Obama makes Texas-sized campaign miscalculation

I knew by Wednesday that Barack Obama wasn't going to come down to Austin for the Texas Democratic Party State Convention. One of the MOMocrats got a notice that he was going to be at a fundraiser in Bristow, Virginia, beginning at 6 p.m. when the Obama party in Austin began at 8 p.m.

I understand the timing is tough--especially his not-so-secret meeting with Hillary Clinton considered---but I sincerely hope the Democrats don't just concede Texas to the GOP.

Although Obama won more delegates (99 to Clinton's 94) in Texas, he didn't win the popular vote in (47%) and he has some fence-mending to do after denigrating comments about NASA's mission, and a statement about cutting funding.

Senate District 11 encompasses a huge voting block of Democrats, and also happens to be NASA stomping grounds. The chairman of Senate District 11, Doug Peterson, also currently a candidate for national delegate, said many space blogs and email chains were very actively lobbying against Obama.

That action is responding to Obama's comment at a recreational center event:

“I grew up on Star Trek,” Obama said. “I believe in the final frontier.”

But Obama said he does not agree with the way the space program is now being run and thinks funding should be trimmed until the mission is clearer.

“NASA has lost focus and is no longer associated with inspiration,” he said. “I don’t think our kids are watching the space shuttle launches. It used to be a remarkable thing. It doesn’t even pass for news anymore.”

Texas saw an enormous surge in registered, voting Democrats in the primaries. For example, Fort Bend County saw a 1634% increase.

Texas is up for grabs, Democrats; Over 3 million people voted in the primaries.

I hope Senator Obama comes not only to Texas again, but spends some quality time in Houston, where he can find a strong group of active Democrats---voters he needs to woo because they are at higher risk of voting for McCain than white female Hillary supporters.

Julie Pippert is reporting live from the Texas Democratic Party State Convention in Austin, Texas.

Comments

[cynematic]

This *is* worrisome, given that Texas has a chance of going blue this year.

When he was in Colorado recently, he specifically voiced the opinion that cuts in space funding will go toward the education programs he's planning.

Tough call--space is a big industry in not only Texas but also Florida. Both are huge electoral college states. But the pre-K through high school programs he's proposing are nationwide in scope. Space and education are both worthy and both necessary.

[John J.]

I have to side with Cynematic and Obama on this one. We can't throw away our larger plans to bring the whole nation forward for localized retail politics. I believe the work NASA is doing is important, and does deserve some funding, but they need to have firm goals and, dare I say, benchmarks.

We have sent probes to all corners of our solar system (and some are now leaving the far edges of it), but we aren't much closer to being able to use a lot of that information. ISS, Hubble, space elevator research, robotics - these are things bringing useful information and deserve continued funding. But a lot of the funding is going into much less useful projects and does need to be moved to our next generation of scientists.

[Julie Pippert]

This is a misunderstanding of the role and benefit of NASA. It's not just localized retail politics. NASA affects jobs nationwide through major job hubs in TX, Alabama, Florida, MA and more directly and even beyond through subcontractors.

NASA also provides many products and services through their research that affects the entire nation.

Senator Obama needs to spend some time familiarizing himself with the actual work that NASA does before affecting and promoting the ideas that it lacks focus, mission and benchmarks. That's a mischaracterization of the agency.

NASA has some amazing alternative energy research programs, it has nationwide lunar science, not to mention the technological advances its programs provides.

I tell you what...I'll get an interview together with some NASA people to provide additional information and back up my assertions. Stay tuned...

[jaelithe]

Julie, I think an interview with some NASA people is an EXCELLENT idea.

I actually differ with my husband John J. on this, largely because I spent like five years as a kid secretly planning to be an exobiologist astronaut ;) I think NASA should actually be getting MORE funding, if we can swing it.

But I do see both sides of the argument. A lot of people have a hard time thinking about supporting Martian landers when our planet is on the verge of a climate crisis unprecedented in written human history, and there are children around the world, and right here in the United States, starving and dying of curable diseases due in part to a lack of funding for agricultural and medical science programs.

And when so many high school kids in this country are graduating not knowing how to write a coherent sentence, or do long division without a calculator, we have to wonder where the next generation of NASA scientists is coming from.

Ideally, we would fund all of it. Science funding is a top priority for me. Education funding is also a top priority for me. But in a budget as tight as ours is going to be until we recover from years of an unnecessary, poorly planned and wasteful war, some things are going to have to give if we're going to bring the debt down. Personally, I think we should demand refunds from Blackwater and Halliburton for gross misconduct and mismanagement of funds.

[John J.]

Julie, I understand the advances NASA has given and continues to give us. I do believe though, as Obama has said, that NASA needs to focus its mission. Alternative energy programs belong under the control of the Department of Energy, not space research. By dividing its resources like this, NASA's mission becomes diluted. I don't believe, and I don't think Obama believes, that NASA needs to be dismantled, but it does need to refocus.

[cynematic]

Julie, I'd love to hear the NASA folks make the case for themselves. I don't doubt your overall point...I just think at some point we'll be confronted with the choice of "bad?" or "worse?"--supposedly what JFK said about governing. And this'll be one of those places where the rubber hits the road on interests that shouldn't be in competition but may have to be.

Unless, he can take it from somewhere else.

Damn pay-go...if only we could just deficit spend with abandon like BUSH. The zillions he's wasted...

[cynematic]

Yes! I think oversight of, recoupment of gross fraud and fines for perpetrating such by contractors like Halliburton is a *perfect* place to start picking up dollars off the floor.

That would pay for lots of worthwhile programs.

[PunditMom]

That statistic about the increase in voters is amazing.

[Julie Pippert]

Okay as evidence of my love, respect and admiration I asked a few folks I know here to help me set up interviews to discuss the NASA, science, education, funding and Obama comment issues!

[Lawyer Mama]

I think NASA needs to remarket itself. I know about the additional (and very important) NASA scientists do b/c someone I know from high school with a PhD in physics is working for NASA in Maryland. He specializes in the role of dust in glacial/interglacial climate change. A great deal of NASA's research is also important to climate change research and I can't think of many things more important than that right now.

BUT, I don't think Obama is ditching TX for good because he went to Virginia this week. He visited Bristow in SW Virginia, which is a VERY red stronghold. Then he went to Prince William County which, although in the DC suburbs, is where Virginia changes from Blue to Red. This is a very red state too & we're up for grabs this year as well.

I bet you'll see him in Texas soon! (Fingers crossed.)

[Albert Prince]

I saw open rebellion on the floor of the convention last night.

Don't be surprised if Hillary comes out of the convention with more delegates then she had at the start.

Also, don't be surprised if Boyd (Obama Supporter) Richie is ousted by an African-American woman supporting Hillary. Wouldn't that be a kick in the patooty?