One Vote Matters

Obamamania Hits Texas

by polrick on February 26th, 2008

Hillary Clinton’s lead in Texas has all but evaporated. A barrage of new polls indicates a virtual tie, or even a slight Obama advantage, in a state that Clinton had planned to carry without much difficulty.

Here are the numbers from the latest polls (all of likely voters):

ABC News/Washington Post -     Clinton 48% / Obama 47%

Rasmussen -                                   Clinton 46% / Obama 45%

CNN -                                               Clinton 46% / Obama 50%

SurveyUSA -                                   Clinton 50% / Obama 45%

American Research Group -         Clinton 42% / Obama 50%

These polls tell us people’s preferences, but they don’t give us an understanding of “events on the ground,” as they say. But I live in Texas, and I’d like to relate a few stories from the last several days that help us understand what Obamamania looks like in a conservative town in the Texas Panhandle. I live in a town of about 10,000, populated mostly by religious and social conservatives and dominated by the local Baptist church. The town is almost entirely dry, with only one restaurant recently authorized to sell alcohol. But Obamamania has come arrived. Here’s what it looks like:

• A few days ago I was in a local grocery store. It was mid-morning, and about 6 employees were standing around chatting after the morning rush. They ranged in age from about 18 to perhaps 25, and they were all speaking excitedly about their support for Obama. This may not seem surprising, given that younger voters are supporting him in overwhelming numbers, but these aren’t big-city liberals. They are small-town Texas conservatives; they drive pickup trucks, attend church twice a week, and probably don’t go to college. To find them so excited about Obama was indeed a surprising event.
• A few weeks ago, there was a rumour that Obama would be coming to town before the March 4 Texas primary. Work spread through town like wildfire (and around here, that isn’t an idle metaphor), with everyone from local news stations to student groups and churches all scrambling to confirm the rumour.  When it turned out to be inaccurate, there was a palpable sense of disappointment. The excitement about Bill Clinton’s recent last-minute visit was intense, though comparatively tepid.
• This week I surveyed the students in a few of my courses. Over 75% indicated their support for Obama. Now these are college students, but they do not meet the stereotypical image of Obama supporters. These are kids from farming and ranching families, the overwhelming majority of whom claim to be conservative Republicans. Yet their excitement about Obama is undeniable - they ask me questions about him in class, and continue discussing him on the way out the door. These conservatives are Obamamaniacs.

March 4 is closing in on us, and if the swell of Obamamania in this conservative Texas town is any indication, the day won’t turn out the way Clinton intended it.

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POSTED IN: Political Campaigning