It's snowing outside now here in Dallas, and while it's not expected to stick overnight -- too warm and too wet -- they got pounded hard with snow in the Panhandle today. That's bound to depress turnout in tomorrow's primary. I don't know if that hurts Barack or Hillary more -- do any of you readers? The election is going to be decided in the state's urban centers, where most of the Democratic voters are. The Panhandle is relatively sparsely populated. Lubbock is the biggest city, with about 250,000 people in it. Amarillo has about 200,000, and Abilene is at around 150,000. Not a lot of Democratic votes there, I'd wager.
Still, every one's going to count. The Belo tracking poll tonight shows the two candidates in a dead tie, at 46 points each. Tuesday night's going to be a nail-biter for the Democrats. Hillary's likely to win Ohio, but if she pulls it out in Texas too ... what on earth does that mean? Besides that her campaign can go on, I mean? One thing it would show is that Obama is vulnerable to uncertainties about his past (Rezko) and his ability to handle a crisis (the red phone ad).
Obama was live on the six o'clock news here in Dallas, speaking at a rally at an area high school. The Channel 8 reporter noted that the vast majority of those in the audience were too young to vote. With the race so close here, why would Obama spend his election eve addressing high school kids who can't help him at all on primary day?
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Subscribe
I agree with R Boggs above about the red telephone: I cannot fathom why this ad would sway anyone. What international crises has Hillary managed? Does it actually pay off for them to suggest that Hillary took herself seriously as an unelected co-president to an almost delusionary degree? Or, even worse, that she's not delusionary and she exercised authority to which she had zero legal title? I just don't get it, but maybe I overestimate the average voter.
David--whether or not you can vote in a primary if you're 17 but will be 18 by the election depends on state law. Some allow it, some don't.
Just to let you know, I live in Columbus, Ohio, and the weather here is very bad for voting. Cold (but above freezing) and lots of rain. I haven't voted yet, but have been told that turnout has been surprisingly low in some places despite the significance of Ohio's election today.
Wouldn't bad weather favor Obama -- his voters are joyful, Hillary's are more dutiful ...
Isn't duty what brings people out in lousy weather? That's kind of what Garrison Keillor says about Minnesot'ns, anyway.
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.