Lone Star State News

Last night I was pretty pleased at Obama's ability to continue his 10 state streak. Yes. It wasn't entirely unexpected, I know. At heart I am given to pessimism which doesn't quite make me a natural Obama supporter. Actually a lot of us tend to operate as if we are still behind.

There is Texas where recently Clinton had a 30 point lead, and now that has narrowed to pretty much even given the margin for error. It is said that Hillary has deep links to Texas that will make her hard to beat. She has the Hispanic vote and the Ann Richards liberals. Texas along with Ohio worries me. If she wins both that could lead to bringing in Florida and Michigan votes in, and bring the Super Delegates over to Clinton just to quickly get things over with. The thought of that happening made me glum for most of the morning. I firmly believe that if Hillary wins John "100 Year War" Mccain will win the presidency, and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the democratic party would take a self-destructive turn like that. It would deflate the enthusiasm that has been created by Obama's campaign.

It turns out as an Obama supporter I may have to thank Ronald Reagan and Tom Delay if Obama wins Texas. A Reagan-appointed judiciary allowed the republicans to gerrymander Texas and regain control for the first time since Reconstruction. This gerrymandering went on steroids with Tom Delay which lead to a democratic revolt across state lines. The way districts were split up made it really hard for the democrats to get state seats, but that means that it will make it hard for Hillary to get the votes she needs. That is not all. The way that the Texas Democratic Party rules are set up can also make it difficult for Hillary. Nevertheless, the guy who ran Clinton's campaign in California believes they have a winning strategy.

"...the campaign has a three-pronged strategy for success: early voting, strong turnout at the March 4 primary, and a good showing at the caucuses. Only people who voted in the primary are allowed to participate in the caucuses."

Turnout for early voting has already been amazing. In Harris County the first day turnout in 2004 was only 728 people, but this year the first day turnout was 9,243. In Dallas, first day turnout went from 913 in 2004 to 8,615. These are both places where there are alot of young voters and African-American voters that favor Obama and award more delegates than districts that favor Clinton.

"Turnout was up too in the Rio Grande Valley, an expected Clinton stronghold, but the increase wasn’t as dramatic. In Hidalgo County, the number of voters rose from 3,858 (2004) to 5,793 (2008)."

Early voting ends on February 28th.

US Representative Chet Edwards from Waco (17th District) endorsed Obama. Edwards is also a super delegate.

"If she wins in Texas and Ohio I think she will be the nominee. If you don't deliver for her then I don't think she can. It's all on you."- Bill Clinton

Primary Schmimary

Following the Ohio and New Hampshire primaries has gotten me in an unexpected funk. It is not a new phenomenom that the press becomes kingmakers and breakers for ratings, but this year it seems more pronounced. For months now, the media has built up Clinton as some sort of unassailable front-runner without her being tested in one primary. She fails to get second place by a percentage point and her campaign is on morphine drip. Any slight show of composed emotion is seen as a weakness for those who have always disliked her to judge her unfit. Any argument that Obama is not the most experienced or as sparkly as the media makes him out to be is characterized as desperation.

Obama isn't as great as the media makes him out to be and eventually the media will go after him as inexperienced and too young to be president -- especially if they succeed in knocking Clinton out of the race. If the media doesn't do it the republicans will. Obama may want to reach across the aisle and start a bipartisan revolution, but republicans will go for the throat and will do the street fighting they have proven themselves capable of. They play nasty on their own people (ie McCain in 2000 in SC), so dems have no chance.

I don't dislike Obama and I am not very thrilled about Clinton. My feeling is that any democrat is better than Bush and any republican out there. We need a democratic president to appoint Supreme Court justices who will preserve Greenwald vs. Connecticut and Roe vs. Wade. I believe that the media wants a republican or is on a druggie-trip of the Obama-charisma. Obama would be better suited in peace-time or after more time being groomed for the role. I thought that Dodd or Biden were far better choices, but they were not given a chance. Where the hell is Gore? We need Gore Stat.

So everyone! Wake up! You are being manipulated by the media. Turn the television off. Take a deep breath. Think about what qualities are needed for president. Who has the qualifications to be a world leader and deal with the economy.

Think about it. The Clintons oversaw the greatest peacetime economic expansion in history after a tough recession. We are moving into a recession.

My birthdad is a republican, but he is voting for Clinton because of Bill Clinton. Under Bill Clinton a lot of people made a lot of money. It was a broad prosperity that reached many people.

This illogical fanatism over Obama and reports of people crying at his rallies just worries me.
Hillary is right that Obama isn't another JFK, because JFK had far more accomplishments by the time he was running for president and if we are really honest his presidential record was mediocre. JFK died young elevated his record far more than what was his real record. He is sort of a democratic version of Bush with intellectual curiosity. I am not sure we want another president that lacks experience.

I want an african-american president. I want a person of color as president. I worked for the Mondale-Ferraro campaign in 1984 because I was ready to have a woman being a heartbeat away from the presidency -- not because I was excited by Mondale. Yet, I do not want just any person of color or woman for the sake of having a person of color or a woman -- otherwise why not elect Condolesa Rice? The content of character and skill sets that I look for.