Obama sending campaign staff into Texas

[Adelante]

Texans for Obama has been run entirely by volunteers since the end of 2006. We have monthly meetups and nightly phone banks in addition to parties at Scholz Garten and Victory Grill for every event possible - debates, results watch parties, etc. We had over 400 people at Scholz last night and it was a blast! We signed people up for every needed task - phone banking, blockwalking, data entry, housing an Obama staffer, etc.

-snip

There was not a paid Obama staffer on the ground here in Texas until 3 days ago when the first one arrived. We are getting a wave of at least 60 paid staffers on the ground here this Friday. We are opening an office here in Austin within the next few days, with regional offices to follow.

http://www.burntorangereport.com/showComment.do?commentId=30671

[angie_love]

1. good news

we need all the help there we can get

[Flabbergasted]

6. Texas will be tough. I think Obama can make it close.

[usregimechange]

2. and Ohio

[SoFlaJet]

3. One question Wes

is he paying them?-you know UNlike a certain OTHER candidate

[MadBadger]

7. Yep, hes sending 60 PAID staffers.

[SoFlaJet]

9. Interesting

so you mean to tell me that Obama DOESN'T ask HIS workers to labor like slaves for free? I wonder if she at least feeds them-you know corn bread and beans

[Thrill]

22. They don't get

Cornbread. Just Beans

[blogslut]

4. Yeehaw!

I hope Obama visits West Texas. We always get ignored during election season. At least run some damned commercials. Pleeeeze.

[TheDonkey]

5. Time to set up shop. Let's paint TX baby blue

[AlinPA]

8. This is for the primary only? For the GE, does a Democrat even have a prayer in TX?

[Schema Thing]

10. Yes

[AlinPA]

11. Yes, or yes -yes?

[readmoreoften]

14. Texans don't much seem to trust either party.

Austin is full of support for Ron Paul and Kinky Friedman. It's full of antiwar sentiment and small owner-operated businesses. Texas is a right-to-work state, meaning it has little understanding of unions or working class solidarity. A candidate like Ron Paul would win Texas even if he was less (or not) anti-choice and anti-gay. Hillary could win if there was an Ann Richards feel about her. Obama seems like an outsider. The college students in Austin will like him, but many who aren't avowed (small business minded) libertarians are radical anarchists and socialists. I've seen a couple Obama signs but less than Edwards and Kucinich. He won't be considered progressive enough or moderate enough here. He could motivate the quite large African-American populations in Dallas and Houston, but it sounds like he's not setting up shop there. If I were him, I'd forget Austin and motivate his African-American conservative church base.

There are simply not enough liberal colleges in Texas to motivate the "youth" vote. There's UT, but almost all the other colleges are religious or conservative or both (A&M, Rice, UT Dallas, Southwestern).

Edwards could've campaigned well here if he presented himself to rural and working people (he was the top Texas dem in polls for awhile.) DK could've done well in a Kinky Friedman way (Texans like oddball individuals). Hillary will be hated by the conservative men (urban and rural), accepted by latinos and older white women (urban and rural). Obama is a huge question mark. His tactics so far (other than African-American conservative churches) : the "youth" vote, bipartisanship, etc. won't appeal to Texans. We can't afford to pretend that progressives and conservatives work together here (think Hightower's "Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Lines and Dead Armadillos) and no one much trusts party politics. And the youth vote here ranges from very conservative Bible Camp Counselors in Dallas to disenfranchised working class Mexican teens, lots of disenfranchised gay and lesbian kids, and radical counterculturalists on the left and right (Alex Jones is in Austin and has support on the left and right.)

[flpoljunkie]

12. Great news, WesDem! Thanks for the report.

[Coexist]

13. send them this, if you can:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/6/10046/34054

25 Rules for Campaigning in Texas
by DyspepTex
Wed Feb 06, 2008 at 11:34:48 AM EST

Now that it might actually be relevant to some folks, I'd like to start a diary on ways to campaign in Texas and what's it like down here. I've got a few suggestions below the fold. Feel free to add more advice.

.....
Words of advice for campaigners from out of state:

Those little green things on the nachos are NOT okra. The litte green things in the gumbo are.

"Y'all" is the accepted english term for the second person plural. While it is techincally equivalent to "Yous guys" the former will be well received. The latter may not be. Also accepted for large crowds is "all y'all," and the possessive is "y'all's."

Contrary to something Jimmy Carter said 28 years ago, Texas was not "purchased" from Mexico like Alaska, to become part of the Union. We were another country that freely joined.

While there may be some controversy about what actually happened at the Alamo in 1835, and why the "Texians" overthrew Mexican rule, it's best to go with the conventional myths. Even if you know the truth, most Texans might not.

Just accept that you'll be campaigning as an outsider. We don't mind. Just don't try to fake being "Texan." It doesn't take long to become a "native" here, just longer than the time you have available.




...read this rest, it's worth it.

[wildflowergardener]

15. Texas

My aunt who lives in Houston asked my mother if she was voting for Obama, and said the only thing that worries her is Obama's Muslim background, which coincidently the exact thing that my Republican friend said about Obama that she worries he's not some sort of a sleeper cell because his stepfather was Muslim. I guess it's that email that's been going around? I'm not sure what else it could be but it seems alot of people have heard this for two people we know to have said it recently.

I was trying to figure out how to rebut it, thought if I could figure out where they could have heard it it would help - all I could figure was that email. Is it something Fox news is talking about too still?

Meg

[PDittie]

25. Send her the Snopes links

Cut and paste them in full if she won't follow a link:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/church.asp

Also clarifies the BS about his placing his hand over his heart during the National Anthem:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp

[wildflowergardener]

26. Thanks

eom.

[Cha]

16. Everything in it's time..

Now it's time for Texas! GObamas in The Lone Star State!

[K Gardner]

17. Texas is going to be hard. Its kinda like a western redneck Tennessee. Sorry Texans !! I think

Obama could do well in Ohio and hope he'll send staff there too.

[debatepro]

18. South Texas is Blue!!!!!

[Ishoutandscream2]

19. Trust me, and this is very anecdotal

Hillary is hated beyond belief here. Even the right wingers I work with (and there are many) really like Obama. I think Obama has an EXCELLENT shot here in Texas.

And before anyone says I'm partial to Obama, I'm still deciding. Notice my avatar.

[Cha]

21. There's Austin..a big pocket

of Progressives!

[K Gardner]

23. Thanks to all of you for the updates on the "real" Texas.. maybe Obama CAN do well there !

[Avalux]

20. San Antonio? Here we go!

It's so exciting to have a voice in a primary, and for someone I am motivated to work for!

[Cha]

24. Yeah! Just talked to my son on

Kauai and they vote in March so he's hoping he gets to vote for Obama!