Feb. 18, 2008
Texas System Worries Clinton Backers
Washington Post: State's Convoluted Rules Include Combination Of Primary, Caucuses
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Candidates Turn To Texas
With Sen. Obama winning the Potomac primaries, Sen. Hillary Clinton heads to Texas, hoping the Lone Star State will give her the good results she's been looking for. Gwen Belton reports.
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Clinton A Rock Star In Texas
"CBS News RAW": Hillary Clinton gets a rock star welcome at the Univ. of Texas at El Paso. 12K students and supporters greet the candidate as she stumps ahead of the Lone Star State's March 4 primary.
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Hillary Pins Hopes On Texas
"CBS News RAW": Hillary Clinton is pinning her hopes of a second comeback on Texas, telling a crowd of supporters in El Paso she planned to sweep across the Lone Star state.
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Hillary Clinton
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The latest list of primary and caucus dates as states continue jockeying for position.
Supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton are worried that convoluted delegate rules in Texas 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.
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.
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 in Dallas and Houston -- where Sen. Barack Obama expects to receive significant support -- could yield three or four times as many delegates.
"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."
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.
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.
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 Austin district, eight. The numbers are determined by a formula that is based on the number of voters in each district who cast ballots for Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) in the 2004 presidential campaign and for Chris Bell, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2006.
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.
"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."
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.
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.
"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."
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.
The caucuses have also given rise to a separate concern, according to several top Texas Democrats interviewed last week. Because the state's Democratic Party 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.
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.
"The first person in the door picks it up and controls it," said state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, a Clinton supporter who represents the El Paso area. "So the rules are designed to create a race to the packet. You can imagine what that might look like."
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.
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.
"Anytime you require additional steps, that means extra effort, and that's particularly hard on working families," Hinojosa said.
While Richie said he recognizes those concerns, he does not think Texas will lack enthusiastic voters and caucusgoers.
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.
"I think all the old models are out the window," he said. "I expect we're going to set a new state record."
By Matthew Mosk
© 2008 The Washington Post Company






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See all 122 CommentsObama ignored the theft of several percentage points from his totals in New Hampshire to help bolster Hillary''s flagging fortures in this electoral farce.
Enjoy a continuation of your Demopublican wars in Asia and the price of energy...you booming economy and soaring stock market...if you hold your charts upside down.
Surge on! Demopublicans...Surge on! Baaaaahhh!
Clinton''s arrogance astounds me. And hey, Mark Penn, I''ve got a free bus ticket to Hawaii for you...
The reason why her support is so high amongst Latinos is because they put 2 and 2 together and figure that her health plan with its costs will cover everone.. even Illegals.
Not to mention the rumored, famous Latino Absentee voting block. Where the hell are they voting from... Mexico City?
.. sleazy and dishonest and so are the people who defend him.
Posted by b-easy63 at 09:42 AM : Feb 18, 2008
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All Shrubbies and Bushbots should be water-boarded and deemed insane.There money should be used for national health care or ''energy development''.
This Corrupt GOP sect has to be Eradicated. If not,the Evil roots will spread like the hanging chad-moss of the bigot-filled redneck nation.This being the hypocritical South of course.
Friends NEVER let friends vote republiCon.
So now what, does she want to change the rules of the game or will she cry again to get the rules changed???
This Corrupt GOP sect has to be Eradicated. If not,the Evil roots will spread like the hanging chad-moss of the bigot-filled redneck nation.This being the hypocritical South of course.
Friends NEVER let friends vote republiCon.
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Posted by neobrian
And you are how old?
Does age give a Better Value to a vote ?
What else would you expect from the state that elected George W. Bush and then foisted him off on the rest of us?
Does age give a Better Value to a vote ?
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Posted by neobrian
as immature as your post sounded, you can''t be over 18..
Posted by truthspeake2 at 09:53 AM : Feb 18, 2008
Hmm, now that it might hurt her campaign, she wants the rules changed that have been in place and working for 20 years? Weren''t these the same rules when Bill was running for office?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M6x1H08aFc
"Anytime you require additional steps, that means extra effort, and that''s particularly hard on working families," Hinojosa said. "
Aww...are the poor Texans too tired to come out to the caucuses? Gee, all the other people in all the other states that have had caucuses haven''t been tired...maybe it''s something in the water in Texas that makes them such wimps.
Posted by jack3213 at 10:03 AM : Feb 18, 2008"
Oh please, so swift-boating your own parties candidates as the Republicans have done to McCain is ok and mature. $crew you.
Posted by jwind11 at 10:04 AM : Feb 18, 2008"
Old enough to vote, old enough to express an opinion.
What else would you expect from the state that elected George W. Bush and then foisted him off on the rest of us?
Posted by creeper00 at 10:03 AM : Feb 18, 2008
Well, it''s been working for us for at least 2 decades, only now is it coming under scrutiny. Now that it may cost madame witch the candidacy.
WAAAAAAAA, Boo effin Hoo.
Rules should be the same in all States since this is a party run function.
You `re Not a Very good Handicapper Windy !
But,You only Know what Rush tells you,..I`m retired and on my way to see my CPA now.Time to give more ''Tax cash for W`s Oil buddies'',..Like You.
Hope you can grow older too,..a hint,.Think for yourself. Shrub,Dead-eye Dicck and the cronies won`t always be here for you.
Posted by taddles at 10:08 AM : Feb 18, 2008
AWWWWWW, We have more importatnt things to do than chase politicians, things like dinner, and prime-time tv.
Posted by trapbreak at 10:09 AM : Feb 18, 2008"
Michigan and Florida knew the rules a year in advance and intentionally broke them. Texas has had their apportionment rules in place for over 20 years and now people want to change them? So what you''re really saying is you don''t like to follow the rules...you sound like a Bush supporter, they like to make up the rules as they go along too.
Posted by Klingon69 at 10:16 AM : Feb 18, 2008"
I was being sarcastic...please tell me you were too. ;o)
You `re Not a Very good Handicapper Windy !
But,You only Know what Rush tells you,..I`m retired and on my way to see my CPA now.Time to give more ''''Tax cash for W`s Oil buddies'''',..Like You.
Hope you can grow older too,..a hint,.Think for yourself. Shrub,Dead-eye Dicck and the cronies won`t always be here for you.
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Posted by neobrian
I rest my case
Posted by taddles at 10:18 AM : Feb 18, 2008
Of course, seven course...mmmmmmmmmm, steak....
Here in Texas, the Dems don''t like the division for districts for representatives. It was changed a few years ago for the benefit of the Reps. But instead of staying and fighting for their rights, the Dems packed up and left the state, twice! Maybe they understand why Texas doesn''t think too highly of Dems. That is not our style to hide our heads.
I will vote in the primary and I will stay up for the caucus because it means something to me. I won''t run and hide like a lot of Dems have done in the past.
THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER IS REPORTING ...
OHIO GOP ROOTS FOR HILLARY
Cincinnati Enquirer
Howard Wilkinson
February 18, 2008 09:11 AM
One of the worst-kept secrets of the Ohio presidential primary is that Republican Party leaders have a candidate they are rooting for on the Democratic side.
Her name is Hillary Rodham Clinton; and they believe that if she wins the Ohio primary and goes on to become the Democratic nominee, she will be the one who unites their dispirited and divided party and gives them their best chance of keeping the White House this fall. ...
MARTIN EDWIN "MICK" ANDERSEN
you are a neo con liar, there have been thousands of terroist attacks all over the world since your idiot president had the mindless christian voteer got him close enough to steal two american election
bush is a war criminal he belongs in prison
take a look at the bush crime family, wealth elites , hes grannsfather and great grand father were politicians as well,
this family has been collecting welfare for the wealthy at the government trough for generations;
you are another neocon liar, the dems did not hide, they were portrayed that way by clowns on the right wind,
you ''''tom delay'''' criminal politicians and arnchair war hawks should get a life
That our Democratic Party has superdelegates and arcane rules for state primaries and caucuses is a slap in the face for those of us who believe in equality.
now you clowns think that the democrats should not do the same things that are good enough for your republicon clown friends.
what a bunch of sissy whiners, any of you clowns real veterans or are you all like ''bush'' the draft dodgeing
hide in the guard kind
Looks like some one at the White House was having an all boy love fest,, bush will deny of course
They must have been too busy sending jobs overseas with NAFTA and the China Trade agreements.
It wasn''t just the Democrats who mucked things up in Texas. The apportioments are based upon Congressional districts, as they are in most other states.
Tom Delay and the GOP gerrymandered the Congressional districts into a totally contorted fashion so as to water down the effect of both Hispanic and African-American voters over a range of districts.
The idea of apportioning dlegates based upon prior turnout and awarding a portion of delegates through a caucus is not necessarily a bad system, it just doesn''t fit Hillary''s needs of the moment.
It''s clear that if she pulls out a win in Wisconsin it won''t be by a wide enough margin to change the delegate dynamics by itself and this shows that Texas won''t do it either.
The Super delegates pledged to her keep being whittled away on an almost daily basis.
Her only chance, and it''s still a fair chance, is to win by huge margins in Ohio and Pennsylvania where she has the support of Democratic Governors and large numbers of working class voters.
She won''t attain the numbers by telling people why not to vote for Obama, she''ll only pull through by giving voters a new reason to support her affirmatively.
BUT NONE IN THE USA SINCE 9-11.Doesn''t this matter to YOU?!
She has a right to complain. You have a whacky voting system.
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Posted by Jerkeedoodle
Oh no!!! who will attack us?!!
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Posted by Jerkeedoodle
now i am scared!! what should i do!!!? how can we prevent this attack?!!!
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