention
Chelsea Clinton will stand in for her mother Friday night at the Texas Democratic Party’s state convention, according to someone who has talked to Clinton’s national campaign within the last hour. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because not all convention officials have been alerted.
Word is that Chelsea Clinton also will be around long enough for Austinites not enmeshed in the convention to catch up with her, though details were not immediately released late Thursday afternoon.
Chelsea Clinton will speak to the convention in the same early-evening timeframe as Virginia Gov. TIm Kaine, who’s been dispatched to stand in for Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
June 4, 2008
Clinton ready now to say no mas
No more mystery: Sen. Hillary Clinton plans to bow out of the presidential race.
Here’s her campaign statement:
“Senator Clinton will be hosting an event in Washington, D.C. to thank her supporters and express her support for Senator Obama and party unity. This event will be held on Saturday to accommodate more of Senator Clinton’s supporters who want to attend.”
In very slight question: Whether she immediately vacations with Texas Democrats in Austin. My bet is she’s bent on solitude for a spell.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Elfant: Word expected soon on Obama, Clinton in Austin
Travis County Constable Bruce Elfant, in charge of security at this weekend’s Texas Democratic convention in Austin, expects to hear soon whether the party’s presidential candidates (Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton) will drop in on the convention Friday and Saturday.
Elfant confirmed Tuesday the Secret Service has been through the Austin Convention Hall, the convention site, though he reminded that such visits can occur for planning purposes without anyone knowing a leader is actually coming.
(Also fair to wonder: Why would Obama need another Democratic audience just as he’s focusing on broadening his appeal?)
Elfant said both candidates should come to what’s going to prove the nation’s next big Democratic do after Tuesday’s primaries.
“We’re going to have the ‘unity picture’ eventually,” Elfant said. “It might as well happen in Austin.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Presidential race
June 3, 2008
Yup, that was Mike Huckabee in Austin
A watchful wag spotted a guy who looked like Mike Huckabee in Austin’s airport over the weekend.
Bingo: Huckabee swooped in to give a paid speech at a conference on retailing; the exclusive gig shows up here — though it seems a little odd that the former Arkansas governor renowned for losing weight would attend a gathering that included, by my count, eight purveyors of fare such as donuts, chicken wings and fried chicken fillets. To be fair, Huckabee was the headline speaker over representatives from such food companies and other retailers.
I failed to draw a comment from his press spokeswoman, who might still be on a post-campaign vacation of indefinite duration.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment Categories: Comings and goings, Presidential race, Republican politics
Lulu Flores: Clinton should fight on to convention
Austin lawyer Lulu Flores, president of the National Women’s Political Caucus, wants Sen. Hillary Clinton not to give up her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Flores, reacting to an Associated Press report Tuesday stating Clinton intends to concede to Sen. Barack Obama, said Clinton deserves a chance to persuade super-delegates — party dignitaries and Democratic members of Congress — that she would be the strongest November foe for presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, the Arizona senator.
The caucus, which endorsed Clinton for president in April 2007, has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Clinton’s campaign, Flores said, believing that her candidacy would be the one to finally place a woman in the nation’s highest elected office.
“We’ve waited. We have had 43 male presidents. We are probably about to elect our 44th. I hope not. I’m still not giving up,” Flores said.
Regarding Obama’s popularity, Flores said: “We are not selecting our next rock star. We are selecting our next commander-in-chief.”
Flores said she’d spend part of her afternoon telephoning voters in South Dakota and Montana, which have Democratic primaries wrapping up tonight. And, she said, she hopes Clinton puts off a concession to Obama — and that the super-delegates give her a chance to make the case that she’ll have a stronger chance of winning big states in the fall such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.
Flores was in Washington over the weekend among Clinton supporters urging a national party committee to award Clinton the delegates she could have won for prevailing in early-against-the-rules primaries in Florida and Michigan. The party panel settled on an approach seating delegations from the states, with each delegate having half a vote at the national convention this summer in Denver — a result that diminished Clinton’s chances of closing much ground on Obama in pledged delegates.
Flores said some Clinton supporters were angry at the decision and threatening not to turn out for the Democrats in November; they chanted, “We’ll Remember in November.” Flores said she didn’t join that chant, but she did chime in on another signaling the battle for the nomination should go on to the national convention: “Denver!”
“I’d love to see it go to Denver,” Flores said.
“Let’s not be hasty,” Flores said of Clinton possibly ceding the nomination to Obama. “I really believe we might be making a serious mistake, a rush to judgment.”
Hear her off-stage advice here.
Permalink | Comments (35) | Post your comment Categories: Comings and goings, Democratic politics, Presidential race
June 2, 2008
Mauro: Hillary not quitting and could be in Austin
Garry Mauro, who’s steered Sen. Hillary Clinton’s Texas presidential campaign, insists that regardless of what happens in Tuesday’s primaries in South Dakota and Montana (where Mauro has been chasing votes for Clinton like the twenty-something activist that he’s not), Clinton won’t quit her chase of the nomination against Sen. Barack Obama by this weekend.
“She is not quitting,” said Mauro, who has known the candidate since they worked for Democrats in Texas in 1972.
Furthermore, Mauro said, he expects Sen. Clinton or Bill Clinton to speak at this weekend’s Texas Democratic Party state convention in Austin. “One of the two will be there; I don’t think there’s any doubt,” Mauro said, noting that Sen. Clinton had earlier told him personally she’d see him back in Texas.
“We’re not quitting before the state convention” Friday and Saturday, Mauro said. “I can tell you that unequivacably. She is not going to concede.”
Referring to delegates put in play at primary-night caucuses statewide, Mauro said: “We still have 67 delegates to allocate.”
Obama’s campaign said they don’t know yet if he’s headed to Texas for the state confab. The state party said it hasn’t fielded a confirmation from either candidate.
If Mauro is right on Clinton sticking with it, the state convention could be as raucous as the March 4 primary and evening caucuses—with a potentially giant twist. If Obama’s campaign enters the weekend a handful of pledged delegates shy of the total needed to clinch the nomination, the Texas convention just might give him the national edge he needs.
Then again, Mauro reminds, all pledged delegates and super-delegates (party honorees and members of congressional delegations) lately flocking to Obama will remain free to change their minds until the national convention in August.
Arguably, Democratic presidential politics haven’t been this touch and go since party rules were changed in the early 1970s to stem backroom bosses from controlling conventions. How voters feel about that might relate to who they support for president.
Permalink | Comments (30) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Presidential race
May 28, 2008
Baselice: McCain leads either Democrat in Texas
Pollster Mike Baselice, whose clients include Republican candidates, popped a poll on Wednesday suggesting that U.S. Sen. John McCain runs ahead of either Sen. Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton among Texas voters.
According to his poll, McCain leads Obama by 52 percent to 36 percent and Clinton by 51 percent to 36 percent. Baselice polled 1,005 voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Baselice said he piggy-backed the comparisons of the presidential candidates onto a poll he took for a client who’s not in politics.
“In a state that leans Republican like this one, there’s clearly an above-average desire for McCain and a lesser desire for the Democratic candidates,” Baselice said. He was referring to McCain outpacing each Democrat by more than the 8 percentage points that he says Republicans generally out-poll Democrats in statewide races. In effect, he says, McCain is over-performing or Obama and Clinton are under-performing, or both.
“But you know, Texas doesn’t loom as a battleground state,” Baselice said.
That could prove a provocative comment to Democrats who hope otherwise.
Fetch Baselice’s release here.
Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
May 27, 2008
Pundits throw Dell into VP running
MSNBC has posted a fun little game that allows visitors to fill out vice-presidential brackets as if they were choosing the winner of the NCAA basketball tournament.
One interesting name your blogger almost skipped right over: Michael Dell. Yes, that one.
The field of 32 possible Republican candidates is broken down into four brackets of eight people each. The computer hardware honcho, ranked seventh in his bracket, draws a tough first-round opponent in Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who’s ranked second.
“Shouldn’t a trusted 21st Century businessman be on the list?” asks NBC Political Director Chuck Todd. But in a video introduction, Todd also says he doesn’t expect any of the candidates plucked from private business to make it very far.
Other Texans on the list are Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, ranked third in her bracket, Gov. Rick Perry, sixth in his, and seventh-seeded former Sen. Phil Gramm.
Yawn.
Your blogger’s Cinderella team: Former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
May 21, 2008
Hutchison: VP not on my mind, at all and at all
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison praised Sen. Ted Kennedy on a National Public Radio program Wednesday. She also said she’s (still) not thinking about possibly being Sen. John McCain’s choice as her party’s vice presidential nominee.
“Day to Day” host Alex Chadwick noted that two weeks ago Hutchison and Kennedy held a hearing on cancer prevention legislation and asked Hutchison if their idea had become more poignant or personal in light of Kennedy having a malignant brain tumor.
“It’s more poignant. It’s more personal,” Hutchison said. “And our commitment will be renewed. I think everyone in the Senate has a good feeling about Senator Kennedy, whether you’re on the Republican side and you disagree with him on perhaps philosophical issues, you know that he is a good person and he is a force. And what I said on the Senate floor about him is that I can’t think of anyone I would rather be in a fight with than him, on my side, not on the other side.”
“…I think that a Republican or Democratic president will miss Senator Kennedy’s presence in the Senate if, in fact, he’s not here,” Hutchison said. “But that’s not a bet I’d make. I think he will be here.”
Chadwick then said that people “keep talking about you as a vice-presidential candidate to run with Sen/ McCain. What about that?”
“I’m not talking about that at all,” Hutchison said. “That is not something that I seek. It is just not on my mind at all.”
See NPR’s write-up here.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race, Republican politics, U.S. Senate
Group goofs, lists Clinton as nominee by June
Scoop up this: By June 4, Sen. Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee for president.
At least, that’s how she’s described on an invitation to a San Antonio banquet that day hosted by the non-partisan Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project.
Fetch the invitation for yourself here.
Lydia Camarillo, a vice president for the group, was unaware of the reference to Clinton as her party’s nominee when I inquired into the wording. She took the blame, though, saying: “That’s a big, big boo-boo”—and not a sign of any kind that the project keeps a crystal ball handy.
Clinton, who still hopes to overtake Sen. Barack Obama for her party’s nod, isn’t expected at the banquet, Camarillo said. Neither will others listed as receiving speaking invitations: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, an Obama supporter, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Gov. Kay Bailey Hutchison will be there—I kid.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, On a Lighter Note, Presidential race
May 15, 2008
Taibbi's Texas project, Hagee's "apology"
I visited this week with Matt Taibbi, a Rolling Stone contributing editor whose book, “The Great Derangement,” taps research he conducted by posing as a member of San Antonio’s Cornerstone Church, whose pastor is John Hagee. Peek at the column here or a book excerpt here.
Hagee, who had no immediate comment on the book when I called, has been under scrutiny lately for what some consider his anti-Catholic remarks as a minister. They’re getting special attention because he’s endorsed U.S. Sen. John McCain for president. This week, Hagee issued a statement interpreted as an apology in media coverage, though the statement I found on the Cornerstone is more an explanatory statement than a mea culpa.
“I am not now, nor have I ever been anti-Catholic,” Hagee says. See his press release here.
While my column focused on Taibbi’s time in Texas, his book presents some pointed commentary on doings in Congress that bear recall.
In one aside, the author describes the drone of an isolationist Tennessee Republican rising to speak on the floor of the U.S. House. Turns out that that Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr., assumed his post on the death of his father, who had been elected a dozen consecutive times. “Three hundred years from now,” Taibbi goes on, “the city of Knoxville’s congressman will be a Duncan opposed to the extension of foreign aid to Pluto.”
U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, gets a prime pasting in Taibbi’s recap of an effort by Barton after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans to say the disaster demonstrated an emergency need to lift longtime restrictions on air pollutants from plants built after 1970 as spelled out in the Clean Air Act.
After Barton mis-summarized the measure, Taibbi writes, a Massachusetts Democrat on the committee hearing the matter said that if he’d given a similar summary to his constituents at a Massachusetts gas station, they “wouldn’t leave me in one piece.”
“Well, what I do at a Texas gas station, when people ask if I’m Congressman Barton,” Barton replied, smiling, “is this… I just tell ‘em I’m his driver.” The comment drew laughs all around.
A couple more then-House members get mention: Tom DeLay, then the House majority leader, and Chris Bell, the Houston Democrat who raised ethics questions about DeLay in his lame-duck last months in the House.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Elections, Journalism, Money, Presidential race, Republican politics, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate
April 8, 2008
Jeff Smith: GOP crossovers not significant March 4
Just-completed research by Austin pollster Jeff Smith, who helps Democratic candidates, suggests that Republican voters didn’t widely cross over to vote in the March 4 Democratic primary in Texas. His breakdown—the first hard comparison of voters this year and voters in previous primaries—also suggests there was no surge in newly registered voters despite excitement about the GOP and Democratic presidential contests. Also, most Latino primary voters and most young primary voters cast ballots in the Democratic primary.
Smith’s review of crossover voting should put to bed serious claims that many Republicans leaped into the Democratic fray to keep Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential candidacy—and her battle against Sen. Barack Obama—off life support. Some suggested that a bunch of Republicans crossed over to make a little trouble for Democrats and believing that Sen. John McCain of Arizona was already the presumptive GOP presidential nominee—though he didn’t have his party’s nod secured until after he won Texas and other states.
Clinton won the Democrats’ popular vote in March, but is believed to be trailing Obama in total delegates from Texas because of Obama’s success in primary-night precinct caucuses. Each candidate’s delegate haul will be resolved at the state party’s June convention in Austin.
To be fair, there’s still a crossover wrinkle out there defended by GOP pundit/consultant Royal Masset, who believes Republicans held tremendous sway on the Democratic side. More on that below.
Smith compared files showing people who voted in party primaries this year and lists of voters in party primaries from 1992 through 2006. His 2008 list was based on reports from nearly all of the state’s 254 counties.
Less than 4 percent of voters in the Democratic primary this year voted in the GOP primary in 2006. Nearly 7 percent of the party’s primary voters voted in at least one of the three most recent GOP primaries. Nearly 12 percent voted in at least one GOP primary dating back to 1992.
Last month, GOP pollster Mike Baselice aired his doubts of huge crossover claims. Baselice noted then that 7.2 percent of the 2006 Democratic primary turnout consisted of voters who participated in at least one of the four previous Republican primaries (from 1998-2004).
Punch line: The share of crossover voters (Republicans voting Democratic) stayed about the same, historically speaking.
Put another way, more historically Democratic voters voted Republican than the other way around.
Two percent of voters in the 2008 Republican primary voted in the Democratic primary in 2006. Seven percent of the GOP primary voters voted in at least one of the three most recent Democratic primaries. And more than 17 percent of the primary voters voted in at least one Democratic primary dating back to 1992; that big share is a reminder, by the way, that Texas was more of a Democratic state nearly 20 years ago.
Voters in the Travis County Democratic primary weren’t out of step with the state. About 11 percent had voted previously in a GOP primary. Fourteen percent of voters in the county’s Republican primary had previously voted in a Democratic primary.
Masset speculated after the record primary turnouts that there’d been a huge GOP crossover in the Democratic primary. His abiding hunch: About 250,000 of nearly 2.9 million Democratic primary voters consisted of conservative/GOP-leaning independents who historically have skipped primaries. That is, they wouldn’t show up in any analysis based on looking solely at past primary voters.
“The majority of these Republican-leaning voters were not trying to sabotage the Democratic primary,” Masset said this week. “Most supported Obama and felt their vote meant more in the Democratic primary than the Republican one, which was over.” (All but over: McCain’s victories in Texas and other states led former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to exit the GOP fray. McCain is the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.)
Smith, informed of Masset’s take, noted that it’s untestable without surveying primary participants to divine if they’ve sat out previous primaries but voted Republican in November elections. Someone could do that, but it would cost.
According to Smith’s analysis, there wasn’t a surge in newly registered voters before either primary. Less than 5 percent of Democratic voters had registered since September, and a smaller share of Republican voters did likewise.
Two more factoids courtesy of Smith: More than 89 percent of Hispanic primary voters, whom voter surveys suggest leaned toward Clinton, voted in the Democratic primary. More than 77 percent of primary voters under age 30 voted Democratic too.
“For both parties,” Smith says, “the turnout in the primaries was not dominated by the usual suspects.” Nearly 60 percent of voters in the Democratic primary and about 44 percent of Republican primary voters had not turned out for that particular party’s primary before.
Finally, Smith cautions, his voting totals are not finally certified and his voting history records are incomplete.
Fetch Smith’s county-by-county breakdown here.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment Categories: Democratic politics, Presidential race, Republican politics
April 7, 2008
Obama stalwart on radio, Perry plans TV chats
National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” quizzed an Austin stalwart for Sen. Barack Obama to record a grass-roots story that aired Monday afternoon.
An excerpt:
“Sen. Barack Obama was still months away from formally launching his presidential campaign when he went to the Texas Book Festival in 2006. That’s where he met a community activist named David Kobierowski, who told the senator he was planning to start a book club to discuss ‘The Audacity of Hope.’ He immediately raised his hand in the air and said, ‘David, that is fantastic. This is the kind of grassroots spirit I want to have all over the country,’” Kobierowski recalled.
Fetch the account here.
Meantime, Gov. Rick Perry is expected to make a couple of appearances on national TV.
On Tuesday, Perry plans to speak to the vigor of the Texas economy on CNBC’s “Kudlow & Company,” which is cablecast at 6 p.m. Central time. On Thursday morning, he’s intending to make a pitch for his book on the Boy Scouts on “The 700 Club” on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
I’ve got no TV plans—except to watch Monday evening’s Kansas-Memphis whiz of a basketball championship.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Governor, Presidential race
March 31, 2008
Hutchison aide quoted forecasting her guv run
A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison had no comment at mid-day today when I called to see if he had a quip to add to Hutchison telling reporters Friday that whether GOP Gov. Rick Perry seeks another term in 2010 won’t factor into her own political plans. See our blog on that here.
If only I’d already seen Sunday’s Corpus Christi Caller-Times, where reporter Jaime Powell quotes the Hutchison hand, Matt Mackowiak, saying that Hutchison is planning to run for governor in 2010. The same item says that if she resigns her Senate seat to devote her efforts to the governor’s race, Perry would name her successor.
See the item here.
My guess: Mackowiak, who had no comment late Monday, thought he was off the record with the reporter.
It’d be a shock if Hutchison confirmed her candidacy before the end of the 2009 legislative session — though it would keep politics lively around the Capitol.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
March 30, 2008
Obama-Clinton Texas tussle could last to June
With results still being compiled from 284 regional Democratic conventions, it might take a little while before anyone is certain whether U.S. Sen. Barack Obama did well enough at the weekend gatherings to make up for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s four-delegate lead due to her win of the primary vote March 4.
Safest (and maybe sleepiest) bet: Wait to see which campaign signs in the most delegates at the Texas Demoratic Party’s state convention June 5-7 in Austin. That’s where the state’s 228 national delegates will ultimately be sorted.
Keep in mind the Texas Democratic Party won’t declare a winner any time soon, leaving it to the campaigns to fight out scenarios. The party’s silence stems mainly from the fact that delegates could change their candidate preference at any time.
The regional conventions, party spokesman Hector Nieto said Sunday, “are just a step in the process.”
Competing scenarios were floated Sunday by the respective campaigns.
Scenario A: Trust the Obama campaign’s projections and their Saturday night press release with its “guarantee” that Obama won more than enough delegates thanks to heavy turnout at the primary-night caucuses. Those caucuses, starting a process ultimately determining 67 delegates, fed the regional conventions. And, according to the Obama projections, he won by a wide enough margin across the regional conventions that he stands to outflank Clinton in national delegates who will head from Texas to the party’s summer national convention.
By the Obama campaign’s incomplete count, he drew more delegates from 31 of the 50 regional conventions with the most delegates up for grabs Saturday, though delegate-rich conventions in Brazoria and Collin counties hadn’t yet been accounted for Sunday afternoon.
Obama’s convention wins came in urban Texas, where he prevailed by wide margins in a swath of counties including Dallas, Harris, Travis and Tarrant counties, where he also won the March primary votes. He also outpaced Clinton in smaller urban counties such as McClennan, Jefferson, Denton, Brazos, Bowie and Ellis counties, while besting her too in suburban counties including Williamson, Montgomery, Fort Bend and Bastrop counties.
Mirroring her successes in South Texas in the primary, Clinton shut out Obama for delegates from Webb County, home to Laredo, and at one the regional conventions in Hidalgo County, home to McAllen. She also bested Obama in Cameron, El Paso and Bexar counties, just as she beat him in those counties in the primary. She won 81 delegates against Obama’s 65 at the state Senate District 6 convention in Harris County.
Obama won about 3,000 of 5,000-plus delegates at play in the 50 biggest conventions. Clinton took a little more than 2,000 delegates in the biggie conventions.
Scenario B: Trust the Clinton campaign’s analysis concluding that conservatively, she kept the margin close enough in the regional conventions to yield Obama no more than a five-delegate gain—and maybe no more than a three-delegate gain.
If Clinton kept Obama to a gain of five delegates, Obama stands to edge past her in total pledged delegates from Texas—by one delegate. If Clinton ends up keeping Obama to a gain of three delegates, she wins by one.
Garry Mauro, coordinator of Clinton’s Texas campaign, said Sunday that Obama supporters fell short of turning out enough delegates for conventions in at least 25 counties Saturday. “His campaign is losing a lot of its momentum,” Mauro opined Sunday. “Our guys are still very enthusiastic.”
Obama spokesman Josh Earnest, sticking with his campaign’s forecast that Obama would overtake Clinton by at least five pledged national delegates once all the regional results are tallied, later replied: “The numbers speak for themselves.”
Need another wrinkle?
The Burnt Orange Report, a pro-Democratic blog, is keeping an eye on what could prove a wild-card factor at the party’s state convention.
The blog notes that on top of the nearly 7,300 Democratic delegates that were supposed to be chosen at the regional conventions, 351 county party chairs and members of the State Democratic Executive Committee automatically get to go to the state convention. Every one of them can cast a vote there for the presidential candidate of their choice.
BOR says that Clinton has a 45-26 edge among the party leaders. Many blanks remain to be filled on their tracking chart, viewable here.
Who doesn’t love a squeaker?
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
March 29, 2008
UPDATE: Obama says he's won Texas
Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign says that based on results from some 280 regional conventions in Texas on Saturday, he overtook Sen. Hillary Clinton in delegates. Punch line: She may have won the popular vote in the March 4 primary, but he substantially outperformed her at primary-night precinct caucuses that fed into the regional conventions.
Clinton’s campaign objected.
Garry Mauro, coordinator of Clinton’s Texas campaign, conceded Obama may have gained on Clinton. But he said it was too early to say.
“I’m stunned,” Mauro said. “That’s not the way I count it.”
Obama’s campaign said their candidate landed a lead of nine delegates to the party’s national convention thanks to the caucuses and regional conventions. That’s more than enough to outpace Clinton’s lead of four pledged delegates based on her win of the popular vote.
Their press release:
With more than 56 percent of the results tallied from today’s 284 Democratic district conventions across Texas, Sen. Barack Obama currently is projected to earn a 38-29 pledged delegate win in the Texas caucuses, exactly as projected on the day after the March 4th precinct caucuses. The nine delegate margin in the caucuses means Obama will gain a net margin of five pledged delegates from Texas because Senator Clinton narrowly won the Texas primary by only four delegates, 65-61.
“Despite the Clinton campaign’s widespread attempts to prevent many Texans from participating in their district convention, the voters of Texas confirmed Senator Obama’s important delegate win in the Lone Star State,” said Obama spokesman Josh Earnest. “Today’s record-shattering turnout sends a clear message that the American people are ready for change in Washington and new leadership in the White House that will stand up for working families.”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Final figures from Hays County
Hays County will send 55 delegates to the state convention. Here’s the breakdown:
Obama: 34
Clinton: 21
The numbers include 39 delegates determined by votes of precinct delegates:
Obama: 32
Clinton: 7
16 at-large delegates chosen by the nominations committee and approved by the entire convention (this is where the convention balanced its numbers to conform with the percentage split of county delegates, Obama 62 percent; Clinton 38 percent):
Obama: 2
Clinton: 14
The final convention percentages changed because two of Clinton’s precinct delegates switched to Obama during the county caucus, officials said. Final numbers are Obama 62.4 percent; Clinton, 37.6 percent.
A side note: Hays County party chairwoman Gloria Whitehead, who will attend the state convention thanks to her position (think the state version of a superdelegate), is a Clinton supporter. Her position is not included in the county’s 55.
And at 7:05 p.m., the convention is adjourned.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Tempers flare at Hays convention
The Hays County Democratic Convention teetered on the verge of anarchy when former attorney general Jim Mattox suggested the absence of a quorum while delegates waded through three dozen resolutions on everything from toll roads to alternative energy.
The move brought shouts from delegates who feared the convention’s business would be brought to a screeching halt. Much debate ensued, including a gentleman who confronted Mattox for a quick and angry exchange that could not be heard from the back of the room.
After about 20 minutes, Mattox withdrew his quorum call to much applause, but not before every member of the nominations committee was summoned to the floor to boost the roll. Sadly, that means more delay before everybody gets the numbers they want — the final delegate split between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Many delegates remain annoyed by Mattox, however, judging from the amount of grumbling within earshot.
And supporters of Barack Obama, fearing that Clinton-supporter Mattox is trying to keep Obama-rich Hays County delegates out of the state convention, are scrambling to make sure they have enough delegates on the floor to outlast any future quorum objections.
“Let’s keep our tempers,” convention chairman Jeff Barton implored.
UPDATE: The man who confronted Mattox was Bob Barton, a longtime Democratic leader in the county, a former state representative and current publisher of the weekly Hays Free Press. That’s two big guns going at it. And it should be noted: Mattox backed down shortly after the confrontation.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Obama gets majority of Williamson delegates
With Williamson County’s 128 delegates counted, Sen. Barack Obama came out as today’s winner at the county’s Democratic convention.
The percentages for state delegate distribution work out to Obama with 65.88 percent and Sen. Hillary Clinton with 34.12 percent.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Paul supporters win one, lose one in Travis County
Ron Paul supporters won control of Travis County’s state Senate District 25 GOP convention on Saturday, but fell short at the county’s SD 14 convention.
Rosemary Edwards, chairman-elect of the Travis County Republicans, said: “There are some new legs in the game. That’s grass-roots democracy at its best… It’s actually moving along fairly smoothly.”
Edwards said a similar challenge was tried by Paul supporters at the county’s SD 14 meeting, but there was no roll-call vote after it became clear that the temporary chairman, Joe Pojman, and other temporary officers would prevail.
In the SD 25 meeting, the temporary chair who had hoped to be elected the permanent chair of the confab was defeated by a challenger backing U.S. Rep. Paul, R-Lake Jackson, for president. In turn, delegates elected Paul-majority committees to guide them through sorting resolutions and selecting delegates to the state convention in June.
Robert McDonald, an Austin CPA elected the permanent chair of the county’s GOP SD 25 convention, said he won the post by about 17 votes—after which some of what he called the old guard walked out, including the temporary chairman, Brian Padden.
Edwards said Padden departed the gathering but later returned.
McDonald said a goal of the Paul delegates is to stress certain issues, such as the economy, in the party platform. Platform resolutions drafted at county and district conventions will be forwarded to the state party for consideration at the state convention.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Obama takes 62% of Hays delegates
The breakdown for Hays County delegates in attendance today is:
Barack Obama: 332 delegates, 131 alternates
Hillary Clinton: 201 delegates, 61 alternates
The percentages for state delegate distribution work out to Obama with 62.2 percent, Clinton with 37.7 percent. The county will divide 55 delegates to the state convention based on those percentage.
Now it’s time for precincts to split up to elect 39 state delegates. Later, 16 at-large delegates (also based on the percentages above) will be elected by the entire convention.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Jim Mattox delivers tough talk, Hays talks back
Jim Mattox, a former Democratic state attorney general, welcomed the delegates back to the Hays County convention after lunch with tough talk for divisive Democrats.
Mattox referred to a recent national poll that found 16 percent of Democrats would rather vote for presumptive Republican nominee John McCain than for the other Democrat if their candidate loses.
“That defeats you right there. If you understand the math at all, that defeats you right there,” Mattox told delegates. “What’s more, if you are part of that 16 percent, you need to get up and get the hell out of here right now.”
If any Democrat cannot tell the difference between McCain and a Democrat, “you are a danger to yourself and society.”
“If I offend some of you, I mean to,” Mattox said to laughter.
Mattox also reminded everyone that he supports Hillary Clinton, calling her a longtime friend. “I am a believer in the seniority system. I frankly think it is Hillary’s time,” he said.
But when Mattox drifted into a rambling account of past Democratic defeat in presidential campaigns, then warned of a coming Republican smear campaign by playing the race card against Barack Obama, the grumbling began.
“What’s the point?” yelled one delegate.
“Are you bringing us together or pulling us apart? shouted another.
The point, Mattox responded, is to avoid becoming “submarine Democrats” — those who surface only for fun events like conventions, then disappear.
“The point is pretty simple. If you can’t pick up the point, you are probably a danger to yourselves, too,” the combative Mattox said.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Doggett, though late, fires up Hays crowd
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, making the rounds to county conventions in his district, arrived about 30 minutes late to the Hays County gathering, requiring a succession of speakers to vamp until he arrived.
Doggett, D-Austin, apologized for the delay, blaming the thousands of Democrats who flocked to the Travis County convention, his first stop. “But what a problem to have,” he said to applause.
Doggett, a national convention superdelegate who had endorsed Obama, focused his speech on what he called the shortcomings of the Bush administration and delivered a pointed warning about divisions between the two campaigns.
Saying the W in President George W. Bush’s name stands for “Worst ever,” Doggett added: “I think we’d have better luck finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq than finding a major accomplishment for his administration.”
But Doggett grew most impassioned when he addressed “a little bit of a family squabble” between Democrats divided between Clinton and Obama.
“I am supporting Barack Obama, and I’m proud to be doing it,” he said to thunderous applause. “He gives me a great deal of hope about where this country can go.”
But Doggett also acknowledged his many friends who support Clinton, adding: “I didn’t come down to talk for him or to talk for her. I want to talk about us today. Because our number one goal is to see that one of those two gets into the Oval Office.”
Unfortunately, Doggett said, he has received many overheated e-mails from Democrats who vow to vote for Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, if their Democratic candidate fails to secure the nomination. Democrats, he said, need to “recognize that that kind of short-sitedness is a recipe for failure.”
“I don’t think the Republicans can win this election, but we can sure lose this faster than you can say Karl Rove’s dream come true,” he said. “I hope each of you has taken the same pledge I have taken. If I don’t get my first choice, I am going to make the Democratic nominee my first preference in November.”
That brought a standing ovation in the Wallace Middle School gym.
The convention then broke for lunch. Around 1:15 p.m., the session begins, and we learn how the delegate breakdown works out between the two candidates.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Hays convention begins with call for unity
The Hays County convention begins with a call for unity as the race between Obama and Clinton has exposed rifts within the Democratic Party.
There was the laughter-producing list of rules — no spitting, hair pulling or eye gouging — and the reminder by County Commissioner Jeff Barton to rejoice in “the embarrassment of riches” in having two strong candidates.
Barton pointed out that his lapel button reads: “My second choice is still first-rate, Hillary or Obama in ’08.”
“It’s a great year to be a Democrat,” he said.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Hays Democrats see bright future
Taking a break from presidential politics, Democratic State Rep. Patrick Rose shifted attention to Hays County, where his party has enjoyed a resurgence amid an unprecedented population boom.
“When I ran in 2002, Hays County had one Democratic commissioner on a five-member court; today we have four. We had people afraid to get together as Democrats in various communities,” Rose told a cheering and laughing crowd.
“We have an opportunity this November to move this county finally and fully to Democrat. And that is a job together we must finish,” he said.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
Hays County convention hits delay
They’re supposed to start at 11 a.m. here in Kyle’s Wallace Middle School, but the crowd — and a line of delegates hoping to fix credential problems — prompted officials to delay things by 30 minutes.
The delegates are packed into the school gym, crowding the bleachers and folding chairs on the floor, and the sign-in tables are calm.
Sarah Cromwell, a Hillary Clinton supporter, is attending her first county convention, as are most of the delegates here.
“I’m learning a lot. It’s a little disorganized, but that’s understandable with a lot more people here than there’s ever been before,” said Cromwell, a Texas State University student.
Though more delegates favoring Barack Obama are in attendance, Cromwell said she isn’t daunted by the numbers.
“I’m happy as long as the Democratic Party wins,” she said.
Beau Thorne, an alternate delegate for Obama, was struck by the low-tech convention process after spending so much time with his candidate’s online community. “It’s interesting to get here and see it’s still tables and lists,” he said.
“It might sound corny, but this feels like a moment,” Thorne said. “There’s an unprecedented amount of enthusiasm and engagement.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
March 28, 2008
Clinton, Obama camps air pre-convention frets
Just before regional confabs Saturday that could signal whether Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton end up with more Texas delegates to the national convention, both campaigns are wondering if there’s trickery afoot intended to drive down attendance at the meetings.
Texans for Obama, responding to my inquiry, said Friday afternoon it’s had a few Obama delegates report they got calls and e-mails that assumed they were Clinton delegates. The Clinton camp said any such calls may have happened based on bad information, not as part of a strategy.
Obama’s camp shared this e-mail sent them by an Obama supporter in Houston: “I participated in the Texas Primary and Caucus, i.e. Texas Two-Step election process and I voted for Obama.
“I was on my feet for nearly six hours straight to make sure Obama got my vote.
“I put my name on the list, spelled out specifically who I voted for [OBAMA] in big letters, listed my info. and placed myself as an alternate delegate for OBAMA.
“YET! I just received an email from Hillary Clinton’s campaign,… their Texas field director for Hillary thanking me for being a delegate alternate for Hillary. What is going on!?!?!
“What happened to my vote!?!?!?!?”
Meanwhile, Clinton campaign spokeswoman Adrienne Elrod sent this by e-mail late Friday: “We have received several calls from some of our delegates in Caldwell County who said they have received calls informing them that their convention had been canceled. When one of our delegates pressed the caller further, saying they were wrong and asked where they were calling from, the caller hung up.
“Whomever is making these calls, it’s certainly disappointing and appears to be an attempt to try to suppress the caucus process,” Elrod said, urging anyone wondering what to do before the conventions to go to this Clinton site or call 877-472-9469.
Obama’s camp has Travis County information piled here.
Key point: Neither camp is charging the other with dirty tricks. Both hope all their supporters come out to the state Senate district and county conventions Saturday.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
March 21, 2008
Democratic chairman defends party caucuses
Boyd Richie, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, has written a defense of the party’s handling of the burst of voter interest that showed up in the presidential caucuses after the March 4 primaries.
“The system was bursting at the seams,” Richie writes in an op-ed column Friday, “and there were efforts by over-zealous supporters of various candidates to game the system. As the process moves forward, I expect more of the same, but, fortunately, the next steps are designed to resolve such problems.”
Richie suggests news organizations might dislike the inconvenience of not fielding instant results from the caucuses. He reminds, though, that the party deliberately has a process that won’t finalize how delegates get sorted between the candidates until the party’s state convention in Austin in June.
“Texas’ caucus system wasn’t created as a continuing process to annoy editorial boards; it was designed to ensure that presidential campaigns would have to organize at the grassroots level and could not forget about Texas voters the day after the primary election,” Richie writes. “The system requires that a candidate either continue to organize in Texas until the state convention in June or risk losing delegate strength.”
Unsaid and probably unknown: Whether this year’s state confab adopts a resolution to shift away from caucuses to a straight primary vote on presidential candidates. We’ve previously written that two of three past state party chairs—Bob Slagle and Molly Beth Malcolm—think it’s time for the caucus approach to fade away. The immediate-past chairman, Charles Soechting, disagrees. (Peek at their comments in this article.)
Read Richie’s defense of the 2008 caucuses here.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
March 20, 2008
Mauro: Clinton ad included a black child
A Hillary Clinton campaign leader sort of burped up his oatmeal Thursday at my relay—posted here —of a sociologist seeing a racial undertone to the TV ad Clinton’s campaign aired in Texas about who voters want at the White House telephone when it rings at 3 a.m.
I had referred to sociologist Orlando Patterson maintaining that Clinton’s ominous ad had racial overtones. And I relayed one factor cited by Patterson: Neither the sleeping children nor the mother peeking at them were black.
To which, Garry Mauro, coordinator of Clinton’s Texas campaign, objected.
“One of the sleeping children was black,” Mauro wrote Thursday, adding later that Clinton’s campaign deliberately held the ad from broadcast for 24 hours “so we could put a black kid in it. We made a concerted effort to make sure we didn’t end up with this (kind of criticism).”
“We were trying to put the ad up the next day. And at midnight, we were figuring out how to mechanically put a black kid in the ad.”
Mauro granted that some Texas TV stations could have run the wrong version of the commercial.
The version of the ad shared with reporters by Clinton’s campaign on Feb. 29 appears below. It’s not clear to me which kid is African American.
Patterson’s assessment of the ad was in the March 11 New York Times.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Presidential race
March 18, 2008
What do you think of Obama's speech?
Amid recent criticism of sermons by his pastor, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama gave a speech about the pastor and race relations Tuesday. What do you think of Obama’s response to the controversy? Are you more or less likely to vote for him if he is the Democratic nominee for president?
Permalink | Comments (66) | Categories: Presidential race
March 17, 2008
Slagle doubts Clinton suit, says he's healthy
Sherman lawyer Bob Slagle, a former chairman of the Texas Democratic Party helping Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, said Monday he doubts that Clinton will file a lawsuit to stop regional conventions from going forth as planned March 29. Those gatherings are the next hurdle in the party sorting the results of the March 4 primary-night presidential caucuses, which are slated to lead to the party’s state convention in June at which 67 delegates will be determined driven by the caucus results.
On Friday, Clinton’s camp sent a letter asking the state party to put a hold on state Senate district and county conventions until the signatures of participants in the precinct conventions can be verified. The letter fueled speculation in political circles that the Clinton camp wants to put the brakes on the regional gatherings to delay a toting-up of results potentially showing that Barack Obama won more delegates in Texas than she did. Clinton took a four-delegate edge in Texas because of her win of the popular vote in the March 4 primary.
Slagle, noting that Clinton won the popular vote in most counties including vast swaths of East and West Texas, said a far-flung suit would be ill-advised.
“Why do we want to annoy county chairs in 240-plus counties, all of them whose voters went for you?” Slagle said. “There’s no point in making a big deal all over Texas if we can narrow our complaints down.”
A suit affecting every county would be “incredibly stupid,” Slagle said, “and these are smart people” in Clinton’s camp.
Slagle, 72, also disputed a blog post suggesting he’s very ill. (See it here). Slagle confirmed, though, that he’s been battling a Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), what used to be called pre-leukemia. Learn more on varieties of that condition here.
“This is not supposed to kill me,” Slagle said. “I don’t spend much time worrying about it.”
Democratic Party leaders, meeting in Austin on Saturday, gave a moment of silence to wishing Slagle good health. Slagle, speaking by phone Monday morning, guffawed, saying: “Maybe they had a moment of silence for me because nobody could think of anything good to say about me.”
He said he has been battling a mild form of MDS and may soon resume taking chemotherapy in the form of pills ingested daily.
Slagle said: “Unless I get killed in a car or airplane wreck… I’m planning to be with y’all for six, seven or eight, nine more years.”
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Presidential race
March 10, 2008
No surge of GOP voters in Democratic prez vote?
Republican pollster Mike Baselice fired off a memo the other day raising doubts about speculation that the share of Republicans crossing over to vote in last week’s Democratic primary surged — or that there was some kind of push to cross over to diminish Barack Obama’s chances of closing in on the Democratic presidential nomination.
Baselice, citing his own direct look at early voter files for Dallas and Harris counties, and similar research by Christian Anderson in Bexar County, says it looks like GOP voters crossed over at an 8-percent rate — about the same as in past election years. He adds, of course, that no one will know the precise crossover rate until someone analyzes the past voting patterns of this year’s primary-day voters.
“Just as in past elections, we saw a familiar percentage in the high single digits regarding Republican participation in the Democrat primary,” Baselice writes. “We will know even more about the entire 2008 primary electorate in several weeks when the early and election day voting information is bumped up against the existing statewide voter file.”
On speculation that GOP voters hied to the Democratic primary to vote for Clinton and to slow Obama, Baselice says pre- and post-election polls actually suggest more GOP voters leaned toward Obama.
Read his full take.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
March 6, 2008
Obama, Clinton TV ad war cost about $15 million
About $15 million got poured into TV advertising aired over broadcast stations in the three weeks leading to Tuesday’s Texas primary pitting Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, a Virginia-based company that tracks TV spots.
Clinton spent $5.1 million to air 11,926 30-second commercials. Obama spent $9.5 million to air 20,546 spots. The pro-Obama Service Employees International Union spent $788,275 more for 1,294 ads aired in Texas.
Obama outpaced Clinton by 2-to-1 in his TV expenditures. He also may have spent more lavishly to chase viewers during evening prime time.
Evan Tracey of TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG said Thursday: “Clinton had an ‘American Idol’ problem. She couldn’t buy it; he could.” Tracey said that two Tuesdays ago, Obama’s camp arranged for his commercials to air 38 times during the popular Fox TV program in the four states that were voting a week later — Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. Clinton’s camp accounted for only four ads during that program the same night.
Tracey credited Clinton with stirring Texas voters with a late-breaking ad asking who voters would want to answer the telephone in the White House at 3 a.m.
Remember this?
Obama’s camp quickly answered the spot with their own ad suggesting that judgment matters more than raw experience in who answers the phone.
But, Tracey said, Obama’s answering ad did not air on broadcast TV. That is, the spot shown to news organizations didn’t get real eyeball time with many voters.
What gives? My hunch is Obama’s camp knew it needed to splash back at Clinton’s red phone spot with something forceful. But there must have been a strategic decision to do little more than show the ad to reporters. How come? Hunch No. 2: Actually giving the response ad ample air time might have backfired, simply by causing viewers to remember and think about the red-phone ad afresh, perhaps raising chances of the initial Clinton ad having a greater impact than Obama would have desired.
Josh Earnest, spokesman for Obama’s Texas campaign, said the response ad did get some play on TV. It could be the ad ran on cable TV. He didn’t immediately comment on why Obama’s campaign didn’t make huge buys with their response.
Among Republicans, only former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee paid for TV ads aired in Texas. He spent $191,312 for 184 spots to air, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Presidential race
Final numbers on Clinton-Obama delegates
All precincts are finally in, and according to an Austin American-Statesman analysis, the final delegate breakdown from Tuesday’s Democratic presidential primary is:
Hillary Clinton: 65 Barack Obama: 61
Delayed results from 14 precincts in Senate District 19, which runs from San Antonio to El Paso, did not change earlier estimates that Clinton would get a 3-1 split of that district’s delegates.
Another 67 delegates will be divided at the end of the state caucus process. Texas also has 35 superdelegates, who can support either candidate (and change their allegiance) until they vote at the party’s national convention in August.
Permalink | Comments (19) | Categories: Presidential race
Who should be McCain's pick for VP?
Now that Sen. John McCain has wrapped up the GOP presidential nomination, there has been some speculation about his vice presidential list.
Should he go with Texas’ own Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison? How about Jeb Bush? Check out this interactive to choose who you think should be his running mate. Then comment below and explain why your choice is best.
Permalink | Comments (72) | Categories: Presidential race
Clinton: No, we did
After Barack Obama claimed victory last night in total Texas delegates, so did Hillary Clinton.
“We believe we won more delegates in Texas and could be up by as many as five when all is said and done,” said Adrienne Elrod, Clinton’s Texas communications director. “But there’s a process for counting and verifying the caucus vote and it isn’t complete yet.
“Given all the reports of irregularities we received yesterday, it’s no surprise that the Obama campaign is trying to end this process before it’s over. We suggest they show some respect for the caucus process and let the votes be counted.
“We feel great about our victory yesterday in Texas and are looking forward to the final results which we believe will confirm Sen. Clinton’s victory in Texas. The Obama campaign is trying to call an end to this race prematurely.”
So, at this juncture, it looks like we’ve got two winners.
Permalink | Comments (11) | Categories: Presidential race
March 5, 2008
Obama camp: We won
More back-and-forth between the Clinton and Obama camps on who really won in Texas yesterday.
Clinton: We won the popular vote, got new momentum that will bring us the Dem nomination.
Obama: We’re still ahead in delegates, and will win the nomination.
In the latest telegram from Obama about who won more delegates in Texas: Clinton gained 187 delegates, we gained 183.
“That’s a net gain of 4 delegates out of more than 370 delegates available from all the states that voted,” an Obama campaign e-mail notes.
“For comparison, that’s less than half our net gain of 9 delegates from the District of Columbia alone. It’s also less than our net gain of 8 from Nebraska, or 12 from Washington State. And it’s considerably less than our net gain of 33 delegates from Georgia.
“The task for the Clinton campaign yesterday was clear. In order to have a plausible path to the nomination, they needed to score huge delegate victories and cut into our lead.
Bottom line: “They failed.”
Clinton response: They’re focused on the past, explaining why he lost, and we’re focused on the future.
Permalink | Comments (22) | Categories: Presidential race
12-year-old flipped coin for delegate
When 12-year-old Austinite Catherine Arjet went to a caucus with her mother, Jessica, last night, she wasn’t expecting a lot of excitement.
But that was before she was chosen to flip a coin that determined how many of her precinct’s delegates each candidate would receive.
At the caucus at Govalle Elementary School, participants were evenly split 128-128 between Clinton and Obama, according to several people there. But the precinct was worth an odd number of delegates: 27.
So caucus leaders made calls to a Democratic Party caucus hotline, Jessica Arjet said, and were told to toss a coin.
Catherine — who turned 13 today — was asked to do the honors.
“I guess they wanted someone who wasn’t partisan,” she said.
True, she isn’t old enough to vote, but Catherine does have a favorite candidate: Clinton. (Her mom is an Obama fan but Catherine likes Clinton’s health care proposal).
“I said I was really bad at flipping coins,” Catherine said. But the adults didn’t seem to mind. They formed a horseshoe-shaped gathering around her, Jessica Arjet said.
Catherine tossed the coin — a regular quarter, her mother remembered, not a state quarter — and a caucus leader called it in the air: heads for Clinton.
“She thought she had messed up by dropping it, but everyone was like, ‘Don’t touch it,’” said Jessica Arjet, a professional clown.
It spun on the ground. Seemed to spin for 30 seconds, said Catherine, who is home-schooled.
Landed on tails. Obama.
So Clinton got 13 delegates from the Govalle precinct. Obama got 14.
Later, Catherine worried about the outcome of the toss. “For some reason last night, I kept on beating myself up,” she said. She said she wondered: What if Clinton loses by one delegate? “But then I was like, ‘it was just luck,’” she said.
For Catherine, who spoke to us during a birthday outing today with her grandmother, the experience was “pretty cool.”
“I just kept thinking, ‘This is the best night before my birthday that I’ve ever had,’” she said.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Presidential race
Caucus results could take weeks
The state Democratic Party says it doesn’t know how many delegates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama won in last night’s party caucuses — and they probably won’t for some time.
Hector Nieto, a party spokesman, said that final tallies showing who won the caucuses may not be known until the district and county conventions are held across Texas on March 29. He said party officials plan to stop announcing the caucus tallies within the next couple of days.
“Under the party rules … the caucuses are not required to report until the next step,” he said. “We asked them to voluntarily call in their results, and many have, but we don’t expect to get a final number and we’re going to reach a point tomorrow or Friday where the calls will stop.
“We’ve said from the start that we probably wouldn’t have a final number,” he said.
At midday today, party officials said the preliminary percentages of caucus-elected delegates appeared holding with Obama winning 55 percent to Clinton’s 44 percent.
Obama took most large urban areas, and parts of Texas with a large turnout of African-American voters, while Clinton ran strong in caucuses in South and West Texas, and some parts of East Texas.
The biggest share of the state’s Democratic delegates — 126 — are selected based on the outcome of the popular vote, which Clinton won Tuesday, while 67 others are selected in the caucuses, which seemed to favor Obama.
Based on the early results, Obama campaign officials insisted today that the Illinois senator had made up ground lost to Clinton — even though she won Texas’ popular vote — and continued to maintain an overall national lead of 101 delegates.
Under state party rules, which candidate ends up getting the bigger share of the 67 delegates largely depends on whether their delegates chosen in Tuesday’s caucuses show up at the district conventions on March 26.
That’s when supporters for both candidates get to choose delegates to the June state convention in Austin, where the 67 delegates will finally be awarded.
Permalink | Comments (179) | Categories: Presidential race
Obama could top Clinton by 3
With all the back-and-forth over the delegates gained by Obama and Clinton in yesterday’s Texas primary, this word is just in from state Democratic officials.
Obama could pick up a net gain of three delegates, after all the dust settles.
Here’s how Dem officials say that’s possible:
Clinton won the popular vote, and could pick up as many as four delegates from that.
Obama appears to be winning the caucus voting on delegates, and could pick up as many as seven delegates there.
If that holds true, Obama would end up with three more Texas delegates than Clinton.
But we’re staying tuned for the final results, whenever they come out.
Permalink | Comments (78) | Categories: Presidential race
Dem chief: We're ready
Boyd Richie, state chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, says yesterday’s record turnout signals that the party is energized and ready to take back the White House come November.
“Today, the sun came up on a Texas Democratic Party buoyed by over 2.8 million Texans who voted in our Presidential primary and a caucus turnout that could have easily exceeded the 707,000 who voted for John McCain in the Republican primary,” he said in a statement just released.
“Even more remarkably, preliminary reports indicate that almost 400,000 Texas Democrats participated in just the first 35 percent of Democratic precinct conventions that have reported, and final numbers could exceed our 2004 primary turnout of 839,000.
The statement continues:
“I want to thank every Texan who breathed new life into democracy in Texas by voting in our primary and participating in our precinct conventions. This historic turnout is another unmistakable sign that voters are ready to replace failed Republican leaders with Democrats who will work for all Texans in Austin and Washington.
“Yesterday, we fielded reports that are understandable given this level of turnout, including long lines, crowded facilities and occasional interference from overzealous organizers from competitive presidential campaigns. However, in almost every case, Democrats who came out to vote and gathered to caucus with their neighbors showed the kind of patience and respect that could serve as a lesson for Republican politicians who put their personal and partisan interests ahead of what’s best for our communities.
“I want to thank all our County Chairs, precinct chairs and Democratic election workers who took the responsibility to meet the challenges posed by the kind of participation that has never before been seen in Texas. Your hard work and dedication should be appreciated by all Democrats and all Texans.
“Given the fact that the contest for 67 Texas delegates may well continue through our March 29 district and county conventions and our June 6-7 State Convention, we urge all Democrats to stay involved and join a party that is dedicated to moving Texas forward.
“Finally, I want to congratulate both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama for running campaigns that involved so many grassroots Democrats. Hundreds of thousands of Texas Democrats who turned out to caucus last night sent a very clear message that we are ready to see our candidates back in Texas before June, and then very often as we work to take back Texas this November.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Clinton's delegate lead is 4 - and could fall - in Texas
The primary voting is done in Texas, but the final delegate count for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is still in flux.
Clinton emerged from the Texas primary with a four-delegate lead over Obama after Tuesday’s vote — but even that slim margin could fall, an Austin American-Statesman analysis shows.
In a West Texas district with four national delegates to award, Clinton is teetering on the edge of a 3-1 delegate split, and 14 precincts have yet to report.
If Obama can gain a few votes — amounting to .004 percent of the overall vote in Senate District 19 — he can lower Clinton’s take to a 2-2 split, and drop her overall delegate lead to 64-62 in Texas.
This is only looking at the delegates awarded by popular vote; last night’s caucus results are not included — and are still being tabulated. Another 67 delegates will be awarded when the caucus process concludes at the June state Democratic convention in Austin.
District 19 stretches along the Mexican border from east of El Paso to San Antonio. Clinton has a strong lead in the district, topping Obama with 63 percent of the vote. To maintain her 3-1 delegate split, Clinton must capture no less than 62.6 percent of the district vote.
Why does this matter? Forget Saturday’s caucus in Wyoming or Tuesday’s primary in Mississippi. The delegate haul is the next battleground between the Clinton and Obama campaigns.
Obama emphasizes his lead in pledged delegates and notes that party rules make it difficult, if not impossible, for Clinton to close the gap.
Clinton is pitching her message to the uncommitted superdelegates, who, as the primary season winds down, become more and more likely to hold the nomination in their hands. Momentum and big-state wins, Clinton says, make her the more viable nominee.
Permalink | Comments (65) | Categories: Presidential race
Latest caucus delegate count
From those chaotic Dem caucuses last night, the following update shows little has changed as the delegate split goes.
Remember: This info refers to the delegates allocated at caucus conventions last night, not the delegates selected by the primary vote. (Could this system be any more complicated?)
Out of a total of 31 Senate districts, the boundaries by which the caucus delegates are grouped, Barack Obama holds a lead in 21, Hillary Clinton in 10.
But before you get too excited, most of the updated totals are still very incomplete — with less than 50 percent of the precinct caucuses reporting their final results.
Dem Party officials said they expect to have more info available later today.
Permalink | Comments (15) | Categories: Presidential race
Obama ahead in caucuses
A just-released update on voting in the Texas Democratic caucuses shows Barack Obama gaining ground.
Those late figures show Obama has about 55 percent of the delegates to 45 percent for Hillary Clinton.
With partial results in from the state’s 31 Senate districts, Obama leads Clinton in 20 — some by wide margins.
Some of the highlights details:
Austin: Obama, with twice Clinton’s count.
Areas west of Austin: Obama.
Areas south of Austin to San Antonio: Obama.
Bryan-College station: Obama by a wide margin.
Plano area: Obama by a wide margin.
Fort Worth: Obama by a wide margin.
North Dallas suburban areas: Obama.
Houston: Obama by a wide margin.
Dallas: Obama.
South San Antonio and parts of West Texas: Clinton by a wide margin.
McAllen: Clinton by a wide margin.
Laredo: Clinton by a wide margin.
Waco: Clinton, narrowly.
South Dallas: Obama, by a wide margin.
San Antonio: Clinton.
El Paso: Clinton, by a wide margin.
Wichita Falls: Clinton.
Those tallies explain why Obama strategists are confident that he can grab and keep a big share of Texas’ delegates in coming months, despite Clinton’s popular-vote win.
Permalink | Comments (31) | Categories: Presidential race
Dems: popular vote could give Clinton one-delegate edge
With two-thirds of all precincts reporting in the Democratic primary — with perhaps a record 2.6 million votes cast — state party officials say Hillary Clinton’s likely popular-vote win in Texas could give her a net gain of one delegate over Barack Obama.
Yeah, that’s right. A one-delegate lead, after everything is said and done.
Texas will send 228 Democratic delegates to the national convention. Of those, 126 are divvied up based on the popular vote. The rest come from the state’s 35 superdelegates (who can decide on a candidate right up to the national party convention) and the 67 delegates chosen through the precinct-by-precinct caucuses that followed today’s vote.
That means the real fight for who will control the most Texas delegates will come in the district and county conventions on March 26 and the state convention in June.
With her win in Ohio last night, Clinton picked up 25 delegates to narrow Obama’s lead.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
March 4, 2008
Preliminary Democratic caucus results
Democratic Party officials have just made public some preliminary, unofficial caucus results:
In the number of caucus delegates, Hillary Clinton holds a lead in 37 counties, Barack Obama in 29. Three counties have ties at present.
The percentages of caucuses reporting in each of the counties so far varies widely, so the numbers are certain to change.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Coin toss wins a caucus
Obama supporter Courtney Enriquez said that at the caucus she attended at Govalle Elementary, participants were split exactly between Clinton and Obama. But the precinct had an odd number of delegates: 27. So after consulting the campaigns and the Texas Democratic Party, caucus leaders tossed a coin, she said. Obama won, giving him 14 of the precinct’s delegates to Clinton’s 13, Enriquez said.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I’m glad we won the flip.”
Texas Democratic Party spokesman Hector Nieto said he was not aware of what happened at that precinct.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Presidential race
Obama's prepared remarks
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama Primary Night Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
Well, we are in the middle of a very close race right now in Texas, and we may not even know the final results until morning. We do know that Senator Clinton has won Rhode Island, and while there are a lot of votes to be counted in Ohio, it looks like she did well there too, and so we congratulate her on those states. We also know that we have won the state of Vermont. And we know this - no matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead as we did this morning, and we are on our way to winning this nomination.
You know, decades ago, as a community organizer, I learned that the real work of democracy begins far from the closed doors and marbled halls of Washington.
It begins on street corners and front porches; in living rooms and meeting halls with ordinary Americans who see the world as it is and realize that we have it within our power to remake the world as it should be.
It is with that hope that we began this unlikely journey - the hope that if we could go block by block, city by city, state by state and build a movement that spanned race and region; party and gender; if we could give young people a reason to vote and the young at heart a reason to believe again; if we could inspire a nation to come together again, then we could turn the page on the politics that’s shut us out, let us down, and told us to settle. We could write a new chapter in the American story.
We were told this wasn’t possible. We were told the climb was too steep. We were told our country was too cynical - that we were just being naive; that we couldn’t really change the world as it is.
But then a few people in Iowa stood up to say, “Yes we can.” And then a few more of you stood up from the hills of New Hampshire to the coast of South Carolina. And then a few million of you stood up from Savannah to Seattle; from Boise to Baton Rouge. And tonight, because of you - because of a movement you built that stretches from Vermont’s Green Mountains to the streets of San Antonio, we can stand up with confidence and clarity to say that we are turning the page, and we are ready to write the next great chapter in America’s story.
In the coming weeks, we will begin a great debate about the future of this country with a man who has served it bravely and loves it dearly. And tonight, I called John McCain and congratulated him on winning the Republican nomination.
But in this election, we will offer two very different visions of the America we see in the twenty-first century. Because John McCain may claim long history of straight talk and independent-thinking, and I respect that. But in this campaign, he’s fallen in line behind the very same policies that have ill-served America. He has seen where George Bush has taken our country, and he promises to keep us on the very same course.
It’s the same course that threatens a century of war in Iraq - a third and fourth and fifth tour of duty for brave troops who’ve done all we’ve asked them to, even while we ask little and expect nothing of the Iraqi government whose job it is to put their country back together. A course where we spend billions of dollars a week that could be used to rebuild our roads and our schools; to care for our veterans and send our children to college.
It’s the same course that continues to divide and isolate America from the world by substituting bluster and bullying for direct diplomacy - by ignoring our allies and refusing to talk to our enemies even though Presidents from Kennedy to Reagan have done just that; because strong countries and strong leaders aren’t afraid to tell hard truths to petty dictators.
And it’s the same course that offers the same tired answer to workers without health care and families without homes; to students in debt and children who go to bed hungry in the richest nation on Earth - four more years of tax breaks for the biggest corporations and the wealthiest few who don’t need them and aren’t even asking for them. It’s a course that further divides Wall Street from Main Street; where struggling families are told to pull themselves up by their bootstraps because there’s nothing government can do or should do - and so we should give more to those with the most and let the chips fall where they may.
Well we are here tonight to say that this is not the America we believe in and this is not the future we want. We want a new course for this country. We want new leadership in Washington. We want change in America.
John McCain has already dismissed this call for change as eloquent but empty. And yet, he should know that it’s a call that did not begin with my words. It began with words that were spoken on the floors of factories in Ohio and across the deep plains of Texas; words that came from classrooms in South Carolina and living rooms in the state of Iowa; from first-time voters and life-long cynics; from Democrats and Republicans alike.
He should know that there’s nothing empty about the call for affordable health care that came from the young student who told me she gets three hours of sleep because she works the night shift after a full day of college and still can’t pay her sister’s medical bills.
There’s nothing empty about the call for help that came from the mother in San Antonio who saw her mortgage double in two weeks and didn’t know where her two-year olds would sleep at night when they were kicked out of their home.
There’s nothing empty about the call for change that came from the elderly woman who wants it so badly that she sent me an envelope with a money order for $3.01 and a simple verse of scripture tucked inside.
These Americans know that government cannot solve all of our problems, and they don’t expect it to. Americans know that we have to work harder and study more to compete in a global economy. We know that we need to take responsibility for ourselves and our children - that we need to spend more time with them, and teach them well, and put a book in their hands instead of a video game once in awhile. We know this.
But we also believe that there is a larger responsibility we have to one another as Americans.
We believe that we rise or fall as one nation - as one people. That we are our brother’s keeper. That we are our sister’s keeper.
We believe that a child born tonight should have the same chances whether she arrives in the barrios of San Antonio or the suburbs of St. Louis; on the streets of Chicago or the hills of Appalachia.
We believe that when she goes to school for the first time, it should be in a place where the rats don’t outnumber the computers; that when she applies to college, cost is no barrier to a degree that will allow her to compete with children in China or India for the jobs of the twenty-first century.
We believe that these jobs should provide wages that can raise her family, health care for when she gets sick and a pension for when she retires.
We believe that when she tucks her own children into bed, she should feel safe knowing that they are protected from the threats we face by the bravest, best-equipped, military in the world, led by a Commander-in-Chief who has the judgment to know when to send them into battle and which battlefield to fight on.
And if that child should ever get the chance to travel the world, and someone should ask her where she is from, we believe that she should always be able to hold her head high with pride in her voice when she answers “I am an American.”
That is the course we seek. That is the change we are calling for. You can call it many things, but you cannot call it empty.
If I am the nominee of this party, I will not allow us to be distracted by the same politics that seeks to divide us with false charges and meaningless labels. In this campaign, we will not stand for the politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon.
I owe what I am to this country I love, and I will never forget it. Where else could a young man who grew up herding goats in Kenya get the chance to fulfill his dream of a college education? Where else could he marry a white girl from Kansas whose parents survived war and depression to find opportunity out west? Where else could they have a child who would one day have the chance to run for the highest office in the greatest nation the world has ever known? Where else, but in the United States of America?
It is now my hope and our task to set this country on a course that will keep this promise alive in the twenty-first century. And the eyes of the world are watching to see if we can.
There is a young man on my campaign whose grandfather lives in Uganda. He is 81 years old and has never experienced true democracy in his lifetime. During the reign of Idi Amin, he was literally hunted and only escaped thanks to the kindness of others and a few good-sized trunks. And on the night of the Iowa caucuses, that 81-year-old man stayed up until five in the morning, huddled by his television, waiting for the results.
The world is watching what we do here. What will we they see? What will we tell them? What will we show them?
Can we come together across party and region; race and religion to restore prosperity and opportunity as the birthright of every American?
Can we lead the community of nations in taking on the common threats of the 21st century - terrorism and climate change; genocide and disease?
Can we send a message to all those weary travelers beyond our shores who long to be free from fear and want that the United States of America is, and always will be, ‘the last best, hope of Earth?’
We say; we hope; we believe - yes we can.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
U.S. Senate update
On the Dem side, Rick Noriega remains just a hair’s breath from avoiding a runoff with perennial candidate Gene Kelly (49 percent to 27 percent). It’s been close all night, although Noriega is up a tad closer to the magic 51 percent in the latest update.
The other two Dems in the race — Ray McMurrey and Rhett Smith — are far behind.
On the GOP aisle, incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is handily beating his relatively unknown challenger, Larry Kilgore, 82 percent to 17 percent.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Obama says Texas results might take all night
Sen. Obama quickly conceded Rhode Island to Hillary Clinton and said things are lookingn good for her in Ohio. He congratulated her for running hard-fought races in the states. He also took note of his win in Vermont.
But he quickly turned his sights to John McCain, whom he said he called to Tuesday night with congratulations on winning the GOP nod.
Of the Texas balloting, he said: “Well, we are in the middle of a very close race right now here in Texas. We may not know the final result until morning.”
“No matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead we did this morning. And we are on our way to winning this nomination.
“Si se puede,” he said, a refrain of his campaign that hearkens to other movements, meaning “Yes, we can.”
“John McCain and Hillary Clinton have echoed each other, dismissing this call foro change as eloquent, but empty, speeches not solutions,” Obama said. But, he added, they fail to recognize that voters from Iowa to Ohio to the deep plains of Texas—Democrats, Independents and Republicans—want real change.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Presidential race
Richie: Great night
New word on how great a night the Dems think this was:
“The outcome of our presidential primary is already clear: This is a great night for Texas Democrats,” said Boyd Richie, state Dem chairman.
Clear? So who won?
The rest of Richie’s statement:
“The Texas Democratic Party has conducted comprehensive preparations and developed a fair and transparent reporting system for this historic caucus turnout. Texas Republicans only wish they had the kind of “issues” that have been raised by two Democratic campaigns who are working hard for every vote and every delegate.
“Record turnout, long lines and overflow crowds at precinct conventions may make democracy take a little longer, but they signal a much longer year for the Republicans as we move forward to victory in November. The real losers tonight are John McCain, John Cornyn, and Texas Republicans.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Obama camp says why San Antone
Obama spokesman Josh Earnest just chimed in on why Obama is in Bexar County on primary night. It’s all about diversity, he said, meaning the city’s diversity and the diversity of Obama’s support in Texas and the nation.
“In some ways, San Antonio is uniquely situated as a good symbol of the coalition we’re building,” Earnest said, suggesting Obama has done better among Latinos than the Clinton camp expected and he’s also held his own among white men.
This event looks to be different than other Obama rallies; the crowd is fairly small (maybe a few hundred folks) and there isn’t the usual backdrop of people seated on risers behind where he’s expected to talk soon.
Jesse Jackson—the Rev. Jesse Jackson—is here in the VIP section.
Earnest said: “A lot of our Texas supporters, frankly, we asked them to stay (at precinct polling sites) and caucus.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
The crossover vote?
So heavy was the Democratic primary voting in Collin County, a GOP stronghold north of Dallas, that voting machines earlier today had to be switched from one party to the other.
Really.
This from election and Dem officials:
Long lines stretched from machines programmed for the Dem primary. Republican-programmed machines were idle.
So election officials reprogrammed several GOP machines for Dem votes.
“It was a bipartisan effort on the part of election officials there,” Dem party spokesman Hector Nieto said. “The Republicans helped move their machines over to be reprogrammed for Democrats.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
SELBY: Why is Obama in San Antonio tonight?
I’m seated in the pleasantly cool outdoors next to San Antonio’s white-under-the-big-lights Municipal Auditorium, and I’m not sure why Barack Obama chose to stop here on Texas primary night 2008 as opposed to, say, a place in Texas where he’s more likely to win big such as Harris, Dallas or (why not) Travis County. I’ve gotten no immediate word from Obama’s campaign. Clinton bested Obama in the early vote in Bexar County, 56,013 to 46,218.
Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, an Obama adviser, had a sounds-about-right idea: “Because somebody in Chicago told us to be here.” That was his reference to Obama’s campaign team based in the Windy City.
It could be, I’ll speculate, that Obama wanted to drive a stake through the presumption that he couldn’t draw Latino votes away from Clinton, who (it turns out) did very well among Texas Latinos, according to CNN exit polling. (An excerpt from CNN: “Latino men made up 12 percent of the voters in today’s Texas Democratic Primary. They went for Hillary Clinton 58 to 40 percent. Latino women made up 18 percent of the voters. Their margin for Clinton was the largest, 66 to 33 percent.”)
Still, Obama could take a shot tonight at disavowing a black-brown division in Texas and in the nation. That’s a healthy message, if he delivers it, for someone potentially sustaining his first losses in about a month. It’s true too that Obama’s candidacy excited volunteers in San Antonio as much as in any place in Texas, or at least that’s what I heard from Obama fans in Austin. Finally—and perhaps most significantly—the glimmering auditorium is a fabulous backdrop for whatever Obama intends to say. TV rules, eh?
For his part, Kirk thinks Obama will do well in the primary. If Clinton “wins Texas,” Kirk said a moment ago, “it’ll be by the narrowest margin.” Earlier, he credited the Obama team with wiping out “a 20-point lead effectively in three weeks.”
Warming up, Kirk closed with his own take on what this election portends. “Not only have Americans said they want to change the tone in Washington, we want a change in the tone of how we campaign… (The Clintons) are willing to show they will do anything they can to win.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Hillary catches up
Latest Texas results from the Texas Secretary of State:
Clinton 49.5 percent, Obama 48.6 percent.
That’s because that late total includes West and South Texas counties that are going for Clinton.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Many long lines
At this hour, long after the polls are supposed to have closed, Dem officials are reporting lone lines of voters are still waiting to cast ballots at dozens of locations across Texas.
And long lines are reported at a number of caucuses, which are supposed to follow the voting, as well.
The caucuses are not to start until the polls in that precinct’s voting ends. In the Dallas area, some frustrated caucus workers were reported to be going home because their caucus might not start until much later tonight.
Several hundred were reported waiting an hour ago at one East Austin caucus site, officials said.
In Fort Worth, two long lines were reported at 7 p.m. at one precinct — one to vote, the other to get into the caucus site.
“There’s a few hundred to several hundred waiting,” said party spokesman Hector Nieto. “These are greater numbers of voters than we’ve ever seen.”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
The caucus scene at UT
More than 500 people came to Jester Dormitory at the University of Texas to caucus tonight, according to Democratic precinct officials.
It’s a festive atmosphere, with students yelling and cheering for their candidates. The vast majority of students signed in, then left before delegates were elected — meaning their signatures helped their candidate earn delegates, but they didn’t watch the delegates get chosen.
UT sophomore Megan McCollum said this was her first time to vote and to participate in a party caucus.
“It’s a wonderful experience, it’s very empowering,” she said.
Caucus Chair Ray Skidmore said he was expecting 100 to 150 people to arrive at the caucus.
“That just shows that both these candidates turned out a lot of support,” he said. “No matter who wins, it’s a strong Democratic year.”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
Dem caucus irregularities
State Democratic Party officials just confirmed caucus irregularities at several locations tonight, after Hillary Clinton’s campaign complained earlier that her supporters had been dissed at several locations.
Party spokesman Hector Nieto:
“We received calls that some caucuses were voting early, that they had started beforehand. We quickly got the problem resolved. We sicced our attorneys on them and instructed them to reconvene the caucus and not to report back before 7:30 p.m.”
Less than a dozen locations statewide experienced problems, he said, “and this not surprising since we are seeing (turnout) numbers tonight that we’ve never seen before.”
There are more than 8,000 precincts statewide.
No word on specific locations for the problems.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Hutchison on McCain win
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has just commented on John McCain’s apparent win in the Texas GOP primary:
“Sen. McCain’s vision for America has been warmly embraced by the voters of Texas. Tonight, all Republicans should come together in support of Sen. McCain for President because the stakes are so high for our future. Sen. McCain has demonstrated the integrity, judgment, and experience to lead this country to win the war against terrorists and keep the economy strong with lower taxes and a balanced budget.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Denton County early: Obama
The early vote in Denton County has just been posted: It’s Obama.
The tally: 60 percent to 39 percent over Clinton.
Denton, as you know, is north of Dallas, suburban, predominately white — and it includes the University of North Texas.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Clinton win in Houston absentee
Harris County election reports just posted a Clinton win in the Bayou City.
She won the absentee vote in the Dem primary by roughly 600 votes, out of 8,000 cast.
Obama won the early vote in Houston.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Latest statewide tallies
This just in from Election Central at the Texas Secretary of State’s Office:
Dems: Obama, 52.2 percent over Clinton, 46.18 percent
GOP: McCain, 54.4 percent, over Huckabee, 33.4 percent
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Hillary: Caucuses a problem
Hillary Clinton’s campaign is complaining that Texas’ caucus system is a big problem tonight, that Democratic officials were not ready to handle such a big turnout in a complicated vote-then-select-delegates two-step.
For their part, Dem officials are saying it’s just an attempt by Clinton folks to downplay Barack Obama’s apparent lead in early-voting — a lead, several say privately, that may be tough for Clinton to catch up with.
But the evening is young. And all the votes are not in.
Heck, people are still voting in El Paso.
Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson said in an emergency conference call held at 7:45 p.m. that Clinton supporters were being “actively disenfranchised” by people in the Obama camp.
“What is happening in Texas today…is not typical. It is actually quite extrarodinary,” Wolfson said.
Wolfson levied charges that Clinton supporters were blocked from entering a caucus.
Permalink | Comments (11) | Categories: Presidential race
A new kind of congestion
A month ago, almost no one in Austin knew we had any kind of presidential caucus to go with our primary. Now this from an East Austin precinct convention:
At 7:25 p.m., voters trying to attend the caucus at Precinct 122 (at the YMCA at 5315 Ed Bluestein Blvd.) circled an overloaded parking lot and parked on curbs, the grass and even the shoulders of Ed Bluestein so they could get in to participate.
Isn’t there anything on TV tonight?
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Obama seemingly up in Texas early vote
The early votes in Texas are coming in piecemeal from around the state, and being aggregated and released by the secretary of state’s office.
But based on about 800,000 votes, around two-thirds of the early vote, CNN is reporting that Obama is up 56 percent to 43 percent over Clinton.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Dem take on early vote: Obama
An early take from top Texas Dem Party officials:
Obama appears to be winning the early vote across Texas because he took most big urban counties, where most Texans live.
Other trends:
Clinton is taking mostly-Hispanic counties in South Texas and appears to be taking West Texas counties with small black populations.
Obama appears to be taking East Texas counties with large black populations. Clinton is taking most East Texas counties with small black populations.
Remember, all these are early-voting totals.
Dem officials say the Texas contest could be shaping up to be a repeat of the California vote months ago, only in reverse. Clinton took an large early lead, but the final vote for her was closer because Obama closed the gap some in election-day voting.
Or, as those same officials suggest, election-day voting could put Clinton ahead and erase Obama’s early lead.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Webb County leans to Hillary
Webb County just reported its early-vote totals, and Hillary has taken a 74 percent lead over Barack Obama.
That’s out of 21,000 votes.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Clinton takes big leads in South Texas
Hillary Clinton has taken a lead of about 40,000 votes in three key South Texas urban areas.
She leads with 73 percent in Hidalgo County (Harlingen), 65 percent in Cameron County (Brownsville) and 65 percent in Nueces County (Corpus Christi).
But remember, election watchers say: Barack leads by 40,000 votes in the early-voting from Dallas County alone.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Presidential race
Hillary up in San Antone
The San Antonio early-vote totals have just been posted:
Clinton, 54 to 44 percent over Obama.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
12 in a row. But who's counting?
NBC anchorman Brian Williams, slumming for now on the network’s cable cousin MSNBC, said a while ago that Obama had won Vermont, his 12th win in a row.
OK, they called it first, with the other three states hanging in the balance. But given that all four states are voting today, and that Clinton could win any or all of the remaining states, seems like creative counting to say Obama has 12 in a row.
But Brian didn’t ask us.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Alben Barkley, we hardly knew ya'
Given the blanket coverage of this presidential race, you’ve no doubt heard this one: This is the first presidential election since 1928 when there was no sitting president or vice-president running.
That didn’t sound quite right, though. What about 1952, when the candidates in November were Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson?
Well, based on a little Internet research, turns out that the 1928 thing is true. Technically.
What happened was that President Truman dithered about whether to run for re-election (he’d served virtually eight years, but one of those was Roosevelt’s term). He didn’t decide not to run until July 6. So, Alben Barkley of Kentucky, a former senator who was Truman’s VP, jumped in.
Then, two weeks later, the AFL-CIO decided not to endorse Barkley. So, two days later, he dropped out. The rest was blah, blah, blah.
So, yes, in 1952 a sitting vice-president ran. For 16 days.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
While we're discussing Vermont...
AP has moved this analysis of exit polls from Vermont. Can we draw any conclusions on how white women may be voting in other states from this? In a word, no.
By ALAN FRAM Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Barack Obama drew strong support across the board in Vermont on Tuesday from white women, working-class voters and other groups that have backed Hillary Rodham Clinton in earlier presidential contests, according to preliminary data from exit polls of voters. The Illinois senator had the backing of about six in 10 white women, a group that has been a crucial source of strength for his rival this year. In 22 previous competitive Democratic primaries, Obama has prevailed among that group only in New Mexico and his home state of Illinois. Clinton has had a cumulative 21-percentage-point margin among white women in the prior contests. Obama was easily ahead among both men and women overall in the largely white, liberal state, the early data showed. He was getting about six in 10 votes of people over age 65, self-described Democrats and voters without college degrees. He also was winning the votes of two-thirds of those earning less than $50,000 annually. The New York senator usually has drawn much of her strength by besting Obama in each of those groups. But her edge among Democrats and the working class has been slipping in recent contests as Obama has grown stronger.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Vermont for McCain, Obama
Obama wins Vermont, according to the Associated Press. So did McCain on the GOP side.
Great start for Obama, at 6:10 p.m. But, based on the last-minute polling, it may be his last good moment of the night. RealClearPolitics.com’s averages for the other three states voting today has Clinton up in all three, as follows:
Texas, 1.7 percent Ohio, 7.1 percent Rhode Island, 9.7 percent.
Are they right? We’ll begin finding out in just a few minutes. Ohio polls close at 6:30 p.m. Central time.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Another caucus warning issued
The Texas Democratic Party issued a second warning about wrongful caucus activity to the presidential campaigns Tuesday afternoon.
The memo from Jim Boynton, the party’s primary director, states that “supporters of a given campaign” are requesting convention packets early and prematurely removing packets from polling locations.
At issue is the integrity of the caucus process, which will determine how one-third of the state’s delegates are allocated.
“Election staff have been directed to report these activities to law enforcement since they amount to criminal violations,” Boynton wrote in the memo.
The memo does not name the “given campaign” but party spokesman Hector Nieto said the party has received complaints from both campaigns.
Also decried by the party is the campaigns’ — apparently both — credentialing of volunteers at the precinct conventions. The party makes clear the conventions are open to the public and no credentials are needed.
Nieto said the second memo was sent to “make sure everyone was on the same page.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Former president drops by Ann Richards school
Bill Clinton made a brief appearance in front of the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, just as classes let out Tuesday.
The cotton-haired former president shook hands, waved and paid $40 for a banana, one of several food items being given away for donations to voters outside the school before being whisked away in a black SUV.
Students from the school treated the president like a rock star, refusing to let their “Bill hand” touch anything else.
“My heart stopped,” said Vivian Evans, a 12-year-old sixth grader, who said rumors of the visit started circulating around the school Tuesday afternoon.
“It was amazing,” said Tamsyn Stonebarger, a 12-year-old seventh grader. “I was like crying earlier when I heard he would be coming.”
Some didn’t know about the visit until it was almost too late.
“My mom came and got me out of math class,” said Sophia Galewsky, a 12-year old sixth grader. “I’m so glad she did!”
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Presidential race
Campaigns trade caucus-rule accusations
The campaigns of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama accused each other of violating Democratic Party rules today by circulating precinct sign-in sheets before tonight’s caucuses.
Both sides issued news releases denouncing the other for undermining caucus rules.
For its part, the Texas Democratic Party warned the Obama and Clinton campaigns in a memorandum not to allow workers to fill out the sheets before the caucuses begin. Caucusing starts at 7:15, or when the last voter in line at the precinct votes.
“We can’t confirm that a campaign has been doing this, but it has been brought to our attention. That’s why we put the memo out,” said Hector Nieto, state party spokesman.
The statement from Clinton’s campaign included this jab at the Obama camp: “Unfortunately, we have received numerous reports that the Obama campaign is violating Texas Democratic Party rules by circulating precinct convention sign-in sheets in advance and are having them filled in now. These underhanded tactics undermine the process that all parties agreed to.”
The Obama campaign counterpunched with this: “We have reported several specific incidents of Clinton campaign supporters seeking to circumvent the rules and illegally boost their caucus performance by soliciting signatures on precinct convention sign-in sheets — even before the caucuses have started.”
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: Presidential race
When the polls close
To help with your election-results viewing, here are when the polls close in today’s primary states (all times are Central):
Texas: 7 p.m., but with caucuses beginning at 7:15 p.m. or later. Ohio: 6:30 p.m. Vermont: 6 p.m. Rhode Island: 8 p.m.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Presidential race
Democratic Party warns against caucus shenanigans
The Texas Democratic Party has warned the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns not to allow campaign workers to fill out precinct sign-in sheets before the caucuses begin tonight.
“We can’t confirm that a campaign has been doing this, but it has been brought to our attention. That’s why we put the memo out,” said Hector Nieto, state party spokesman.
The memo, sent this afternoon by primary director Jim Boynton, said sign-in sheets that are filled out early will be ruled invalid and not considered when delegates are allocated later tonight.
The sign-up sheets list a voter’s name, address and candidate they are supporting. Official triplicate forms were distributed to the state’s 8,332 precincts, but the party has posted copies on its website so precincts can quickly download and print extras if they run out.
Despite the reports, the sign-in sheets will remain on-line, Nieto said.
At tonight’s caucuses, which begin at 7:15 p.m. or after the last voter casts a ballot, it will be the precinct chairman’s duty to control the sign-in sheets. Caucus participants concerned about a sign-in sheet’s validity can raise an objection at the caucus or with the Credentials Committee at the next level of delegate meeting — the county or state Senate district convention, Nieto said.
Boynton’s memo also warned about receiving reports that “supporters of a given campaign who are not Texas residents and are not registered voters are traveling from out of state intending to appear at tonight’s conventions to vie for the position of temporary chair.”
Non-Texas residents will not be allowed to participate in the party conventions, Boynton said.
Permalink | Comments (24) | Categories: Presidential race
Obama backers will be at Scholz Garten
Barack Obama will be in San Antonio tonight watching the election returns, but Austin supporters can find kindred spirits at Scholz Garten.
The Austin party starts at 9 p.m. at the venerable watering hole at 17th and San Jacinto streets. Brownout will provide the music.
Hillary Clinton folks can find their Austin party at Hill’s Café, 4700 S. Congress Ave.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
Obama tries to lasso votes at Houston rodeo
He didn’t ride a bull, milk a cow or pet a hamster. But Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, running for the Democratic nomination for president, nevertheless put in an appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this morning.
He’s not planning to make any other public stops today,” Josh Earnest, an Obama spokesman, said in an e-mail. “He’ll be traveling to San Antonio this afternoon and watching the returns there, before addressing supporters tonight.”
Here are excerpts from an account of Obama’s rodeo visit by Scott Helman of the Boston Globe, serving as pool reporter:
Obama did not, much to the disappointment of your pooler, hop on a bronco this morning at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In fact, he didn’t touch the animals. He touched a lot of farm equipment, though.
After entering the exhibit hall, Obama toured antique tractors, built-from-scratch trailers, and other exhibitions. Many of the presenters were high-schoolers from the Future Farmers of America and 4-H. His presence drew quite a stir as farmers, ranchers and cattle-raisers whipped out cell phones and cameras to capture the spectacle.
“I’m a big Obama fan,” said Dylan Speer, an 18-year-old from Abilene who was showing a utility trailer built to haul feed, shrubs and the like. Speer can’t vote for him today, though. “I registered about three days too late,” he said.
William Glass, an 18-year-old from Gonzales, gave Obama a tour of his green and yellow John Deere Model B tractor from 1945, even showing him pictures of the vehicle in action. “This thing ready to go?” Obama asked.
Glass said afterward he was too busy to vote today. Is Obama going to get his vote this fall, perhaps? “I don’t know,” he said.
As Obama toured the exhibits, Robert Martinez, a 50-year-old who raises Simbrah cattle in Edinburg, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, said he had already voted but wouldn’t say for whom. He was excited about Obama’s visit, though.
“If he’s president, I can say he was 20 feet away from me,” he said. A fellow Simbrah raiser, 21-year-old Colby Jenkins from Waco, said Obama was smart to visit the event. “He’s going to win some votes,” he said.
At one point, Obama tried on a John Deere baseball cap before grabbing the cell phone of Justin Vincent, a high-schooler from Onalaska. Obama left a message on Vincent’s parents’ answering machine.
“He said, ‘Hey, this is Barack Obama. I’m trying to figure out who I’m talking to,’ ” Vincent said. After it was suggested that it might be a message to keep, Vincent’s friends allowed that they were Republicans.
“Delete it,” one of them said.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Presidential race
Huffines upbeat on McCain's prospects
James Huffines, Texas co-chairman for Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, is feeling pretty upbeat about his candidate’s chances for clinching the GOP nomination for president today.
Huffines, who is a University of Texas System regent and chairman of the Central and South Texas Region of PlainsCapital Bank, put it this way in an e-mail:
“I am on my way to Dallas to be with him tonight. Just saw a poll done by a third party that shows McCain to have a much higher fav to unfav than any other candidate including all Democrats in Texas. He should do well across the state and very likely finally wrap things up tonight.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Paul's Web site a day late
It’s primary election day in Texas, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by taking a gander at the Web site of Texas’ own Ron Paul, the Libertarian-leaning Republican congressman from Lake Jackson running for the presidential nomination.
Log onto the site and you’ll see, under “Daily Updates,” the following:
“T minus 1 day and counting (3/3/08)”
Clicking on the link beneath “Upcoming Events” isn’t much more satisfying. The resulting message: “There are no events to display.”
Paul’s most recent press release is about a Feb. 23 rally he held at the University of Texas.
Judging by Paul’s Web site, it seems like the wind has gone out of his sails.
Permalink | Comments (41) | Categories: Presidential race
Clinton, Obama remind voters to caucus
Voting will continue for hours, but the campaigns of Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois are reminding their supporters in the Lone Star State to remember the latter part of the Texas two-step, as some call the state’s primary process.
Under the convoluted rules of the Texas Democratic Party, the presidential primary actually consists of 31 mini-primaries followed by precinct-by-precinct caucuses. Each step of the Texas two-step helps determine how the delegates are apportioned.
The first step — the vote within 31 state Senate districts — determines how 126 delegates will be divided.
The second step — the caucuses — starts a process that eventually divvies up an additional 67 delegates. (Thirty-five superdelegates get to decide themselves whom to support.)
The caucuses are important because those delegates will be divided between Obama and Clinton based on the proportion of supporters who show up for the festivities, which begin at 7:15 p.m. or after the last person votes.
Clinton’s Web site boiled down the caucusing instructions for her loyalists thusly:
“Step One — Vote between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
“Step Two — Attend your precinct convention. Get there early, 6:30 p.m. Sign in and support Hillary — it’s that simple.”
Obaba’s Web site has a video of the candidate giving instructions:
“But I need you to do more than just vote. In Texas, first you vote, then you caucus.
“Whether you voted early or voted on March 4th, everybody who votes is eligible to attend their local caucus on March 4th at 7 p.m.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Still undecided? Pundit calls Iowa speeches vital
New York Times columnist David Brooks, who leans right, suggests in Tuesday’s editions that contrasting speeches by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton at an Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner on Nov. 10 set the stage for Obama’s victories — and Clinton’s stumbles — to come.
Read an excerpt of Obama’s speech here or peek at his speaking then:
Read Clinton’s remarks, which came earlier in the evening, here or view a video snippet:
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
'I love democracy,' says first voter in line
Ken Zornes was eager to vote this morning.
So he swung by his polling place, Anderson High School in Northwest Austin, well before opening time. No one was waiting outside the doors, so he continued on to pick up a cup of coffee and returned by 6:40 a.m., 20 minutes before the polls opened, to secure the first spot in line.
“I love democracy,” said Zornes, a former Dallas school board member who is now executive director of the Texas Business & Education Coalition, a nonprofit group.
Millions of people in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island were joining him in exercising their civic right today, captivated by presidential primaries that could prove decisive for a close contest between Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois.
For Clinton especially, Texas and Ohio — the day’s major prizes — had a make-or-break feel. Once comfortably ahead in the pools, she has watched her poll numbers erode steadily as Obama’s climbed. If Obama sweeps those two states, that could spell the end of the former first lady’s campaign.
On the Republican side, voters could cement Arizona Sen. John McCain as the GOP nominee. His opponents still standing, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Lake Jackson and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, were hoping for a solid showing in Texas — Paul, because it’s his home state, and Huckabee, because his brand of religious conservatism could appeal to evangelical voters and others less than enamored with McCain’s more centrist policies.
In short, if Feb. 5 was Super Tuesday, today is Super Duper Tuesday.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
Clinton to 2012 query; I can't get past tomorrow
In a brief interview at the Austin Convention Center on Monday evening, Hillary Clinton didn’t bite when I asked if she’s going to run for president in 2012 regardless of how the 2008 Democratic primaries come out. Texans vote today, of course, in the race pitting Clinton and Barack Obama.
“Oh, I am focused on tomorrow,” Clinton said, meaning Tuesday. “I don’t think that far ahead. I don’t think about next week. I think about what we’re going to do to be successful here in Texas. This has been an incredible privilege running for president.”
Her answer caused me to recall candidate Bill Clinton’s theme song from 1992, Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow).” Clinton, meantime, moved on to her rally at South Austin’s Burger Activity Center.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
March 3, 2008
Clinton wraps up Austin rally
Clinton ended her rally at Burger Center with a crowd-pleasing litany of questions along the lines of who would you hire to … do pretty much everything on what I’ve been calling the Democratic agenda.
Her list of to-do’s wrapped up with, who would you hire to answer that ringing phone in the White House at 3 a.m., referring to her TV ad that premiered in the last few days suggesting a substantial contrast between her experience and that of Barack Obama (whose camp fired back with a TV ad suggesting it’s not experience that counts so much in the wee hours as judgment — as in his early judgment, unlike hers, that it made no sense for the United States to invade Iraq).
“Texans understand what big means,” Clinton said. “This is a big vote for a big position. We want to be sure that we turn out a big vote” Tuesday.
“American Girl” played through the speakers after she finished her 25-minute speech. Her campaign estimated that 4,500 to 5,000 people were in the 6,000-capacity space.
She’s headed to Houston overnight, I’m told, where she could be visiting polls in the morning before heading later in the day to Ohio, the other big state voting Tuesday. No way of knowing now when she’ll be back to Texas.
When I asked her earlier Monday evening if she expects to run for president in 2012 regardless of what happens this year, she didn’t bite. She replied that she’s focused right now on tomorrow — as in Tuesday. Fair enough?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Presidential race
Roars for Hillary in a not-quite-full Austin gym
Hillary Clinton, fresh off a “town hall” meeting that was cablecast statewide and on her campaign Web site, got a crowd at Austin’s Burger Center roaring, applauding and urging her on at a Monday night rally, although she didn’t fill the gymnasium.
She’s going to move the nation toward an energy policy that reduces dependence on foreign oil. Roar. She’s going to encourage 5 million green-collar jobs (alternative energy sources). Roar.
She believes health care is a moral right — and she moves at least some crowd members when she talks about a mother lacking health care who lost her baby.
“It’s morally right and economically smart that we work out a way to give everybody quality affordable health care in America,” she said. “That’s what I will do.” Another roar.
Her punch line, a wave at Barack Obama’s approach to health care: “I don’t want to leave anybody out.” Obama, saying he’s focused on insurance affordability, doesn’t favor mandating health coverage for everyone, though he would mandate coverage for children.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Presidential race
Hagee responds
A controversy over San Antonio televangelist John Hagee’s endorsement of GOP presidential aspirant John McCain heated up this afternoon, as Hagee responded for the first time to accusations that he is anti-Catholic.
At a press conference earlier today in Phoenix, McCain said: “It’s simply not accurate to say that because someone endorses me that I therefore embrace their views.”
According to the Catholic League and other Catholic groups, Hagee in past statements has referred to the Roman Catholic Church as “the great whore” and called it a “false cult system” and “the apostate church.”
He also has linked Adolf Hitler to the Catholic church, suggesting it helped shape his anti-Semitism, according to The Associated Press.
Bunk, Hagee said in a statement made public just a bit ago.
Following is Hagee’s full statement:
“I have always had great love for Catholic people and great respect for the Catholic Church. My wife comes from a Catholic family and millions of my viewers are Catholics. I am shocked and saddened to learn of the mischaracterization of my views on Catholics that has spread while I spent the weekend celebrating the 50th anniversary of my entry into the ministry with family and friends.
“Throughout my career I have been a strong critic of Christian anti-Semitism. But any fair review of my record will demonstrate that I have consistently criticized all Christians — Protestant and Catholic alike — for the sin of anti-Semitism. In fact I rarely address this topic without castigating the founder of Protestantism, Martin Luther, for the horrendous anti-Semitism he spouted towards the end of his career. It is a bitter irony that in my zeal to hold my fellow Christians accountable for our past anti-Semitism, I now find myself compared to an anti-Semite.
“To call me “anti-Catholic” makes about as much sense as calling me “anti-Protestant.” I am, most assuredly, neither.”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
Clinton camp to party on South Congress Avenue
Sen. Barack Obama will have his Texas primary-night party in San Antonio, while Sen. Hillary Clinton intends to be in Columbus, Ohio. But Clinton’s Texas campaign plans a primary-night party in Austin at Hills Austin Cafe, 4700 South Congress Ave.
Clinton’s Austin event starts at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Obama’s Texas campaign has held many events at Scholz Garten, though as of mid-afternoon Monday there was no announcement of any Austin-centered plans for primary night. We’ll update this blog if that information surfaces.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
Take that, Ohio!
When East Coast publications write something negative about the Lone Star State, we Texans just dismiss them as not understanding us.
But when they shower us with compliments, we’ll take ‘em. This is Texas, and we’re proud.
On the eve of primaries in Texas and Ohio, Gov. Rick Perry today sent out a press release entitled “In Case You Missed It: Wall Street Journal Heralds Texas Economy.” He touts a Wall Street Journal editorial that says “Texas is prospering while Ohio lags.”
Texas creates new jobs; Ohio loses them. More people moving to Texas; people moving away from Ohio. You get the point.
Perry pointed out that Chief Executive Magazine just ranked Texas as the best state in which to do business.
“We live in a world that moves faster than at any time in history,” Perry said in the press release. “Knowledge and capital are rapidly being deployed to parts of the world where the right combination of talent, technology, business climate, infrastructure and markets converge. I believe Texas is that place, now more than ever.”
Take that, Ohio!
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Obama's Texas video for undecided voters
Barack Obama’s Texas campaign is circulating a Texas-centric video for undecided voters to weigh. It’s upbeat, featuring voters talking about why they’re with him.
“He’s involving everybody,” one woman says. “Everybody’s happy, so I feel good about that.”
Voila:
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Presidential race
Clinton holds narrow Texas lead, pollster says
Austin pollster Ralph Bordie said today that in polling conducted Thursday and Sunday, Clinton led Obama 49 percent to 46 percent in Texas.
Bordie found Clinton ahead 56 percent to 38 percent among whites and 64 percent to 30 percent among Latinos. Obama leads Clinton 86 percent to 13 percent among African Americans. Women favor Clinton by six points, with men tied.
Obama leads Clinton by 10 points in the under-40 age group and by one point in the 40-59 age group. Clinton leads Obama by 16 points in the 60-plus age group.
Bordie found that statewide, Obama and Clinton supporters were about even in saying they intend to attend the primary-night caucuses that will ultimately account for 67 delegates. Some Bush Republicans still intend to cross over and vote in the Democratic race, he says.
Sen. John McCain leads former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee by 54 percent to 38 percent, Bordie says.
In November, his poll suggests, McCain would beat Clinton in Texas by 14 points and Obama by 22 points. (Message to voters: Enjoy the prezzy candidates’ TV-ad war now because it won’t be back in the fall.)
Read Bordie’s take here.
Permalink | Comments (57) | Categories: Presidential race
Not everyone cares
For those who think Tuesday’s presidential primaries are Topic A for everyone in Texas, consider the Freshly Showered Man.
We’re at the American GI Forum’s residential center in San Antonio, where Barack Obama is to speak in a few minutes. It serves veterans with meals, showers, a laundry and various programs.
Just a few moments ago, an older man in the restroom said he’d just finished a shower. He was combing his hair at a row of lavatories.
Asked by a reporter whether he was rushing to hear Obama, in a hall just a few feet outside the restroom-shower area, he responded:
“Not really. I’m going to lunch.”
Do you plan to vote?
“Nope.”
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: Presidential race
Big flags on campaign trail
John McCain may have set the record for big American flags behind his Texas speaking podium in recent days, with that huge, stories-tall version of Old Glory last week at USAA, the giant insurance and financial services company in San Antonio.
But Barack Obama is rolling out his own Texas-size photo op background in the Alamo City for a speech at the American GI Forum.
His sprawling red-white-and-blue stretches the width of the stage and is about a story high, stretched on a large aluminum frame, just tall enough to serve as a nice patriotic background for the cameras.
And it won’t be wrinkled. Just a few minutes ago, a woman with an iron was pressing out the flag to make a few musses go away, in preparation for Obama’s grand entry here in a few minutes.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
These 'town halls'
You’ve seen references to them several times in recent weeks, the “town hall meetings” where the presidential candidates — both Dem and GOP — grab a photo op, make a speech and sometimes answer a few questions.
In fact, there’s really not a town hall.
Guests are generally invited, supporters or employees of the sponsoring group, and in most they’re screened to gain admission because seats are limited.
Not much of a town-hall open forum about that.
The toughest questions appear to have hit McCain, where the screening of participants appears to have been less than for Obama and Clinton. Thanks to several e-mailers for pointing that out.
At today’s Obama event, there’s an excited crowd of roughly 200 folks — younger and older, veteran and student, politician and community activist, white, African American and Hispanic.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Sacred trust
On the podium at an American GI Forum residential center in San Antonio, where Barack Obama is to address a packed town hall meeting in a short while, is this sign:
“A Sacred Trust. Support our Veterans.”
As part of his Texas Two-Step campaign to not only get voters to mark their ballots for Obama but also to turn out at caucuses tomorrow night to make sure he gets Democratic Party delegates, Obama is pushing for veterans’ support.
He’s been criticized by some veterans for his pledge to pull troops out of Iraq if he gets elected.
There’s roughly 200 spectator seats here, and the crowd appears to be near or at capacity — even though people are still milling around, and haven’t been seated yet.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Obama security
Noticeable differences in security between the Obama and McCain campaigns.
To gain admission to an Obama “town hall” slated to start later this morning, reporters and spectators had to:
Have their bags sniffed by a bomb-trained dog.
Get searched by Transportation Security Administration screeners with metal detectors. Bags get searched again.
Escorted to seating area, with security tightly controlled by Secret Service agents, San Antonio police and deputies.
Last week, at a Beaumont speech, traveling reporters said the building where Obama spoke was cleared for a security sweep before the speech, there were metal detectors, dogs and lots of officers around.
By contrast, last Friday, when McCain visited Dell in Round Rock, there were no metal detectors, no dogs, no security ring around the podium or security sweep before the speech.
Hillary’s security is somewhat less than Obama’s, as well, traveling reporters say.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Categories: Presidential race
'Hilary' for president?
We weren’t going to mention it at first. The typos in Hillary Clinton’s press releases started off pretty minor. And hey, we understand that her staff in Texas is a little busy these days.
When a press release last week referred — twice — to “Forth Worth,” we didn’t take it as a sign that Clinton is out of touch with Texas. When another mentioned a supporter named “Country Spence” rather than “Courtney Spence” (one of us went to high school with Courtney), we figured it was a simple spell-check error. And when a press release arrived in our inboxes referring to “films honoring Texas woman for Hillary,” we understood that there was more than one woman supporting Clinton.
But today, Clinton’s press folks took typos to another level. They spelled Clinton’s name “Hilary” in the headline.
Maybe it’s some kind of strategy to save money by eliminating proofreaders.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Presidential race
March 1, 2008
Huckabee skips Austin
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee will not be making a stop in Austin today, his campaign staff said this afternoon.
The former Arkansas governor has been campaigning in Texas in advance of the primary election Tuesday, March 4, in which he faces off against Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Huckabee spent Saturday morning in Laredo at the Border Patrol headquarter before heading up to College Station to speak to the Texas Outdoor Writers Association. Tonight, he will speak at “Vision America” at the Westin Galleria in Houston.
On Sunday, he will speak at Grace Community Church in Houston, then hit the Metroplex in the evening with a stop a fundraiser in Plano and possible attendance at a church service in Dallas.
On Monday, Huckabee will be holding a rally in San Antonio in the Blossom Athletic Center Littleton Gym at 5 p.m.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Presidential race
Clinton sets Austin rally; Obama Texas-bound too
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has provided more detail on her plans for a rally in Austin on Monday night as well as a “town hall” program to be cablecast from the Austin Convention Center.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Monday for Clinton’s 8 p.m. rally at the Burger Activity Center, 3200 Jones Road. The public is invited.
Clinton intends a 6:30 p.m. event at the convention center to be viewable on the Fox Sports Southwest cable channel around the state and on Clinton’s campaign Web site.
Barack Obama, also chasing the Democratic nod, hadn’t announced fresh Austin or Texas travel plans as of Saturday morning. But spokesman Josh Earnest said earlier: “He’ll be back in Texas on election night - if not earlier.”
The Democratic and Republican primaries take place Tuesday.
Permalink | Comments (20) | Categories: Presidential race
February 29, 2008
Obama strikes back at 3 a.m. ad
First he blasted Hillary Clinton’s television ad, discussed here, as fear-mongering.
By late afternoon, Barack Obama struck back with an ad that will look familiar — to a point.
View it here.
Permalink | Comments (28) | Categories: Presidential race
Let the spinning begin (as if it ever stopped)
It’s getting down to the final days of the Texas primary campaign, and that means it’s time for the campaigns to play the expectations game.
First we have Barack Obama’s folks, making a “lowered expectations” play, followed by a deft maneuver to set expectations for the other side.
“In Ohio and Texas, the races are very, very close,” Obama campaign strategist Steve Hildebrand said today. “We have had a consistent deficit in both states. She started almost 20 points ahead in both of these states.
“We have narrowed that to within the margin of error. We are still behind but are hoping to win — but frankly we don’t have the highest of expectations to win. These are difficult states.”
Then there’s a quick shift from defense to offense by David Plouffe, Obama’s national campaign manager, who wants reporters to focus on Obama’s lead in pledged delegates from previous primaries.
“They set out a goal of adding a huge amount of delegates on March 4, and unless they are able to open back up huge double-digit leads,” that can’t happen, Plouffe said.
“They are going to fail,” he said. “There is a reality here. The reality is the numbers.”
The Clinton camp counters with a spectacular reverse move that turns conventional wisdom — that Clinton is toast if she loses in Texas and Ohio — on its head.
In a Friday memo to “interested parties,” the unsigned memo notes that Obama’s 11-primary winning streak has “enabled him to pour unprecedented resources into Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont.”
After outspending Clinton 2-to-1 in advertising and sending more staff into the primary states, Obama must win all four elections — handily — to consider next Tuesday a victory, the memo states.
“If he cannot win all of these states with all this effort, there’s a problem. Should Senator Obama fail to score decisive victories with all of the resources and effort he is bringing to bear, the message will be clear: Democrats, the majority of whom have favored Hillary in the primary contests held to date, have their doubts about Senator Obama and are having second thoughts about him as a prospective standard-bearer.”
Permalink | Comments (13) | Categories: Presidential race
Eanes nurse meets McCain, whose POW bracelet she wore
More than three decades after Eanes school nurse Bonnie Buchholtz wore John McCain’s POW bracelet during and after his captivity and torture in North Vietnam, she finally met him in person this afternoon at Austin’s Four Seasons Hotel.
After Statesman.com detailed Buchholtz’ story two days ago, McCain’s campaign called and asked her to attend the invitation-only luncheon as McCain’s guest.
She had kept the bracelet in her jewelry box until a few weeks ago, when she started carrying in her purse, as McCain’s fortunes as the likely GOP presidential nominee began to rise.
“I am so excited,” she said after receiving the invitation.
The press was excluded from the luncheon, so we can’t show you the meeting. But as soon as we hear from her, we’ll try to post again with an update.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Energized GOP base
Whether moderate John McCain, should be win the GOP presidential nomination, can energize the party’s conservative base remains an open question.
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, a McCain suppporter, thinks so, for this reason:
“Whomever the Democratic Party nominate, Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton, are clearly different in their positions than John McCain — and that alone will energize the (Republican) party to get out and support him,” she said.
“The independents will determine the election. And I think they will join with Republicans to elect John McCain.”
Another forecast, amid polls that show the country may go Democratic in many races this year : “Texas is going to be a Republican state in November … and for the foreseeable future.”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
Veep choices?
Sitting with John McCain during his town hall in Round Rock this morning were three politicians who’ve been mentioned as possible vice presidential choices, should McCain win the GOP nomination.
Gov. Rick Perry, mentioned as recently as this week along with the governors of Minnesota and Florida. No say from Perry.
Former U.S. Sen. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, who has been traveling some with McCain. No say, as well.
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. “I don’t want to do it,” she said after McCain’s event. “I have my sights set on other things, like returning to Texas.”
Hutchison, as you probably know, has been repeatedly mentioned as a possible Texas gubernatorial contended in 2010.
For McCain’s part, “I’m not going to think about that (veep choice) until after I am nominated.”
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Presidential race
McCain's money muscle
It’s no secret that GOP presidential front-runner John McCain trails both of his Democrat counterparts in campaign cash-raising.
Far less than the $35 million Hillary Clinton raised last month, in fact.
But McCain said this morning the Straight Talk Express is starting to catch up.
“We’ve got a ways to go to catch up with Senator Obama and Senator Clinton … but we’re doing better,” he said in Round Rock.
How much better? McCain said he didn’t have the numbers at hand.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Catholic backlash
The Catholic League is fuming with John McCain over an endorsement by noted San Antonio televangelist John Hagee, who they claim has unfairly slammed Catholics.
McCain responded today:
“When he endorses me, it does not mean I endorse everything he may have said or positions he may have taken … I was his endorsement.”
Different response than when Barack Obama was nailed by Hillary Clinton a few days ago for not repudiating an endorsement by Louis Farrakahan, the fiery black leader who had angered Jewish organizations.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
That Canada competition
As John McCain’s Straight Talk Express rolled through Round Rock this morning, former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas jumped on with some straight talk of his own about Canada.
“If we can’t compete with Canada, who can we compete with?” Gramm cracked at a McCain event at the Dell campus.
Nice.
It began when McCain was responding to reporters’ questions about assertions by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in recent days that the North American Free Trade Agreement should be changed, to better protect U.S. workers.
McCain said he was opposed to any move for the United States to abrogate the NAFTA treaty, saying it would bode ill for continued Canadian participation in the multi-national force in Afghanistan.
Clinton and Obama are flat wrong, McCain said.
Then, Gramm chimed in with his two-cents. Several McCain aides visibly winced.
No immediate word from the Canadians on that U.S. competition. Or whether they even care.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
The silent Rick Perry
Never much the politician to shy away from making a comment at a public event, Gov. Rick Perry today was mum through John McCain’s town hall with Dell employees in Round Rock.
Nary a word, even when he was offered at least one opportunity to chime in. Even though others on the stage offered their two-cents.
Perry just sat there, smiling.
It was only afterward, when McCain took questions from reporters, that Perry briefly spoke — about border security, when asked by McCain for his view. He praised McCain’s stance.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
McCain on the federal gas tax
Should he be elected president, GOP front-runner John McCain says he will push to let states keep their federal gas-tax revenues.
Under the current system, all that tax money goes to Washington and is then reallocated to the states. Texas and many others are “donor” states: They get back less than they send in.
“I’d like to see 90 percent of the federal gas tax money stay in the states,” he said. “I’d like them to get the whole dollar back.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
This is what spin looks like
Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign sent a memo to the media this morning titled “Obama Must Wins.”
The memo touts how hard Clinton’s opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, is running in the four March 4 states of Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island. They note that he’s spending twice as much on advertising. That he’s using more staff. That he’s been meeting editorial boards and holding rallies “and — of course — making speeches.”
So why would they applaud the opposition for his work? Here’s the money line: “If he cannot win all of these states with all this effort, there’s a problem.”
It appears they’re trying to reverse the conventional wisdom of the last couple of weeks, which is that Clinton needs big wins in both Texas and Ohio on Tuesday to stay alive. One wouldn’t think that one e-mail to “interested parties” would do much to change the conventional wisdom, but they’re clearly trying.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Categories: Presidential race
If McCain loses?
Should John McCain somehow lose the GOP presidential nomination, what would he do?
He suggested an answer to Dell employees as he toured their headquarters.
“When I lost in 2000, I slept like a baby,” McCain said. “I’d sleep two hours, then I’d wake up and cry, then sleep two hours, and wake up and cry, so on.”
Cue the laughter.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
An Amtrak ride
Asked where he stands on Amtrak, John McCain said he supports expanded passenger rail service — as long as it pays for itself.
McCain said the federal government now subsidizes one route to the tune of about $200 a passenger.
“I’m not going to do that anymore,” he said. “We’ve got cases where we could pay for someone’s airline ticket cheaper.”
But with Texas U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey, an Amtrak supporter, looking on, McCain said he would support federal funding for infrastructure for improved intracity routes that would be financially feasible.
Hutchison: How about a route from Dallas-Fort Worth to Austin to San Antonio to Houston?
McCain: That could be feasible.
“And it could go through a college town like … College Station,” Hutchison added, looking at Gov. Rick Perry, a Texas A&M graduate.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Gates of hell
Yesterday, at a Houston town hall meeting, John McCain pledged to track down fugitive terrorist Osama Bin Laden if he is elected president.
Just a few minutes ago, he promised to go much father. To the gates of hell, in fact.
“If I have to follow him to the gates of hell, I will get Osama Bin Laden and I will bring to justice,” McCain told a crowd of Dell employees in Round Rock.
Tomorrow?
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
A governor joke
In recognizing Texas Gov. Rick Perry, GOP presidential contender John McCain lauded Perry’s record of service and accomplishments that have been made in the Lone Star State during Perry’s tenure.
How strange, perhaps, that McCain followed it up with this joke:
Two inmates were in a chow line at a state prison. One says to the other: The food was a lot better in here when you were governor.
What was that all about?
But Perry chortled at the joke along with everyone else.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Presidential race
Dell off podium
His name is all over the walls of the town hall meeting, on the buildings in the corporate campus. The whole place is named for him.
But Michael Dell, founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Computer, where John McCain is holding a town hall meeting right now, is not on the podium with McCain and other dignitaries.
He’s in a front-row seat, sitting next to Donald Carty, Dell’s CFO who introduced McCain.
At other town hall meetings in recent weeks, the top exec at the company hosting the event generally introduced McCain and sat on the podium. But not here.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Hannah Montana?
In introducing John McCain a few minutes ago at a town hall meeting at Dell’s Round Rock campus, Dell CFO Donald Carty noted that tickets to employees went fast. The event was quickly sold out, he said.
“You would’ve thought that we had Hannah Montana here this morning,” Carty joked, to applause and laughter.
“Are you ready for some real straight talk? I know I am.”
Dell employees gave McCain a standing ovation, with Hannah nowhere in sight.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Presidential race
Ask for whom the phone bell tolls
A Hillary Clinton ad by Austin’s own Roy Spence has provoked accusations of fear-mongering and negative campaigning from the Barack Obama camp.
Airing today in Texas, the TV ad begins:
“It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep,” a scary-voiced narrator says. “But there’s a phone in the White House and it’s ringing. Something’s happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call.”
Pictures of cute sleeping children roll, with no mention of any candidate until the end, when video of Clinton appears — on the phone — during the “I approved this ad” portion.
The Clinton campaign sees the offering from Spence, co-founder of the Austin ad agency GSD&M and a Clinton adviser, as positive.
“We are just stating the fact that Hillary has a great deal of experience in foreign relations and national security,” said Clinton spokesman Kamyl Bazbaz.
The world has problems; Clinton has the ability to meet those challenges, Bazbaz said.
But the ad provoked an eruption from the Obama campaign.
In a conference call with reporters, Obama campaign co-chair Sen. Dick Durbin said he remembers a defining “red phone” moment, and the call didn’t come at 3 a.m. “I can recall when it was 12:50 a.m. on the Senate floor,” he said, when senators voted to give President Bush authority to launch a military response during the standoff with Iraq.
“Seventy-seven senators gave a wrong answer on the decision to invade Iraq, including Senators McCain and Clinton,” Durbin said.
Former Air Force chief of staff Gen. Merrill McPeak, campaigning for Obama today in El Paso, vouched for the candidate’s ability to lead.
“I think Barack has a potential to be one of the great ones, not just an average commander in chief. He’s blazing smart. … He’s got great judgment. He’s got great temperament,” McPeak said. (An Obama ad featuring McPeak also begins airing today.)
And Obama himself jumped in during a Houston appearance: “I’ll never see the threat of terrorism as a way to scare up votes, because it’s a threat that should rally this country around our common enemies. That’s the judgment we need at 3 a.m.”
That’s quite a response for a 30-second spot. The ever-provocative Spence strikes again.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
Laptop poll
A number of Dell employees are busy on laptops at their seats as they await the start of John McCain’s town hall meeting at Dell’s Round Rock campus. Working.
On Dell laptops, one and all.
But the press corps? Only one Dell we can see. The rest are IBM, Sony and Apple — and couple of others that look like they came from the Smithsonian.
In light of Dell’s lower-than-expected earnings report yesterday, perhaps they should consider selling reporters laptops on the way out. Wouldn’t make up the difference, for sure, but it’d be a start.
Or maybe not.
Confession: I’m filing this from a Mac.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
The music
Okay, so the techno-beat music playing before John McCain’s town hall meeting start is is not like the patrio-rock songs he’s heard elsewhere. This more the stuff of a W Hotel lobby, for sure.
But it seems to have everybody in a good mood, if they weren’t before.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Dell workers waiting for McCain
Queueing up this morning for an appearance by John McCain at Dell Inc.’s Round Rock campus:
The auditorium, where Dell executives met earlier this morning, is bathed in Dell Blue light (yes, I’m wearing my Dell blue shirt), and rows of black chairs are lined up, with large Dell logos projected on either side.
We’ve just been told McCain is due at 9:45, along with GOP U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Gov. Rick Perry, former Texas U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, Dell Chairman and CEO Michael Dell and Dell CFO Donald Carty.
American and Texas flags are centered on the stage (not like the huge one in McCain’s town hall in San Antonio two days ago). No tall atrium in the hall this time, just a regular large meeting with blue drapes around the wall, and some techno-beat music droning in the background.
About 300 chairs are in place. Dell officials said they expect perhaps as many as 375 to attend, with SROs and all.
Dell employees are just beginning to file in to hear the presumptive GOP nominee, and the press is a tad upset because they’re getting run out of one of row of seats at the back to make room for Dellies. Not many suits and ties here, just business casual — and a number of workers are carrying laptops in shoulder bags (no surprise, yes?)
Reporters have just been told to leave the Dell employees alone. They’re here to hear McCain, not be interviewed, the Dell spokeswoman says.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Presidential race
February 28, 2008
Ron Paul continuing fight on two fronts
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, this week declared his continued commitment to fight for the Republican presidential nomination in Texas, Ohio and beyond. Yet Paul’s most consequential fight might be back home in southern Texas.
Paul plans to spend much of his time leading up to the Tuesday primary in his congressional district, but will be doing some presidential campaigning in Texas as well, campaign spokesman Patrick Semmens said.
Friendswood City Council Member Chris Peden is challenging the 10-term incumbent in the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives seat. He has received the endorsements of the Galveston and Victoria newspapers, which both questioned Paul’s efficacy representing District 14.
But Paul leads Peden by more than 30 percentage points, according to a poll released Thursday by Public Policy Polling. The poll, which has a margin of error of 4.7 percentage points, surveyed 468 likely Republican voters in Paul’s district this week.
Paul acknowledged Peden’s challenge in a Feb. 18 fundraising plea.
“The DC neocons think their old dream is about to come true. They think they can defeat me in the Republican congressional primary in Texas on March 4th,” Paul wrote. “And you know what? They may be right.”
Paul continued: “There is still time to run radio and tv ads, to set up phone banks, to get out the vote. But unless you help, my re-election to Congress may be in jeopardy.”
Permalink | Comments (17) | Categories: Presidential race
Liz Carpenter endorses Clinton
Liz Carpenter, the grande dame of Austin Democrats, endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton for president Thursday.
“I’m for Hillary because she has been tested,” said Carpenter, former press secretary for Lady Byrd Johnson and speechwriter for President Lyndon Johnson.
“She has faced both private and public challenges. She understands America’s social conflicts and pushes for solutions,” Carpenter said in a statement released by the campaign.
The Clinton campaign has placed special emphasis on securing endorsements from women born around or before 1920, when women were allowed to vote — a poignant reminder about the historic nature of Clinton’s campaign. Carpenter, 87, was born in 1920.
Permalink | Comments (26) | Categories: Presidential race
Town Hall meeting explores Latino voting
A Town Hall meeting examining the impact of Latinos on this year’s presidential election will be held Friday at Texas State University in San Marcos.
The free event is from 7:15 to 9 p.m. at the Alkek Library teaching theater. It is hosted by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Many analysts consider Latinos a pivotal constituency in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, which could decide who wins the Democratic nomination.
Panelists scheduled to attend are Garry Mauro, Texas chairman for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign; Lydia Camarillo, vice president of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project; Andy Hernandez, executive director of the Wesley Center for Family and Neighborhood Development; and Federico Subervi, director of the Center for the Study of Latino Media & Markets at Texas State.
The town hall meeting is part of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Region 5 Conference, which continues Saturday at Texas State.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
Take that, Rick Perry
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has called on Mike Huckabee to abandon his presidential bid to clear the way for the all-but-certain GOP nominee, John McCain.
Huckabee, however, has consistently rejected that advice, saying it would be foolish to disenfranchise voters in primary states before a candidate wraps up enough delegates to secure the nomination.
And Thursday, while campaigning in Perry’s state, Huckabee went one better. Asked about Perry’s support of McCain during a conference call with reporters, Huckabee retorted:
“I hope he will be as effective for Senator McCain as he was for Rudy Guiliani.”
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Presidential race
Obama headed to Beaumont, Fort Worth
Barack Obama left the hall at the Austin Convention Center where he held a town hall on the economy that pleased his audience without yielding anything in the way of breaking news.
The candidate is slated to appear later Thursday in Beaumont and Fort Worth.
Before leaving the convention center, though, Obama went off-stage to sign what one audience member estimated were 60 to 70 items, most of them copies of his books.
Carl Wake of Leander got Obama’s autograph on his copy of “The Audacity of Hope.”
“Pretty awesome,” Wake said. “This is a little piece of history right here.”
Wake, a lighting technician, said he came to support Obama about three months ago, warmed by Obama’s stress on people working together to bring the country together. He’s already voted for him too.
“I feel like he’s talking to me,” Wake said.
Permalink | Comments (11) | Categories: Presidential race
Nine-year-old almost daunts Obama
A nine-year-old girl brought down Obama’s crowd and just about tied him up with her first of two queries: “When will you sign my book?”
“It depends,” Obama replied, on her second question, which turned out to be on creating jobs so that people could afford health care for their children. His reply got dry after that, but he closed with enough of a blast to leave the crowd happy. Surely he’s signing at least one book now.
Timekeeper watch: He took more than 40 minutes’ worth of questions. By my count, six audience members got their turns.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Obama speaks on student testing, attitudes
Responding to an audience member’s query on how he views the No Child Left Behind Act, which requires states to improve student performance over time, Obama said he’s OK with student testing that helps teachers teach and students learn — but not necessarily to simply penalize schools striving to educate children.
Not that he’s opposed to tests, Obama said, adding: “I’ve been undergoing a test here for the last 13 months.”
He capped a walk-through of some of his education proposals by saying improvements aren’t just a matter of spending. “It’s also a matter of changing attitudes,” Obama said. “Parents are going to have to parent,” turning off TVs, putting away kids’ video games. And students and teachers are going to have to crack down too, he said.
To students, he said: “You’ve got to work harder.”
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Presidential race
Obama gets ovation for clean campaign
An audience member opened his query to Obama by saying he applauds him “for the clean campaign you’re running.” That touched off a standing ovation in the hall, to which Obama reacted: “Maybe we should just stop there.”
The two plunged ahead instead on a discussion of Obama’s ideas on foreign aid.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Presidential race
Obama speaks to welfare, budget fixes
An Austin hotel worker asked Obama what he makes of the nation’s welfare system. Obama responded by crediting Bill Clinton with moving the system toward an emphasis on getting welfare recipients back to the work force. Still, he said, too many people are one car breakdown or an illness away from “losing everything.” They don’t qualify for health insurance. They don’t have enough for day care for their children. They might be falling behind on rent, on credit-card bills, on a car title loan.
Meaning: “People are just treading water all their lives.”
So, he said, he wants changes in federal laws essentially enabling parents, especially women, to get adequate child care, transportation to and from work and expanded rights to take time from work to care for loved ones, so the support system improves.
“We can’t keep on — even if we’re progressives — saying to ourselves that it’s only the government’s fault” when people suffer hard times, he said.
Asked by another crowd member how he’ll get the federal budget on track, Obama walked through some ideas, briefly returning to his take on being what used to be called a liberal: “If you’re a progressive, you should be even more fiscally conservative than the so-called conservatives. Where we need to spend money, we can’t afford to waste money on things we don’t need.”
Obama called making health care affordable for all Americans the biggest issue ahead.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
Obama fields query on patent laws
After his nearly 20-minute speech on his ideas for the U.S. economy, Obama opened himself to questions from the crowd, albeit conceding he won’t get to every one.
First query popped from a University of Texas computer sciences student wondering what Obama might do about federal patent laws. Obama got some applause saying those laws need a “thorough overhaul.” And, he said, he’ll appoint a chief information officer to the White House from the nation’s high technology field.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Obama bores in on economy
Barack Obama settled the crowd at the Austin Convention Hall, even scooting front-row snapshooters to seats before diving into his prepared remarks on the economy — though he did field another holler of love from a woman, to which he replied: “I love you back.”
Building up to a pitch for a booklet his campaign offers on his proposals to lift the economy, Obama said he sees anxiety on the faces of working Americans — a young woman who sleeps three hours a night because she’s working and going to school, plant workers in Ohio fearful of their jobs slipping away, and a San Antonio couple struggling with the terms of a predatory loan.
The booklet can be fetched online here.
“We are not standing on the brink of a recession because of forces beyond our control,” Obama said. “It was a failure of leadership” in Washington.
He’s already mentioned presumptive GOP nominee John McCain too, noting that McCain would make permanent tax cuts for the wealthy put in place at President Bush’s request. Obama’s platform envisions those cuts getting rolled back, though he also promises a tax cut for the middle class.
The hall isn’t full; dozens of fold-up chairs are available along one wall. Obama stands at a podium fronted by his “Change We Can Believe In” placard. There’s a giant Texas flag on the wall behind his right shoulder. An Obama banner is on the wall behind his left shoulder.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Presidential race
Barton Hills mom perseveres in introduction
Sarah Jeansonne, who lives in Austin’s Barton Hills neighborhood, stepped up to introduce Barack Obama by saying: “I’m so sorry I’m not Barack Obama.” Her nod to the crowd’s eagerness for the candidate didn’t stop someone from hollering a moment later: “Where’s Obama?”
She persevered, though, telling the crowd (in a room acoustically better suited to a roller derby) that health care matters to her family. Word is too she has a family member serving in Iraq.
I’m going to pursue a copy of what she obviously drafted as a heartfelt tribute.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Presidential race
Obama scene: Waves of chants before he talks
It’s not even 10 a.m. Thursday and chants of “O-ba-ma” have rippled through a hall in the Austin Convention Center where he’s going to hold a town hall on the economy. Next came a round of clap-clap-clap “We Want Change” calls, reinforced by stomps. Next, “Yes we can,” clap-clap-clap, stomp-stomp-stomp. Next, “Fired up,” answered by “Ready to go.”
The event may be about the economy, but folks looking down on the stage where Obama will stand are here mainly because they see him as the Democrats’ presidential nominee to be—and they’re thrilled.
“I wanted to be a part of history,” said Tracy Clarkson, an Austin surgical technician. She’s with Obama because, she said, he’ll get U.S. troops out of Iraq and generally lead the nation toward change.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
A Clinton question
Kelly Horn, 24, says she is working hard for the election of Hillary Clinton. But this morning she was in the audience of GOP front-runner John McCain’s town hall meeting in Houston.
To ask a question.
Bill Clinton tells a story about a family who was burned out of their home, and moves in with a good-samaritan neighbor, she said. After a year, “isn’t it time for them to move out?” Horn asked.
She likened the couch story to America’s military commitment in Iraq, and how long U.S. troops may have to remain there.
McCain responded immediately.
“They can sleep on our couch as long as they need to,” he responded, citing decades-long U.S. military presence in Germany, the Phillipines, Japan and other countries. As a Superpower, the United States has a duty to assist and support other countries that affect its national interests, McCain said.
After all, he insisted, if we don’t help the Iraqis now, “it could be our house that burns down” — a reference to terrorist organizations bent on the destruction of America, McCain said.
McCain then asked Horn, 24, whether she wanted to respond to his response. She said she disagreed.
After the town hall meeting, Horn reiterated her position — and revealed she is a Hillary backer.
“I’ve contributed a good deal to her … and I worked on her campaign for Senate in New York,” the New Jersey native explained.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Friday duel, Obama vs. Clinton in Alamo City
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton intend to throw rallies at about the same time Friday in San Antonio.
Obama appears first, a preliminary schedule shows. The doors open at 6 p.m. for his “Stand for Change” rally at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, a facility that’s technically in Selma.
The doors open at 7 p.m. for Clinton’s 9:30 p.m. “Solution for America” rally at Hemisfair Park.
Maybe they can catch up with each other later Friday over mole plates at San Antonio’s venerable Mi Tierra. Cue the mariachis…
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Mauro pings for Hillary, Richard Land sound-bites
Garry Mauro, coordinator of Hillary Clinton’s Texas presidential campaign, took a moment to ping his own political supporters in a “Dear Fellow Texas Democrat” letter. Naturally he urges recipients to vote early or on Tuesday and then plan to attend their respective primary-night precinct caucus.
Mauro’s letter lofts only one zinger, and it’s not a head-snapper: “Speeches are nice but results are what really matter. Hillary Clinton knows how to get things done.” He closes with his sense of why Texas matters: “REMEMBER, the Democratic candidate that wins Texas, wins the Democratic nomination.”
Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention sound-bit on the Clinton-Obama race in a tarter fashion. On National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” Thursday, Land said he feels kind of sorry for Clinton. Why? She’s doing a job interview and Obama’s on a date. Shaboom.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
McCain on bin Laden: "I'll get him"
In addressing the ongoing threat from Islamic extremism — “The transcendent evil of the 21st Century,” he called it — John McCain just said:
“We have to eliminate Osama Bin Laden. We have to remove him, and I’ll get him.”
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
McCain hits Obama on al Qaeda again
John McCain continued his war of words this morning with Barack Obama over al Qaeda.
Yesterday, McCain chided Obama for not knowing that al Qaeda was still in Iraq. Obama shot back that al Qaeda didn’t exist in Iraq until President Bush and McCain invaded Iraq.
At a Houston town hall meeting this morning, McCain just shot back: “That’s history. That’s the past.”
“What we should be talking about now is winning this war … so (U.S. troops) can come home with honor.”
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Presidential race
McCain warms up the Coolidge crowd
John McCain loves to warm up a crowd with a few one-liners, and his Houston event in progress now is no exception.
Several were recycled from yesterday’s town hall meeting in San Antonio.
“We now have a pro-American president of France, which just goes to show you that if you live long enough anything can happen.”
“Barry Goldwater. Morris Udall. Bruce Babbitt. Arizona may be the only state where mothers don’t tell their children they can grow up to be president.”
“When Morris was campaigning in New Hampshire, he walked into a barber shop. ‘I’m Morris Udall and I’m running for president,’ Udall told the barber. The barber said, ‘Yeah, we were just laughing about that.”
Then came a Houston zinger.
In recognizing several top Houston Republicans, McCain looked at business icon Robert Mosbacher: “He was in the Coolidge Administration.”
Cue in the laughter.
McCain’s not really that old. After all, Silent Cal was president a decade before McCain was born.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
McCain-McClain. Nominee by any name?
Introducing this morning’s Houston town hall meeting was none other than the well-known namesake of the Rice University policy institute where the event is being held.
James A. Baker III, treasury secretary to President Reagan and secretary of state for President George Bush, praised the Arizona senator as having “a reputation for addressing difficult and complicated issues.”
He also called the GOP contender “the presumptive Republican nominee.”
But when Baker got to bringing the guest of honor to the stage, some folks looked around at each other quizzically as they applauded.
Ladies and gentlemen, Baker said, “John McClain.”
The show went on without missing a beat.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Presidential race
Rice awaits McCain
For his scheduled 8:30 town hall meeting in Houston this morning. John McCain’s words will resonate in another tall-ceilinged room, in the James Baker Center for Public Policy.
Approximately 200 seats line the floor of the four-story-tall ballroom, Spanish in architecture, dark paneled with rich highlights in tan and dark greens. Large, simple uplighted chandelier — about as big around as an airplane fuselage — hangs overhead.
Where most of his larger audience at yesterday’s town hall in San Antonio were work-casual-dressed folks, today’s crowd is mostly in suits and ties. Generally, they appear to be older, but there’s quite a number of what appear to be students here, as well.
Low stage at the front. Press and row of cameras are the back. Whispering audience filling up all the space in between.
The flags: Regular-sized, just behind the stage, not like yesterday where Old Glory was much bigger than the stage.
That’s what the scene is now. But that’s sure to change when McCain shows up shortly.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Presidential race
February 27, 2008
Bill Clinton: Hillary will make change happen
Standing atop a pickup truck with a Texas flag draped across the driver-side window, former President Bill Clinton offered his wife, Hillary Clinton, as the presidential candidate with a reliable track record of change.
“She has always been a world-class change-maker,” Clinton said as he addressed a crowd at the Austin Community College in East Austin Wednesday afternoon.
He ticked off a long history dating back to law school where Hillary Clinton had fostered significant social change. When he got to Clinton’s time registering Hispanic voters in Texas back in 1972, a “thank you” rang out from the crowd.
Before Clinton’s arrival, former state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos and Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gomez hammered away at Sen. Barack Obama — without mentioning his name — for not “paying his dues” and lacking experience.
“We cannot have on-the-job training in the White House of the United States of America. Not anymore,” Barrientos said.
Permalink | Comments (27) | Categories: Presidential race
Turnout prediction: Record
Texas Secretary of State Phil Wilson has just made public his prediction for next Tuesday’s primary election: It’ll set a new record.
Twenty-six percent of Texas’ registered voters will turn out, Wilson predicts, based on heavy early-voting turnout across the Lone Star State.
“The number of voters participating in the Texas primaries is greater than anything we have seen before,” Wilson said in a statement. “If the voting trends continue through Election Day, Texas will set a record for turnout in a primary election with 3.3 million Texans casting a ballot.”
It continues: “The previous record in Texas was set in the 1988 Presidential Primary election with more than 2.7 million Texans turning out to vote. As of Tuesday, more than 680,000 Texans had already voted in early voting, more than doubling the turnout seen in 2004. Due to the high turnout expected, Secretary Wilson is encouraging Texans to take advantage of the last two days of early voting.”
Early voting concludes Friday and Election Day is next Tuesday.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
Huckabee schedules 7 stops in Texas
Mike Huckabee will begin a seven-city Texas tour Thursday.
The GOP presidential candidate will hold a noon rally in Texarkana, then travel to Waco for an afternoon media availability. That night, he’ll reserve 15 minutes for reporters in Amarillo before moving on to a private fund-raiser.
On Friday, he begins the day with a 9 a.m. rally in Lubbock before holding media availabilities in College Station, Fort Worth and Houston, where he’ll attend a Reagan Day Dinner.
Permalink | | Categories: Presidential race
