P
Patriot Games
Guest
http://www.newsmax.com/politics/democrats_texas/2008/02/20/74183.html
Texas' Complicated Rules May Favor Obama
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
DALLAS -- Hillary Rodham Clinton has been waiting to get to Texas to begin
her comeback against a surging Barack Obama. She might be more careful about
what she wishes for. Clinton has been banking on the state's large Hispanic
population _ typically about a quarter of the turnout in Democratic
primaries _ to give her a victory on March 4.
But the Democratic Party in President Bush's home state has a complicated,
hybrid primary-caucus that might just be better suited for Obama.
"I had no idea how bizarre it is," Clinton told reporters this week. "We
have grown men crying over it."
Unlike other states that allocate delegates by congressional districts,
Texas distributes 126 of its delegates among its 31 state Senate districts
using a formula based on Democratic voter turnout in the 2004 and 2006
general elections. The 31 districts contain from two to eight delegates. The
March 4 primary vote in each Senate district will allocate that district's
delegates.
The turnout formula has assigned more delegates to urban centers with a lot
of young or black voters that tend to favor Obama and fewer delegates to
poorer Hispanic areas expected to favor Clinton. Austin, which includes the
University of Texas, gets eight; Houston gets seven and Dallas gets six.
Clinton has spent most of her time so far in the southern, largely Hispanic
part of the state. She has made two trips to Hidalgo County, where the
Senate district awards just four delegates. She has left the rest of the
state to her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who appeared in a dozen
cities over the last week in East and West Texas.
But her state director, Ace Smith, said she would travel throughout the
state before the primary.
"There are some districts in Austin and Houston he'll do well in that have a
lot of delegates. But there are a heck of a lot of other districts that have
less delegates we'll do extremely well in," Smith said. "If we run a really
strong race in Texas, the delegates are going to take care of themselves."
"We'll be everywhere," he said.
Obama organizer Steve Hildebrand said Obama's momentum and demonstrated
ability to win more voters than Clinton will prove more important than the
state rules.
"In a majority of the states across the country, Hillary Clinton's candidacy
and message has not caught on with voters," he said. "I'm not sure why she
thinks voters in Texas and Ohio are all the sudden going to rise to her
message. She's not about change; she's not about the future."
Hildebrand said the more people in Texas learn about Obama, the better he
should do. He said Obama only got paid staff into Texas a couple weeks ago
but now has over 200 people working in about 22 offices.
Another 67 of Texas' 228 delegates to the party's national convention will
be awarded based on attendance at precinct caucuses _ Texas calls them
conventions _ which begin 15 minutes after primary polls close at 7 p.m. on
March 4. Finally, the state has 35 superdelegates _ Democratic officeholders
and party officials _ are not bound by any of this voting.
Obama's campaign believes the caucuses benefit their candidate, because he
has beaten Clinton in caucuses 12-3, compared to his 13-9 edge in primaries.
A poll taken last week showed Clinton and Obama in a statistical tie in
Texas, but that was before Obama extended his winning streak to 10-0 with
victories in Wisconsin and Hawaii Tuesday night and before he began
campaigning here. Clinton got a head start with trips to Texas last week
while Obama was in Wisconsin.
Obama is spending most of the week in Texas, rather than the other vital
March 4 state of Ohio, where he expects to campaign next week. He held
massive rallies in Dallas and Houston, but also planned to tour South Texas
on Friday in search of Hispanic support.
He's running ads on English- and Spanish-language television and radio. The
Spanish-language ads focus on his biography to introduce himself to voters
who may not know him as well as Clinton.
Smith, who ran Clinton's successful primary campaign in California, said 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.
The Obama campaign is trying to simplify the process by calling it the
"Texas Two-Step," and used former "Dancing with the Stars" and Dallas Cowboy
standout Emmitt Smith to promote it Wednesday.
"If we win one we're done, and Barack Obama will be the next president of
the United States of America," former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk told a rally
Wednesday before confessing he doesn't really understand the party's rules
and introducing the football player to explain them.
Clinton communications Director Howard Wolfson said the campaign had been
vastly outspent in Wisconsin and other states but that wouldn't be the case
in Texas. Clinton's campaign has a large operation, counting 100,000
volunteers and 20 offices around the state.
Clinton is running television ads in which former San Antonio Mayor Henry
Cisneros encourages supporters to vote early. Her strategists believe she
will capture a large percentage of early ballots. Each county has several
locations _ like grocery stores and K-Marts _ where people can vote early.
The Clinton campaign is trying to make sure people know they can vote early
and where to go.
Early voting began Wednesday, and Obama too is encouraging supporters to
vote immediately.
Ace Smith said there have been many reports of heavy early voting, with
people standing in line for 45 minutes or more.
Texas' Complicated Rules May Favor Obama
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
DALLAS -- Hillary Rodham Clinton has been waiting to get to Texas to begin
her comeback against a surging Barack Obama. She might be more careful about
what she wishes for. Clinton has been banking on the state's large Hispanic
population _ typically about a quarter of the turnout in Democratic
primaries _ to give her a victory on March 4.
But the Democratic Party in President Bush's home state has a complicated,
hybrid primary-caucus that might just be better suited for Obama.
"I had no idea how bizarre it is," Clinton told reporters this week. "We
have grown men crying over it."
Unlike other states that allocate delegates by congressional districts,
Texas distributes 126 of its delegates among its 31 state Senate districts
using a formula based on Democratic voter turnout in the 2004 and 2006
general elections. The 31 districts contain from two to eight delegates. The
March 4 primary vote in each Senate district will allocate that district's
delegates.
The turnout formula has assigned more delegates to urban centers with a lot
of young or black voters that tend to favor Obama and fewer delegates to
poorer Hispanic areas expected to favor Clinton. Austin, which includes the
University of Texas, gets eight; Houston gets seven and Dallas gets six.
Clinton has spent most of her time so far in the southern, largely Hispanic
part of the state. She has made two trips to Hidalgo County, where the
Senate district awards just four delegates. She has left the rest of the
state to her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who appeared in a dozen
cities over the last week in East and West Texas.
But her state director, Ace Smith, said she would travel throughout the
state before the primary.
"There are some districts in Austin and Houston he'll do well in that have a
lot of delegates. But there are a heck of a lot of other districts that have
less delegates we'll do extremely well in," Smith said. "If we run a really
strong race in Texas, the delegates are going to take care of themselves."
"We'll be everywhere," he said.
Obama organizer Steve Hildebrand said Obama's momentum and demonstrated
ability to win more voters than Clinton will prove more important than the
state rules.
"In a majority of the states across the country, Hillary Clinton's candidacy
and message has not caught on with voters," he said. "I'm not sure why she
thinks voters in Texas and Ohio are all the sudden going to rise to her
message. She's not about change; she's not about the future."
Hildebrand said the more people in Texas learn about Obama, the better he
should do. He said Obama only got paid staff into Texas a couple weeks ago
but now has over 200 people working in about 22 offices.
Another 67 of Texas' 228 delegates to the party's national convention will
be awarded based on attendance at precinct caucuses _ Texas calls them
conventions _ which begin 15 minutes after primary polls close at 7 p.m. on
March 4. Finally, the state has 35 superdelegates _ Democratic officeholders
and party officials _ are not bound by any of this voting.
Obama's campaign believes the caucuses benefit their candidate, because he
has beaten Clinton in caucuses 12-3, compared to his 13-9 edge in primaries.
A poll taken last week showed Clinton and Obama in a statistical tie in
Texas, but that was before Obama extended his winning streak to 10-0 with
victories in Wisconsin and Hawaii Tuesday night and before he began
campaigning here. Clinton got a head start with trips to Texas last week
while Obama was in Wisconsin.
Obama is spending most of the week in Texas, rather than the other vital
March 4 state of Ohio, where he expects to campaign next week. He held
massive rallies in Dallas and Houston, but also planned to tour South Texas
on Friday in search of Hispanic support.
He's running ads on English- and Spanish-language television and radio. The
Spanish-language ads focus on his biography to introduce himself to voters
who may not know him as well as Clinton.
Smith, who ran Clinton's successful primary campaign in California, said 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.
The Obama campaign is trying to simplify the process by calling it the
"Texas Two-Step," and used former "Dancing with the Stars" and Dallas Cowboy
standout Emmitt Smith to promote it Wednesday.
"If we win one we're done, and Barack Obama will be the next president of
the United States of America," former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk told a rally
Wednesday before confessing he doesn't really understand the party's rules
and introducing the football player to explain them.
Clinton communications Director Howard Wolfson said the campaign had been
vastly outspent in Wisconsin and other states but that wouldn't be the case
in Texas. Clinton's campaign has a large operation, counting 100,000
volunteers and 20 offices around the state.
Clinton is running television ads in which former San Antonio Mayor Henry
Cisneros encourages supporters to vote early. Her strategists believe she
will capture a large percentage of early ballots. Each county has several
locations _ like grocery stores and K-Marts _ where people can vote early.
The Clinton campaign is trying to make sure people know they can vote early
and where to go.
Early voting began Wednesday, and Obama too is encouraging supporters to
vote immediately.
Ace Smith said there have been many reports of heavy early voting, with
people standing in line for 45 minutes or more.
