Texas Will Be The End Of Hillary

[Makkonnen]

<h1 class="diaryTitle">
Senator Clinton Campaign Worried by Texas Primary System
</h1>
<h2 class="author">by: Phillip Martin
</h2>
<h3 class="diaryTimestamp">
<i>Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 08:30 AM CST</i>

</h3>

</td>
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<td> This is very strange: &nbsp;
<p>According to a report in today's Washington Post (thanks to our <a set="yes" linkindex="0" href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/18/0223/97161/839/458847#c96">Kossack friends for the tip</a>), Senator Clinton's campaign is worried about the Texas primary system, and apparently some are only now learning how it works. From the Washington Post article titled, "<a set="yes" linkindex="1" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/17/AR2008021702461.html?hpid=moreheadlines">System Worries Clinton Backers</a>":</p><blockquote><b>Several top Clinton strategists and fundraisers became alarmed after learning of the state's unusual provisions during a closed-door strategy meeting this month, according to one person who attended.</b>

<p>What Clinton aides discovered is that in certain targeted districts, such as Democratic state Sen. Juan Hinojosa's heavily Hispanic Senate district in the Rio Grande Valley, Clinton could win an overwhelming majority of votes but gain only a small edge in delegates. At the same time, a win in the more urban districts where Sen. Barack Obama expects to receive significant support -- could yield three or four times as many delegates.</p></blockquote>They're only learning about this this month??? They must not be regular readers of BOR.
<p>The night of Super Tuesday, I spent several hours reading up about the TX primary system. The next day, I looked at the incredibly useful <a linkindex="2" href="http://www.lonestarproject.net/">Lone Star Project report</a> about the numbers, and asked a lot of questions about how it worked. On Thursday, I wrote these two long posts explaining the Texas primary and delegate system, and on Friday February 8 (ten days ago) these two posts were published on BOR:</p><ul><li><a linkindex="3" href="http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4877">Explaining the Delegate Process, Part 1</a></li><li><a linkindex="4" href="http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4881">Explaining the Delegate Process, Part 2</a></li></ul>That was two weeks ago. Last week, both KT and I wrote about how Senator Obama will do well in TX:<ul><li><a linkindex="5" href="http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4937">How Barack Obama Can Win Texas</a></li><li><a linkindex="6" href="http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4972">Clinton Up 49-41 in Texas Poll; Obama May Win More Delegates</a></li></ul>I'm a 23-year old grad student who is not even living in Texas right now. KT is younger than I am, and just moved back to Texas a few months ago. How is it that Senator Clinton's campaign was not prepared for Texas?
<p>The truth is, Senator Clinton's campaign never planned on having to run after Super Tuesday. They chose a handful of key states to focus on, and thought that would put them over the top. Meanwhile, Senator Obama worked in every state, picked up lots of little states to blunt Senator Clinton's California momentum, and has been racking up wins ever since.
</p><p>Many state elected officials are complaining that the Texas primary process isn't fair -- that the formulas unfairly hurt the Hispanic districts (a process that they voted to ratify at the 2006 state convention). Well, the truth is, the formula rewards the Democrats that have been showing up to the polls consistently over the past couple of years in the general election to support our presidential and statewide candidates. As TDP Chair Boyd Richie explained in the Post article:</p><blockquote>The higher the turnout in each district in those years, the more delegates the district will get to select this year, explained Boyd Richie, the state party chairman.
<p>"It's not that anyone's trying to penalize anyone," Richie said. "That's the last thing I want to do. What I want to do is encourage people to come back and vote. We want to have everybody participate."</p></blockquote>The party rules are established to promote those who come out to vote regularly for Democrats in the general election. This year, on March 4, in <b>the Democratic primary</b>, the areas of the state that vote Democratic when it's most needed (the general election) will have a larger delegate strength.

<p>The truth is, many South Texas Hispanics only vote in primaries (as Sen. Mario Gallegos mentioned in the article) and don't vote in the general elections. South Texas Hispanics didn't vote for John Kerry in large numbers in 2004, and they didn't vote for Chris Bell in large numbers in 2006. The urban areas of Austin, Dallas, and Houston did. Instead, many South Texas Hispanics have voted for Republicans in the general election (for President Bush or Governor Perry) believing that the Republican Party provided an answer. Ironically, their leanings towards the Republican party may prevent them from having as big a voice in the TX Presidential primary as their fellow Democrats in Austin, Dallas, and Houston.
</p><p>Oops.
</p><p>Senator Clinton's strategy -- based on the Washington Post article -- seemed to be: Latino = Texas = Clinton. Senator Obama, meanwhile, has been focused on a positive campaign for change across the state. As State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) wrote <a linkindex="7" href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-anchia_15edi.State.Edition1.1e38d00.html">in an op-ed last week</a>:</p><blockquote> Our main focus should not be on who can appeal to which racial or ethnic group more than another, but which candidate can unite all races, ethnicities, age groups, faiths and economic classes as a nation to address our common challenges and to restore our historic position as a respected leader of the free world.
<p>I am the Latino son of immigrants, but, rather than engaging in the contrived politics of division, I want Barack Obama, a black man of mixed ethnicity, to be my president. How's that for the politics of hope?</p></blockquote>When we endorsed Senator Obama, we did so because his politics aims to include everyone. He isn't dismissing caucus states, as <a linkindex="8" href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/11/clinton-dismisses-weekend-losses/">Senator Clinton has</a>. He doesn't look at a state and say, "I will win there because of the ethnic make-up of that state." Senator Obama believes every voice from every region and every background of this country should be heard.
<p>That's why <a linkindex="9" href="http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4928">we endorsed him</a>. And that's why he will do very, very well in Texas.</p>

 

[Makkonnen]

<b>System Worries Clinton Backers</b></font><br>Delegates Won May Not Reflect Popular Vote<br><p><font size="-1">By Matthew Mosk<br>Washington Post Staff Writer<br>Monday, February 18, 2008; A06<br></font></p><p></p><p>Supporters of <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/c001041/" target="">Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton</a> are worried that convoluted delegate rules in <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Texas?tid=informline" target="">Texas</a> could water down the impact of strong support for her among Hispanic voters there, creating a new obstacle for her in the must-win presidential primary contest.</p><p>Several top Clinton strategists and fundraisers became alarmed after learning of the state's unusual provisions during a closed-door strategy meeting this month, according to one person who attended.</p><p>What Clinton aides discovered is that in certain targeted districts, such as Democratic state Sen. Juan Hinojosa's heavily Hispanic Senate district in the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Rio+Grande+Valley?tid=informline" target="">Rio Grande Valley</a>, Clinton could win an overwhelming majority of votes but gain only a small edge in delegates. At the same time, a win in the more urban districts in <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Dallas?tid=informline" target="">Dallas</a> and <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Houston?tid=informline" target="">Houston</a> -- where <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/o000167/" target="">Sen. Barack Obama</a> expects to receive significant support -- could yield three or four times as many delegates.</p><p>"What it means is, she could win the popular vote and still lose the race for delegates," Hinojosa said yesterday. "This system does not necessarily represent the opinions of the population, and that is a serious problem."</p><p>The disparity in delegate distribution is just one of the unusual aspects of Texas's complex system for apportioning delegates. The scheme has been in use for two decades but is coming under increased scrutiny because the March 4 presidential contest is the first in years that gives the state a potentially decisive voice in choosing the party's nominee.</p><p>Under rules described in the 37-page Texas delegate selection plan, two-thirds of the state's 228 delegates will be chosen based on the vote in each of 31 state Senate districts. The remaining delegates will be chosen based in part on the outcome of caucuses held on election night after the polls close.</p><p>[<a href="http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/Texas_delegate_selection_plan_021508.pdf?sid=ST2008021702479" target="">View the full Texas delegate selection plan</a>. (PDF)]</p><p>Texas Democratic Party officials said there is a good reason that some senatorial districts yield two or three delegates while others yield seven or, in one <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Austin+%28Texas%29?tid=informline" target="">Austin</a> district, eight. The numbers are determined by a formula that is based on the number of voters in each district who cast ballots for <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/k000148/" target="">Sen. John F. Kerry</a> (Mass.) in the 2004 presidential campaign and for <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Chris+Bell?tid=informline" target="">Chris Bell</a>, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2006.</p><p>The higher the turnout in each district in those years, the more delegates the district will get to select this year, explained Boyd Richie, the state party chairman.</p><p>"It's not that anyone's trying to penalize anyone," Richie said. "That's the last thing I want to do. What I want to do is encourage people to come back and vote. We want to have everybody participate."</p><p>But Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., a Clinton supporter who represents the heavily Hispanic southern tip of Texas, said the party's formula fails to account for areas where general-election turnout may have been low but turnout for competitive primaries was much higher.</p><p>He said his district, which will yield three delegates on March 4, fits that description. Sen. Mario V. Gallegos Jr., another Clinton supporter whose largely Hispanic district will yield just three delegates, says his follows that pattern as well.</p><p>"We usually don't have contested general-election contests here," Gallegos said. "I've always questioned that formula, but I've always been given the same answers: 'That's the rules.' I think we need to look at it. I think there's a disparity there that we need to work out for future races."</p><p>He noted that the same turnout-based formula that determines how many delegates emerge from the primary vote will also dictate how many delegates can be won in the caucuses -- further diminishing the influence of voters in those areas.</p><p>The caucuses have also given rise to a separate concern, according to several top Texas Democrats interviewed last week. Because the state's <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/U.S.+Democratic+Party?tid=informline" target="">Democratic Party</a> has been out of power for years, leaders have struggled to find precinct chairs to oversee all of the 8,000 locations where caucuses will be held.</p><p>If it is time for the caucus and there is no precinct chair, party officials decided, the task of overseeing the vote will fall to the first person who collects the packet of materials used to run the caucus.</p><p>"The first person in the door picks it up and controls it," said state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, a Clinton supporter who represents the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/El+Paso?tid=informline" target="">El Paso</a> area. "So the rules are designed to create a race to the packet. You can imagine what that might look like."</p><p>Party officials said most of the duties involved in running the events are routine and are clearly spelled out in the rules provided. But there are instances in which the person chairing the event can influence the outcome, party officials said. For instance, the rules say that only people who vote March 4 can attend that evening's caucus events. If a caucusgoer says he voted but does not show up on the rolls, the organizer has the authority to include or dismiss him.</p><p>Hinojosa saw another reason for Clinton to be concerned about the caucuses: The working-class voters who have typically favored her candidacy could be too tired or too busy to vote during the day and then return after 7 p.m. to attend a caucus.</p><p>"Anytime you require additional steps, that means extra effort, and that's particularly hard on working families," Hinojosa said.</p><p>While Richie said he recognizes those concerns, he does not think Texas will lack enthusiastic voters and caucusgoers.</p><p>Early voting, which typically makes up one-third of the ballots cast, will begin Tuesday. That could help reduce crowding at the polls March 4, but Richie says he is not sure what to expect.</p><p>"I think all the old models are out the window," he said. "I expect we're going to set a new state record."</p>

 

[Makkonnen]

Those latinos Hillary is counting on are the reason she is going to lose. They vote in primaries for democrats but in the general elections they always vote REPUB so they don't get shit for delegates

Nails in the coffin. Win or Lose in Texas- Hillary is done. If Obama wins Texas it is definitely the end of her immediately.

 

[kenbgco68]

Those latinos Hillary is counting on are the reason she is going to lose. They vote in primaries for democrats but in the general elections they always vote REPUB so they don't get shit for delegates

Nails in the coffin. Win or Lose in Texas- Hillary is done. If Obama wins Texas it is definitely the end of her immediately.

Lesson for today, kids: VOTE DURING EVERY ELECTION!

This is one of the ways we can retain power despite all the latinos flooding the border. Numbers don't mean shit unless you can translate it into political power by voting.

 

[kesq]

This was a great post. Not keen about the title, but still a great post.

 

[Makkonnen]

<a set="yes" linkindex="13" href="http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/poll_hillary_obama_in_dead_hea.php">Poll: Hillary, Obama In Dead Heat In Texas</a></h2>
<div class="byline">
By <a linkindex="14" href="/profile/sargent">Greg Sargent</a> - February 18, 2008, 4:37PM</div>
<div class="body">
<p>This is rough news for Hillary: A <a linkindex="15" href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/18/poll.texas/index.html"> new CNN poll finds</a> that she has a statistically insignificant two-point lead among likely Dem primary voters in her crucial firewall state of Texas:</p>

<blockquote>Hillary 50%

<p>Obama 48%</p></blockquote>

<p>Mirroring other recent polls in other states, Texas Dems supporting one candidate aren't acrimonious towards the other: A huge majority of 79% said they'd be happy with Hillary as the nominee, and an equal amount said the same about Obama. We'll bring you internals when they're available.<br>
</p>

 

[Makkonnen]

#
TX-Pres (D)
Feb 21 ABC/WaPo
Clinton 48%, Obama 47%
#
TX-Pres (D)
Feb 21 Rasmussen
Clinton 47%, Obama 44%

 

[QueEx]

I just read Vegas Guy's thread How Hillary Clinton blew a sure thing - Rated CP-S and when I read this above:

Senator Clinton's campaign is worried about
the Texas primary system, and apparently
some are only now learning how it works.​

I couldn't help but recall the major thrust of the article in VG's thread: Hillary took shit for granted; her campaign is grossly unorganized and cannot recover from mistakes; and, she has been out manuevered by a guy who came from nowhere -- Barack Obama.

QueEx

 

[QueEx]

#
TX-Pres (D)
Feb 21 ABC/WaPo
Clinton 48%, Obama 47%
#
TX-Pres (D)
Feb 21 Rasmussen
Clinton 47%, Obama 44%

<font size="3">February 22, 2008:</font size>

Texas Democratic Primary
Poll: ABC/Wash Post
Results: Clinton 48, Obama 47
Spread: Clinton +1

General Election: McCain vs. Clinton
Poll: Hotline/FD
Results: McCain 48, Clinton 40, Und 9
Spread: McCain +8


General Election: McCain vs. Obama
Poll: Hotline/FD
Results: McCain 40, Obama 48, Und 9
Spread: Obama +8



`

 

[DeSiRe]

Important Texas Primary Voting Info

This is real important folks...

I imagine most of you from texas has heard about our unusual primary voting process...

a quick break down each vote is somewhat split...a portion of it goes to when you actually cast your ballet...to get the rest of your vote to go towards your candidate you MUST attend the caucus at your polling site at 7:15pm March 4th.

I recently attended an obama rally and they told us in order to be able to attend the caucus you MUST bring a stamped card or get your voter registration card stamped

another catch: you must ASK for the stamp

please be mindful of this when voting and pass it along to anyone who plans on making sure their entire vote counts

 

[QueEx]

Re: Important Texas Primary Voting Info

Thanks for this DeSire; I will also post contact information for the Texas elections, later.

QueEx

 

[domex]

Secret Service Stand Down At Obama Event Raises Suspicions

http://www.infowars.com/?p=409

Secret Service Stand Down At Obama Event Raises Suspicions

Steve Watson
Infowars.net
Thursday, Feb 21, 2008

Dozens of police officers have voiced concern over a security stand down order issued by federal officials at Barack Obama’s rally in Dallas yesterday afternoon.

Obama in Texas

Police officers and security officials were surprised when they were told to stop using metal detectors and to stop checking bags at the entrance to the arena.


Security details at Barack Obama’s rally Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena, reports the Star-Telegram.

Police officers and security officials were surprised when they were told to stop using metal detectors and to stop checking bags at the entrance to the arena.

The Star Telegram article continues:

Doors opened to the public at 10 a.m., and for the first hour security officers scanned each person who came in and checked their belongings in a process that kept movement of the long lines at a crawl. Then, about 11 a.m., an order came down to allow the people in without being checked.

Many officers subsequently complained as they believed a lapse in security had occurred with thousands of people entering the arena without even cursory inspections.

The security concerns come on the back of warnings last week by British Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing that caused a media storm. The The 88-year-old novelist predicted the assassination of Barack Obama if he becomes the first black U.S. president.

Lessing said: “He would probably not last long, a black man in the position of president. They would kill him.” going on to comment that it would be better if Hillary Clinton became America’s first woman president with Obama as her running mate.

As researchers of the JFK assassination will be aware, in addition to those who have looked into the assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, a secret service stand down at a large public event should set alarm bells ringing.

 

[QueEx]

Texas Democratic Primary

Poll:SurveyUSA
Date: 02/23 - 02/25
Results: Obama 49, Clinton 45
Spread: Obama +4.0

Poll: Rasmussen
Date: 02/24 - 02/24
Results: Obama 45, Clinton 46
Spread: Clinton +1.0


Poll: ARG* 02/23 -
Date: 02/24
Results: Obama 50, Clinton 42
Results: Obama +8.0

Poll: CNN
Date: 02/22 - 02/24
Results: Obama 50, Clinton 46
REsults:Obama +4.0

Poll: Rasmussen
Date: 02/20 - 02/20
Results" Obama 44, Clinton 47
Spread: Clinton +3.0

Poll: ABC/Wash Post
Date: 02/16 - 02/20
Results: Obama 47, Clinton 48
Spread: Clinton +1.0

Poll: SurveyUSA
Date: 02/16 - 02/18
Results: Obama 45, Clinton 50
Results" Clinton +5.0

Poll: CNN
Date: 02/15 - 02/17
Results: Obama 48, Clinton 50
Spread: Clinton +2.0

Poll: Rasmussen
Date: 02/14 - 02/14
Results: Obama 38, Clinton 54
Spread: Clinton +16.0

Poll: InsiderAdvantage
Date: 02/14 - 02/14
Results: Obama 41, Clinton 48
Spread: Clinton +7.0

Poll: ARG*
Date: 02/13 - 02/14
Results: Obama 48, Clinton 42
Spread: Obama +6.0

Poll: TCUL/Hamilton
Date: 02/11 - 02/13
Results: Obama 41, Clinton 49
Spread: Clinton +8.0

Poll: Texas Lyceum
Date: 04/26 - 05/07
Results: Obama 21, Clinton 33
Spread: Clinton +12.0


POLL AVERAGE: RCP Average

Date: 02/16 - 02/25

Results: Obama 47.8, Clinton 46.3

Spread: Obama +1.5

 

[kenbgco68]

Re: Secret Service Stand Down At Obama Event Raises Suspicions

bump...

W T F ?

I hope Michelle and O's people don't let this happen again.

 

[glueguy]

Re: Secret Service Stand Down At Obama Event Raises Suspicions

bump...

W T F ?

I hope Michelle and O's people don't let this happen again.

it wasn't them the secret service receive their orders from homeland security

 

[glueguy]

Re: Secret Service Stand Down At Obama Event Raises Suspicions

bump...

W T F ?

I hope Michelle and O's people don't let this happen again.

it wasn't them the secret service receive their orders from homeland security

 

[GET YOU HOT]

 

[QueEx]

<font size="4">
Faith in Texas

</font size>


<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/grxpkC47WHY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/grxpkC47WHY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

 

[Makkonnen]

McClatchy Washington Bureau


Posted on Thu, Feb. 28, 2008
Clinton aides threatened lawsuit over Texas caucuses, officials say
Jay Root | McClatchy Newspapers

last updated: February 28, 2008 11:53:56 PM

AUSTIN — The Texas Democratic Party warned Thursday that election night caucuses scheduled for next Tuesday could be delayed or disrupted after aides to Hillary Clinton threatened to sue over the party's complicated delegate selection process.

In a letter sent out late Thursday to both the Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns, Texas Democratic Party lawyer Chad Dunn warned a lawsuit could ruin the Democrats' effort to re-energize voters just as they are turning out in record numbers.

Spokesmen for both campaigns said there were no plans to sue ahead of the March 4 election.

"It has been brought to my attention that one or both of your campaigns may already be planning or intending to pursue litigation against the Texas Democratic Party,'' Dunn wrote in the letter, obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Such action could prove to be a tragedy for a reinvigorated Democratic process.''

Democratic sources said both campaigns have made it clear that they might consider legal options over the complicated delegate selection process, which includes both a popular vote and evening caucuses. But the sources made it clear that the Clinton campaign in particular had warned of an impending lawsuit.

"Both campaigns have made it clear that they would go there if they had to, but I think the imminent threat is coming from one campaign,'' said one top Democratic official, referring to the Clinton campaign. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity.

Another Democratic official who was privvy to the discussions confirmed that Clinton representatives made veiled threats in a telephone call this week.

"Officials from Sen. Clinton's campaign at several times throughout the call raised the specter of 'challenging the process,' the official said. "The call consisted of representatives from both campaigns and the Democratic Party.''

The source, who asked not to identified by name because he did not have authorization to speak about the matter, said Clinton 's political director, Guy Cecil, had forcefully raised the possibility of a courtroom battle.

But Adrienne Elrod, Clinton's top Texas spokeswoman, said campaign and party officials had merely discussed election night procedures and that the campaign was merely seeking a written agreement in advance. She could not elaborate on the details of the agreement the Clinton campaign is seeking.

"It is our campaign's standard operating procedure that we need to see what we are agreeing to in writing before we agree to it,'' Elrod said. "No legal action is being taken. We have no reason to take any legal action.''

Obama spokesman Josh Earnest said the Obama campaign had no plans to sue.

"We're confident that by working closely with the Texas Democratic Party and the Clinton campaign we'll have a caucus that Texans can be proud of — because every eligible voter will be allowed to participate and have their vote counted in a timely manner," Earnest said.

The letter to the two campaigns did not specify what procedures or rules might trigger a lawsuit. But one party official said the campaigns were most concerned about the caucus process, or, as the party refers to it, the "precinct conventions.''

Texas has 228 delegates, the biggest single cache remaining. But only 126 delegates are doled out based on the selection voters make at the ballot box. Another 67 delegates — more than in many states — are to be apportioned based on the number of people who participate in the caucuses that begin in over 8,000 precincts once the polls close at 7 p.m. (The remaining 35 are so-called "superdelegates'' free to support whomever they choose).

Clinton campaign aides have argued that caucuses favor Obama, whose campaign organization has turned out overwhelming numbers at caucuses in other states.

Democrats have described the enthusiasm in Texas, as evidenced by the record turnout among early voters in the most populous counties, as a sign that the party is undergoing a revival after years of decline under virtually unchallenged Republican rule.

"If it is true that litigation is imminent between one or both of your campaigns and the (Democratic Party), such action coule prove to be a tragedy for a reinvigorated democratic process that is involving a record number of participants here in Texas and across the nation,'' Dunn, the state party lawyer, wrote.

McClatchy Newspapers 2008

 

[Makkonnen]

February 4:

"Despite this muddled outcome, we expect to maintain our current overall lead in delegates on February 6." - Howard Wolfson

February 4:

"that they expect to be ahead in total delegates (including super delegates) after tomorrow's contests" - campaign officials on a conference call

February 8:

"We feel very good about Ohio and Texas, which are the next big contests that vote after Wisconsin and Hawaii," Howard Wolfson

February 10:

"I haven't had the pleasure of campaigning in Virginia as much as I would have liked." - Hillary Clinton

February 13:

"Could we possibly have a nominee who hasn't won any of the significant states -- outside of Illinois?" - Mark Penn

"We do better the more voters vote. The largest turnout primaries, by in large, are the ones that have favored us. ...The presidential election is not a caucus; it's an election for the most people to get out and vote." - Howard Wolfson

February 13:

"It's not a factor," Hillary Clinton, [on] Obama victories in Maine, Nebraska, Louisiana, Virgin Islands and Washington state in an interview with WJLA and Politico on Monday.

"We had a great night on Super Tuesday. We're winning the states that we have to win. The big states that are really going to determine whether the Democrats win," - Hillary Clinton

Clinton has laughed out loud when asked about her losses in red state bastions such as Kansas and other caucus states, backhanding them as products of her own party "activists" and not real voters.

February 17:

"We're going to win the primary," -Garry Mauro Clinton's Texas coordinator

February 19:

"We haven't seen any evidence of support dropping," - Averell "Ace" Smith, Clinton's Texas state chair.

"[Texas and Ohio are] real battlegrounds," Obama is "pulling out all the stops to do all they can" in Texas and that the race will be "hotly contested." - Howard Wolfson

February 19:

"[We'll] concede absolutely nothing." - Hillary Clinton

February 20:

"winning Democratic primaries is not a qualification or a sign of who can win the general election." - Mark Penn

February 20:

"We don't expect any particular margin,'' - Harold Ickes

"We expect to do well [in Texas and Ohio. But] there is no question that they are critically, critically important,'' - Howard Wolfson

February 20:

"We expect to do well in both those states, but 65 percent is a far reach and there is no expectation here that we're going to hit that number." - Harold Ickes

"We're in the neighborhood of about 75 delegates behind, that is less that 3 percent of the total number of delegates who have been elected. We expect to narrow that gap substantially by the end of this process," Harold Ickes

February 21:

"I had no idea how bizarre it [Texas' system] is. We have grown men crying over it." - Hillary Clinton

February 22:

"You probably like it that it has come down to Texas...If she wins Texas and Ohio, I think she will be the nominee. If you don't deliver for her then I don't think she can be. It's all on you." - Bill Clinton

February 25:

"I think we do have to win in Texas, and I think we will win in Texas if we work hard." - Chelsea Clinton

February 26:

"It would be tragic if Hillary were to win this election in the daytime and somebody were to come in at night and take it away" - Bill Clinton

February 27:

"and at that time [last spring] I said we have got to start thinking about Texas" - Hillary Clinton

February 29:

"If he cannot win all of these states with all this effort, there's a problem." - Clinton Campaign Memo

 

[Makkonnen]

Looks like Texas is a blue state


-----------------------------------------------------

McClatchy Washington Bureau
Print This Article Print This Article

Posted on Fri, Feb. 29, 2008
Big Democratic turnout in early Texas voting worries Republicans
Aman Batheja | McClatchy Newspapers

last updated: February 29, 2008 08:12:05 PM

FORT WORTH — Early voting for Texas’ March 4th primary ended Friday with turnout numbers that shattered all previous records.

The vast majority of those ballots were cast in the Democratic primary, a turnout that gave Republican officials pause in this traditionally "red" state.

A final tally wasn’t immediately available Friday afternoon, but as of Wednesday, about 805,000 people had voted in the state’s 15 biggest counties, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s web site. More than 600,000 of those voters are participating in the Democratic primary.

The numbers far outpace the early turnout in primaries in recent years. In 2000, about 315,000 voters cast early primary ballots in the 15 largest counties. Less than 300,000 cast early ballots in the 2002 and 2004 primaries.

In Tarrant County, approximately 2,100 votes were being cast per hour on Friday, according to Tarrant County Elections Administrator Steve Raborn. In contrast, only 3,300 people voted in the county on the entire last day of early voting in 2004.

“We have never seen this kind of early voting turnout in a Primary Election,” Raborn said.

Republicans expressed concern that the unusually high Democratic turnout could spell trouble for Republican candidates in November.

“The numbers speak for themselves, there’s work to be done,” said Bech Bruun in an email to Republicans Friday. Bruun is the executive director of Texas Victory 2008, a project of the Texas Republican Party focused on mobilizing voters.

Yet even Republican primary turnout is high this year, just nowhere near the stunning results on the Democratic side, where some Republicans have taken advantage of the state’s open primary process to cast a vote in a still-disputed presidential race.

Causing unease around the state is how the soaring turnout will affect other races on the ballot. Some campaigns are expressing concern that there are likely more voters than usual who know little about the candidates in local races, making it difficult to guess how they may be deciding who to support.

Texas first installed a two-week period known as early voting back in 1988 as a way to boost turnout and address complaints of long lines for voting on Election Day.

As more Texans have become aware of the convenience, the number of early votes cast has steadily grown. In recent elections, early voters have accounted for over half of the total votes cast in some parts of the state.


----------------------------------------


McClatchy Washington Bureau
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Posted on Fri, Feb. 29, 2008
Clinton undermining election process, Obama camp claims
Jay Root | McClatchy Newspapers

last updated: February 29, 2008 08:02:46 PM

AUSTIN — Barack Obama’s presidential campaign said Friday that Hillary Clinton, fearing defeat in a state she badly needs to win, is trying to undermine confidence in Texas' delegate-selection process by raising the specter of a chaotic election night.

Clinton aides shot back that Obama was “fanning the distortion” of their legitimate concerns about the state’s two-step voting process, which entails both a primary election and a little understood caucus.

Clinton’s top Texas adviser, Garry Mauro, repeated the campaign’s assertion that Clinton had no intention of suing the party over its caucus rules. That scenario had been raised in a letter from the Texas Democratci Party that warned of an “imminent” lawsuit.

“Nobody ever raised the idea of suing,’’ said Mauro, blaming the flap on the Obama campaign. “When they feel a race is close they distort.’’

Mauro acknowledged, however, that the Clinton campaign had raised objections about the way caucus results will be reported Tuesday but said the former first lady is not trying to stop the party from doing it.

Obama supporters said Clinton has sought to prevent the immediate reporting of the results of the caucuses, which are held after the polls close. There are 67 delegates up for grabs in the caucuses; 128 will be selected by voting in the primary. The remainder of Texas' 228 delegates are so-called superdelegates who can vote for whichever candidate they choose.

“I think they’re afraid of what the caucus results might be,’’ said Obama campaign strategist Steve Hildebrand. “This is the game they play on the eve of every election . . . they like to suggest that the process is unfair to her.’’

Clinton supporters have complained that caucuses give the better organized Obama an unfair advantage; of the 13 Democratic caucuses held so far, Clinton has won just two, Obama 11, most by huge margins.

The notion of a Clinton challenge to the caucus procedures came up during conferences calls among the campaigns and the Texas Democratic Party. Concerned that a lawsuit was in the works, Democratic Party lawyer Chad Dunn fired off a letter to both campaigns.

“It has been brought to my attention that one or both of your campaigns may already be planning or intending to pursue litigation against the Texas Democratic Party,’’ Dunn wrote. “Such action could prove to be a tragedy for a reinvigorated Democratic process.’’

Party officials said that the threats were coming from the Clinton campaign. After the letter was made public, Clinton political director Guy Cecil told the Associated Press he wanted the procedures put in writing and that the campaign might challenge them.

"We want to see the results in writing, and we reserve the right to challenge something if we don't believe it reflects something that was discussed on the call," he was quoted as saying.

Speaking to reporters Friday, Hildebrand, the Obama strategist, accused the Clinton campaign of “raising the specter of being able to challenge, legally or otherwise, any aspect of the caucus contest here.’’

“We expect to play by those rules that have been set by the Texas Democratic Party,’’ he said. “We have stated no intention to challenge any aspect of it.’’

State Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, leader of the Democrats in the state House of Representatives, accused the Clinton campaign of trying to “stoke fears or promote cyncism” by raising questions about a process that has been a feature of the presidential nomination process in Texas for decades.

“If you’re losing at half time, you don’t try to unplug the scoreboard,’’ Dunnam said.

The law requires the caucus results to be reported within three days, but the intense interest in the results prompted the Texas Democratic Party to invest $60,000 in a voluntary reporting system so that the media and public would have an idea about how the caucus tallies were breaking.

Obama officials see no problem with it. But Mauro, the Texas Clinton adviser, said the system would produce “flimsy, half-baked results.’’ Still, Mauro said there were no plans to challenge the legality of the voluntary reporting system.


--------------------------------------


of the appx 950,000 primary voters - 717,000 are voting dem http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/earlyvoting/2008/feb28demo.shtml

 

[respiration]

Great, great post.

 

[Makkonnen]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0308/Texas_caucus_hardball.html


March 01, 2008
Read More: Hillary Clinton

Texas caucus hardball

The Dallas Morning News gets hold of Clinton caucus "training materials," in which supporters are instructed to fight for procedural control of caucuses.

The materials say in part, "DO NOT allow the supporter of another candidate to serve in leadership roles."

It goes on to say, "If our supporters are outnumbered, ask the Temporary Chair if one of our supporters can serve as the Secretary, in the interest of fairness.

"The control of the sign-in sheets and the announcement of the delegates allotted to each candidate are the critical functions of the Chair and Secretary. This is why it is so important that Hillary supporters hold these positions."

Some of the moments on the ground in Nevada showed how crucial technical control can be, particularly when -- there, as expected in Texas -- nobody has any idea what the rules are. Really makes you love the caucus process.

 

[QueEx]

<font size="5">
Caught !</font size>

 

[Makkonnen]

Wow - we've just seen at least 120 hours straight of negative press coverage for Obama, plots to defame Obama involving McCain and the Canadian Govt and SNL/The Daily Show giving Clinton free time on TV.

I'm glad the media plays no role in the election process.

 

[Turbulent]

Wow - we've just seen at least 120 hours straight of negative press coverage for Obama, plots to defame Obama involving McCain and the Canadian Govt and SNL/The Daily Show giving Clinton free time on TV.

I'm glad the media plays no role in the election process.

lol @ being mad at the Daily Show. no one in their right mind with a late night show would have said "no" to hillary being on the show. SNL i agree though, they're officially going overboard with the clinton love.

 

[GET YOU HOT]

I'm going to hold off, until tomorrow, there is still time to count votes...

The whole world is watching...

 

[shanebp1978]

I remember another time they were watching too.

 

[Makkonnen]

Shit was rigged

The margin of her victory was made up of Rush Limbaugh repubs

and the fuckin canadian PM tryin to rig the fuckin election? Movies aint got shit on real life

 

[Makkonnen]

Looks like Obama won Texas but the media won't report that

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/7/11339/50182/559/471347

 

[GET YOU HOT]

Shit was rigged

The margin of her victory was made up of Rush Limbaugh repubs

and the fuckin canadian PM tryin to rig the fuckin election? Movies aint got shit on real life

Alot of Republicans crossed party lines to insure the win for the Clinton's, remember they have had a longtime fanbase in Texas and California alike. You can call it a lifetime investment, that payed off. Expect more of the same coming up, the WASP & White Christian Elite, can't afford to have a Blackman win the nomination, or Presidency, for that matter...

Stay tuned.

 

[muckraker10021]

YOU PROBABLY MISSED THIS - Bill Clinton Went On Rush Limbaugh
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/03/clinton-went-on.html


March 10th 2008

You may have missed it - almost everyone missed it - but Bill Clinton was on <a href="http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/wtf-bill-clinton-on-rush-limba.php">Rush Limbaugh's show</a> the day of the Texas primary. You can hear the audio <a href="http://images.radcity.net/5155/2461772.mp3">here</a>.

Limbaugh himself was sick that day, apparently, but he had already urged Republicans to cross over to keep Hillary Clinton in the race. Bill saw an opening - and went there.

Now just wrap your mind around this: the Clintons were happy to support a cynical, partisan Republican campaign to wound the Democratic front-runner, and they were brazen enough to go on the Limbaugh show to do so.
<br>There also seems little doubt that Republican mischief played a real
role in affecting the results. And they call Obama's call for them to
release their tax returns a tactic worthy of Ken Starr. I repeat: the
chutzpah and the cynicism just leave you speechless. And as you find it
impossible to do much but splutter, the Clintons plow on with new
self-serving lies.

More Story Links Below

Bill Clinton Went On Rush Limbaugh’s Show Day Of Texas Primary


Mark Interviews Bill Clinton (no, really) on the Rush Limbaugh Show

 

[VegasGuy]

Barack Obama handily wins Dallas County district conventions

12:23 AM CDT on Sunday, March 30, 2008

By GROMER JEFFERS / The Dallas Morning News
gjeffers@dallasnews.com

Barack Obama cruised to victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton in Dallas County's Senate district conventions Saturday, as Texas Democrats continued their arduous and sometimes frustrating process of choosing national convention delegates.


Mr. Obama had double-digit leads in all five of the county's Senate districts, mirroring his electoral power here in the March 4 primary. Statewide, the picture was less certain, though Mr. Obama started the day with a caucusing advantage because he won the first round, precinct conventions held the night of the primary.

That may mean he can win more overall delegates in Texas even though Mrs. Clinton won the initial primary vote, as Mr. Obama's campaign claimed in a triumphant statement late Saturday. The Clinton campaign scoffed at that and predicted a strong showing once all the results were counted.

The packed conventions cemented for some that the "two-step" system of having caucuses after a primary vote is probably not suited for such a large state. Thousands of Texans spent hours in school gyms and other venues Saturday, arguing at length about credentials and other matters – all for a handful of delegates among thousands to the convention that will nominate either Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton for president.

Delegates alternated between boredom and frustration. At one district, police were summoned to keep the proceedings calm.

more at this link

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...ries/033008dnpoldemconventions.129a6399.html#

-VG

 

[nyyyyce]

Re: Barack Obama handily wins Dallas County district conventions

Can Obama, himself, start touting this so that HE sets the narrative and subliminally starts to put pressure on the Clinton campaign?!?!

BTW, thanks 4 the drop.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Everything is bigger in Texas -- even support for Obama

Everything is bigger in Texas -- even support for Obama
Video of massive turnout for Obama in Austin. Obama went on to edge Clinton in Texas delegates, 98-95. Clinton took 51 percent in the primary (65 delegates) and Obama 47 percent (61 delegates). But in the caucus, Clinton picked up 30 delegates to Obama's 37 delegates. Obama wins 98-95.

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