Obama not ready to write off Texas

Maybe Texas hasn't seen the last of Barack Obama after all.

Smart money back in March was that once the Democratic primary ended, who ever ended up with the presidential nomination would only need Texas for its deep-pocket donors. But now that Obama appears on a cruise-control glide to the nomination, we've got some visible signs that he still plans to mine the Lone Star State for votes come November.

The Illinois senator's campaign just served notice that it plans to hold four major voter-registration efforts in the state's top media markets on Saturday. The event for the Metroplex will be in Dallas at 1409 S. Lamar St., starting at 10:30 a.m.

State Republican party spokesman Hans Klingler brushed aside any notion that any Democratic presidential nominee has any chance to take Texas this year. The state has been as red as the bottom stripe of the Lone Star flag in every presidential race since 1980.

"As (Democratic gubernatorial candidate) Tony Sanchez showed in 2002, you can spend millions of dollars on voter registration in Texas and still come up double-digits behind the Republicans in Texas," Klingler said. "Sen. McCain (the presumptive GOP nominee who's first name is John) is going to do very well here in Texas this fall."

Not so fast, countered Democratic operative Kelly Fero.

"Texas is definitely in play, more so down the ballot in state Senate and House races than in the presidential," he said. "But the presidential race will significantly shape some of the down-ballot races and create a tide that could sweep incumbents out of office and challengers into office."

-- John Moritz

(Go to http://my.barackobama.com/voteforchange to find out more about Obama's effort.)

Comments

[Herb]

In order to create an equal exposure you can also go to

www.johnmccain.com

[Herb]

In order to give equal time, and not be unfairly subjected to the left wing position of this newspaper you can also get information at:

http://johnmccain.com/

[ERW]

Obama should not "write off" Texas. Even with the cross-over vote going back home to the Republican party, there is still much more grassroots support for Democrats. Not to mention the down ticket races that are in play.

Cornyn and Noriega are polling close, and Noriega is within the Margin of error for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Sure would be nice for candidates to look to Texans for more than campaign contributions.

[Drevelyn Minor]

Randy Shaw of San Francisco ~ A Colleague and Friend of Drevelyn “D” Minor ~~~ Wrote in the ~~~Beyond Chron.org ~~~for more information please visit their web-site.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obama’s Strength, Traditional Media’s Weakness
by Randy Shaw‚ May. 07‚ 2008 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prior to counting the votes in North Carolina and Indiana, the traditional media had its post-election narrative all prepared: Obama had once again done poorly among white working class voters, Clinton had out-maneuvered him on the summer gas tax waiver, Reverend Wright was damaging Obama’s candidacy, rural voters had rebelled against Obama’s calling them “bitter,” and Clinton had the momentum while Obama clung to the ropes waiting for the last primary bell to ring. This narrative so dominated the two weeks since Pennsylvania that even Obama supporters who understood the mathematical impossibility of a Clinton victory worried that the nomination would somehow become hers. But as has so often proved true this campaign season, the traditional media created its narrative despite polls showing that Obama was maintaining support, and that his base remained galvanized. Last night not only was a climatic victory for Barack Obama, but a stunning rebuff of the conventional “wisdom” that still dominates the traditional media. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the first time since this long campaign began in early 2007, I stopped carefully reading various newspapers coverage of the presidential primaries in the week before the election. The prevailing narrative was so at odds with information freely available at Daily Kos and other sites---much of which we put out on Beyond Chron---that I really felt like the world described in the New York Times, Washington Post and other papers was a completely separate reality. ~~~~~~~~~~~~

The daily newspapers’ dominant view---that Obama was reeling while Clinton had successfully reinvented herself as a populist, working-class hero---seemed lacking in factual basis, but it was repeated day after day by multiple reporters. ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even Obama supporter and New York Times columnist Bob Herbert expounded the prevailing view that the Illinois Senator was appearing “weak,” was not a “fighter,” and lacked the vision that Clinton was allegedly offering voters. ~~~~~~~~~~~~

If there was a single national reporter or pundit who predicted that Clinton’s gas tax scam would hurt rather than help her, send me their name. Everyone I heard was convinced that, as bad a policy as it was, nobody ever lost votes offering a tax cut. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It seems the middle and working-class is not as easily fooled as the media assumed. Although the media completely ignored Clinton blaming Bush for the closing of an Indiana factory actually shut down by her husband, the voters knew and were not fooled. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Eastern North Carolina, in a town called Clinton, rural voters unexpectedly rejected their namesake for Barack Obama. Rural voters have backed Obama from Iowa to Kansas, from Idaho to North Dakota---and were not fooled yesterday by Clinton and the media telling them to resent Obama’s “elitism.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember the stories that said that Obama’s denouncement of Wright could divide his African-American voting base? Well, Obama did better among African-Americans yesterday than Kerry did against George W. Bush in 2004. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obama not only funded his candidacy through the Internet, but the conveying of accurate information via the Internet allowed him to overcome---and to a great extent, ignore---the demands of the traditional media and its punditry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obama’s victory has weakened and discredited the longstanding power of the corporate media over the presidential election process. Yet another historic accomplishment from this remarkable man. ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Drevelyn Minor is supporting Obama for President!~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Drevelyn Minor]

Clinton "WIN" in Texas and Pennsylvania are "FRAUDULANT Wins!"

Mr. Limbaugh hats off to you, Congratulations!

Democrats did not vote for her. Republicans did.

Hillary and Bill “Personal Interest and Greed” will cause the Democratic Party to loose this presidential election to the “Republicans.” in November '08.
You do not need to be an “Expert in Politic” to see “Dirty Tricks” Limbaugh and the Republicans are out smarting Democrats.

Mr. Limbaugh, you prepare very well for “ Your (WAR) Operation Chaos” before you started it, well done! Voters in Pennsylvania changed registration (at the request of Mr. Limbaugh) from Republican to Democrat to vote for Hillary in the primary.

Mr. Limbaugh's second big win, Operation Chaos started in Dallas, Texas were I live and witness the actions of Republicans “CROSSING-OVER” again, well done. Brilliant, Just Brilliant!

I look forward to reading about Operation Chaos in USA History Books.... To be political correct ~ True Democrats “DO NOT” win the election for Hillary in Pennsylvania.

Hillary's “WINS” in Pennsylvania and Dallas are “FRAUDS!”

Mr. Limbaugh – now hear this!

Operation Chaos and the Republican Party's “Media Attacks” and “Negative TV Ads” did not work in North Caroline.


Obama for President!