I was waiting to see what ABC News and George Stephanopolis would say, so perhaps a bit of self-reflection would play a role.  Well it obviously hasn't. This is what Stephy said in an interview with Politico.

Politico Interview

"When people make that choice, they take into account how candidates stand on the issues," he said, but also are concerned with "experience, character [and] credibility."

Yes, his analysis is a Clinton talking point.  

Well, now I can sleep in more on Sunday mornings.

Update: Well, I wouldn't call "character or credibility" a Clinton talking point...

The latest CBS/NY Times Poll shows that the desire for change is stronger than it has been in recent memory.

Wrong Track Article

In the poll, 81 percent of respondents said they believed "things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track," up from 69 percent a year ago and 35 percent in early 2002.

Although the public mood has been darkening since the early days of the war in Iraq, it has taken a new turn for the worse in the last few months, as the economy has seemed to slip into recession. There is now nearly a national consensus that the country faces significant problems.

This is the environment that Barack Obama's message, position and organization has been tapping into.  And much of the media and the nation was feeling this throughout the early campaign.  But it appears as if we've been caught up in the horse race and are forgetting about why we need a dramatic change in Washington and why most of the country agrees.

So let's bring the "C" word back into our narrative.  We need change.  We need change.  We REALLY REALLY need change.

I'm sure to hear about how the delegates alloted by the convention system (or "caucuses") don't count.  So after my own experience at the precinct convention and county convention, I've concluded the following below the fold:

The Clinton campaign is apparently doing anything they can to scrutinize the country conventions on Saturday in Texas by sending an onslaught of lawyers.  They seem much less concerned about whether they can get enough organization and support among delegates attending the convention as they are about the legal process.  This is very sad, as the excitement level within the Democratic party in Texas is the highest in years, and efforts to challenge the legitimacy of the process will not only hurt the Presidential candidate in November, but hurt down-ticket candidates like Noriega (running for Senate), who needs every bit of excitement now still existing in November.

I have a letter sent to volunteer lawyers (from Politico) below the fold.

I know this is not going to an immediately well-received diary.  But after thinking about the issue for a week, I decided to talk about the need for nuance on Tibet, and how this relates to the speech by Obama.  I lived in China for five years.  I have never been to Lhasa , but I have been to Tibetan regions of Yunnan and Gansu.  I studied minority issues in China both in the US and in China. My own observations about the Tibetan crisis are different from both that in the Chinese state media and in the Western media. Analysis below the fold.

OK, this isn't really breaking.  But the following story shows evidence that Ari Fleischer must not be Jewish.

Former Bush spokesman slams Obama over pastor

Unfortunately, you must register to read in full so I'll include the only quote that really matters.

"If my rabbi had made those statements, I would have left the synagogue immediately," said Fleischer, an active board member of the Republican Jewish Coalition. "It really troubles me that Barack Obama only waited until now to speak out about this issue.

What kind of Jew is he? Didn't he know that for every Rabbi, there are 100 opinions? And none of them are ever in agreement with anyone in the shul?

If my job was based on my Rabbi's opinions, I would have been fired ages ago.  I don't know what relationships church members have with ministers in Christian churches, but the Fleischer response is comical.

This was just in from MSNBC. Five US Soldiers Killed in Suicide Bombing in Baghdad. Another three soldiers and an interpreter injured. It happened today.  

It's amazing with all the talk about the election and this "commander-in-chief" threshold argument that dominates the MSM, that we still have a war that's killing Americans and Iraqis all the time.  

How do we bring Iraq front and center again?  I know that the economy is bad. I know that we need health care. I know that we need education.  But so much of our failings to address these are a product of the costs of this war.  Meanwhile, the costs of this war are far more than financial.  We need to get our outrage back.  We need to get action on this back. Can we wait until January?

Update: Article with Story

There has been a lot of talk about how terrible the "prima-caucus" system in Texas is.  I understand the concerns, as it is quite confusing.  I didn't even know this system existed, and I've been voting in Texas for eight years.  But after my experience yesterday, I am proud of this system.  It has both the benefits of a primary and the benefits of a caucus.  And it's the combination of these two methods that represents two key aspects of democracy.

I have a few minutes in between GOTV for Obama in Austin.  In one precinct with many Republicans (Far West), there are rumors about a mass number of Republicans voting for Clinton.  A Republican women walking out of our precinct said it was happening, but didn't say whether she did it or not. I hope it's just a rumor.  If not, I really hope that we get enough turnout to counter this.  

The Republicans in Texas have done these sort of things before.

Sorry for a very short diary.  But I have to get back to work for Obama.  If anyone else has heard the same or can discuss, write below.  Otherwise, lets do our best to counter this effort.

Update at 5 pm:  I am glad to hear that this is just a rumor.  I haven't been able to respond because I've been out in the field.  I was just wondering if there were any similar patterns.  My sense, based on the discussion, is that this is a small and isolated incident.

Well, I really don't have anything to say except that I'm Jewish, Proud to be Jewish, and Proud to Support Barack Obama for President!

This is taken from the recent rally in Austin.

I wear my Obamaka (Or "Obamulka") with pride. And I won't let Tim Russert or anyone else separate my pride for my Judaism from my pride for Barack Obama.

Update: I changed to "Obamulka" because of a "Macaca" comment.  That was too scary.

Update 2: Someone posted a link for purchase.  Here it is.

This morning, Dee Dee Myers, on the Today Show, discussed the unfair treatment of Hillary Clinton by the media, and how this has contributed to her lack of success on the campaign trail.  I have been very uncomfortable after this interview.  I completely understand her concerns about the way people in the media have treated Clinton, and that much of that has to do with she as a woman.  But then she went on to defend Clinton's action as a woman.  That her yelling at Barack Obama was understandable because it's difficult to demonstrate anger as a woman.  That she couldn't focus on change because she was a woman. That every reason she isn't doing well is because she's a woman.  

As a son of a solid feminist (who voted for Obama) and an Obama supporter for over a year, I feel very uncomfortable about this.  I don't support Clinton because of POLICIES, in particular, her record on Iraq (and recently, Iran). I feel that I'm being attacked as a sexist for being against her, and I feel very uncomfortable.

Well, we're voting in Texas already.  I just voted myself.  And I wanted people to share their experiences about early voting.  In particular, there is still some confusion about what is necessary for the caucus.  

I voted with my drivers' license.  They gave me a yellow card with my name, precinct number, the stamp "Democratic" and the date of voting.  They told me to bring it to the "precinct convention" (caucus).

A staff member of the Obama campaign told me that there will be a list, so the card isn't necessary.  But I won't take any chances.

Will Wynn endorses Obama.

I don't think this is a surprise at all, but a reflection that Austin is all about Obama. Kirk Watson, Mark Strama, Will Wynn.  The only person yet to pick is Congressman Doggett. There's also the Austin American-Statesman.

Now it's up to Austin to get as many of the 8 delegates as possible.

Update @12:40 pm: Someone mentions that the Austin Chronicle endorsed Obama as well.  Not surprising.

Update @12:46 pm: My first ever recommended diary.

A lot of talk has surfaced about the need for Clinton to have a landslide in Texas and in Ohio.  I don't know about Ohio, but as a Texan, and as someone who has been looking at the map and the rules, I think it will be difficult.  In fact, I believe there is a chance for Obama to make it close (winning would be tough).  But by making it close, and in securing almost as many delegates as Clinton, then March 4 can be a decisive day for Obama. The reasons are:

1. The Hybrid System

2. The Proportionate Allotment of Delegates

3. "Open" Primary

4. The Demographics

5. The Feeling on the Ground

I was at the welcome party for Texas-wide Obama campaign staff at Victory Grill. There were hundreds of people there (some missing part of the Texas-Kansas basketball game).  Many of the staff were there before going to other parts of the state.  The number of places they were going to were mind-boggling. It demonstrated what I believe to be the Obama strategy in Texas--- win as many primary votes and caucus votes possible EVERYWHERE.

I am saddened to hear about the loss of Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust Survivor ever in Congress.  He was a champion for human rights. And I really hope that we use this opportunity to think about the challenge ahead when it comes to human rights.

news link

The more I read about the Democratic allocation of delegates, the more I feel that this race is quite open.  This depends on how much grassroots activity there is here.  Key bits of information:

1. Early voting in the primary begins February 19.  That's only 12 days away.  Note: We know what early voting in California meant.

2. The delegates in the primary are proportional by State Senate District.  There are rural places in the Hill Country and East Texas where there is certainly going to be a relative amount of delegates compared to populations, so voting there will matter a lot. Austin, for example, has only 8 (which will go heavily for Obama).  

3. Caucuses.  Yes, 1/3 of delegates are based on caucuses at the precincts.  This is strange because there's early voting that's separate from the caucus.  So we can vote twice.

This means that grass-roots organizing will matter and needs to happen soon.

In case I'm wrong, check the original sources:
Burnt Orange Report
Lonestar Project

I don't know what the Obama campaign plans are for Texas now. But as a Texas resident who has supported Obama for over a year, I have been patient on Texas for a long time.  I have made calls to Iowa, to New Hampshire, to South Carolina, to Georgia and to California. But now with only 27 days to go before the Texas primary on March 4, I am ready to focus on Texas--- no matter what happens to contests before then.  I'm not saying everyone else should focus on Texas.  I'm just saying that Texans should focus on Texas.