In the towns along the Mexican border, where support for Hillary Clinton was supposed to be rock-solid, Obamamania is beginning to set in, causing jitters in the Clinton camp just days before next Tuesday’s critical Texas primary.
“If the election were right now,” said Hidalgo County Democratic Party Chairman Juan Maldonado, “I would say Clinton would win this county with 60 percent. But every day that goes by, Barack Obama is picking up steam and I suspect he is going to do much better than that.”
With the latest Texas polls showing Clinton locked in a dead heat after once holding a double-digit lead, political analysts say the reversal was due inpart to defections by Hispanics.
The analysts believe Clinton must win 65 percent of the state’s sizable Hispanic vote in order to capture the state. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, said last week that a loss in Texas would doom her candidacy.
“In Texas, younger Hispanics in part are willing to give Obama a look,” said Southern Methodist University political science professor Cal Jillson. “If he can hold her to 55 to 60 percent of Hispanics, he is in very good shape to win the state.”
Maldonado said younger Hispanics are the source of the growing support for Obama in Hidalgo County, situated along the Mexican boarder. More than 90 percent of eligible voters there are Hispanic.
Clinton has been banking on the support of the older generation of the county’s Mexican-Americans, including those who remember that she campaigned along the border for George McGovern 36 years ago. She didn’t count on their grandchildren suddenly turning out in droves for her rival.
“The Clintons have done a lot of work in this part of the country for many years, but it’s a new day and the young voters are excited,” Maldonado said. “They are out for Obama.”
Three hundred miles to the north in San Marcos, where Obama held a rally Wednesday night, he is drawing enthusiastic support from Hispanic voters, political experts say.
“Last Monday this was Clinton country but it didn’t take it long to flip,” said Bexar County Commissioner Paul Elizondo, a Clinton backer. Elizondo quickly added, “It’s not flipped. I don’t know. A week ago, I would have said she had it in the bag, but now it’s close enough to cause concern.”
Elizondo said the Clinton camp has opened one or two offices and is hoping to carry the area with help of endorsements from several entrenched officeholders who have clout with voters. Obama has set up 10 “miniheadquarters” and is blanketing the area with dozens of volunteers, Elizondo said.
“He is challenging her here and is doing better than a lot of us thought he would.” Elizondo said.
