Obama offers little support in Texas Senate race

While the presidential primaries have captivated the nation for the past year, the presidency is not the only office being contested this November. All over the country, candidates for the United States Senate busy themselves raising money, awareness, and name recognition in the midst of this election cycle, and Texas is no exception. Republican incumbent John Cornyn looks to defend his seat against Democratic challenger and State Congressman Rick Noriega, who is considered a long shot by most. Observers have been speculating about how this state race may be affected by the presidential campaign. Jerry Polinard, a political science professor at The University of Texas Pan-American, described how Noriega could pull off an upset.”Barack Obama must ignite African-American and youth voters of Texas, who also may vote for Noriega,” said Polinard. “Republican John McCain’s lack of appeal with Texas social conservatives must cause significant numbers of Republicans to stay away from the polls.”Those ignitions of certain key constituencies by Obama is exactly what Democrats here in Texas hope for, but feel they are not receiving. In late July, the Obama campaign promised to lend the candidate’s drawing power to raise money for the state party, a commitment which some see as going unfulfilled. A Texas Democrat speaking anonymously told the San Antonio Express News, “We have sensed a lack of enthusiasm [from the Obama camp].”Obama raised more than $1.5 million in Houston earlier this month, but most of that will probably be spent in states other than Texas, which Obama has all but conceded to McCain. The result is little fiscal support for Noriega. The former Lieutenant Colonel of the Texas National Guard desperately trails Cornyn in fund raiding. According to the July quarterly fundraising report, Noriega raised less than $1 million compared to Cornyn’s robust $9 million. Consequently, Noriega is at a severe disadvantage as he vies to become Texas’ first Hispanic U.S. Senator, but Democrats still believe they have a chance, however slim.Encouraged by President George W. Bush’s rock-bottom approval ratings and the dwindling number of citizens registering as Republicans nationwide, Democrats viewed Cornyn’s outspoken support of Bush’s policies as a weakness. Even top GOP officials expect Senate losses in November. Meanwhile, analysts for publications like the New York Times and Hispanic Business, believe the Northeast is the region mostly likely to have seats flip from red to blue. In Texas, long considered a red state, McCain and Cornyn enjoy leads in the polls over their opponents. A July poll conducted by the University of Texas shows McCain leading Obama 42 percent to 33 percent while Cornyn leads Noriega 44 percent to 13 percent. They may share the “R” next to their names on the ballot box, but Cornyn and McCain also share a tempestuous history. In 2007 several media outlets reported that McCain engaged the former civil litigator in a shouting match over immigration reform. Responding to claims that McCain used the “f” word against Cornyn, the Arizona Senator called the discussion “frank and open.”Recently, Cornyn expressed the sentiment of many social conservatives towards the centrist McCain in a statement to the Dallas Morning News. “I sort of liken it to a grieving process,” said Cornyn. “You come to acceptance.”