The Reaction: Texas' turn in about two weeks

By Carol Gee

It will be primary time in Texas on March 4. The Democratic powers that be do not need pundits to tell them that Texas and Ohio will be make-or-break for Senators Clinton and Obama on that big day. This will be the time when Chairman Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy will pay off for all Democrats in the Lone Star state. His efforts at organizing will be very helpful with assuring good party participation as well as taking advantage of what is expected to be a high turnout at the polls.

Former President Bill Clinton is campaigning for his wife in Texas. According to Examiner.com, Friday was East Texas day. Texarkana folks heard about Senator Clinton's health care plan and those in Longview got his "solutions" speech. He was running late to Stephen F. Austin U. in Nacadoches where he focused on contrasting his wife and her opponent there. President Clinton wrapped up at 11:00 PM in Lufkin, emphasizing Hillary's experience and trying to blunt Obama's "Change" argument. Today, Saturday he will travel to Amarillo, Lubbock and Austin. With such distances ans a possible winter storm, he will undoubtedly run late today, too.

Memeorandum carried headlines with differing opinions about how hard Bill Clinton hit against Barack Obama yesterday. Take your pick:

"Bill Clinton: Obama ‘Literally Not Part of Any of the Good Things’ From the 1990s" -- from Jake Tapper at ABC News.
"Bill Clinton avoids attacks on Obama in East Texas" -- from Bruce Tomaso at The Dallas Morning News.

Midweek Senator Hillary "Clinton stumps in South Texas," reported the Bryan/College Station Eagle. Another story from the same source is an excellent analysis of why "Clinton focuses on wooing Texas' Hispanics." To quote:

Clinton. . . and Obama are in a tight race for Texas's 228 delegates. Hispanic support will be critical; Latinos could make up about half of Democratic voters on primary day.Clinton plans to stick to heavily Hispanic venues on her first swing in Texas, campaigning Wednesday in McAllen, Robstown outside Corpus Christi and San Antonio.

And in typically Texan fashion, there is also a bit of controversy, "A Texas Tiff Over the Dems Debate," set for Austin, February 21. It has been closed to the public, and the public is mighty upset. If I lived in Austin I would be among them. To quote:

The cry for tickets went up within minutes of the announcement on February 11, but organizers initially responded that there would be no general admission seats and tickets would be reserved for the University of Texas, the Texas Democratic Party, the Obama and Clinton campaigns, and debate broadcasters CNN and Spanish language network Univision.

The not-so-public debate prompted local media blogs to explode with angry and dismayed postings.

And it will be my turn in two weeks to cast my vote. We have taken all the little choose-your-candidate quizzes. I usually show up as an Edwards fan. I have visited the "where they stand on the issues" websites. There is very little difference between their politics, but Obama is a bit more liberal. I have listened to all the debates. Senator Clinton often sounds better there. I have listened to many of their speeches. Senator Obama is the clear winner there. I have read the opinions of my most trusted blog friends. They are equally divided and equally passionate about their choices. I have cussed and discussed politics with my dear "roommate," my spouse of 50+ years. We agree on the best choice. And it is not for any of the previous reasons. It is the same way most of you vote for your president, from the gut.

I will be voting for Barack Obama. He has the right instincts, the right vision, the right inclusiveness, and the right electability quotient. But if Hillary Clinton wins the nomination, I will very happily support her just as forcefully. I belong to her older women demographic.

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