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From DallasVoice.com Texas Democratic group may endorse Obama after picking other side in primary
If Sen. Barack Obama has any chance of winning Texas in November, he’ll need all the help he can get from local LGBT voters, the majority of whom favored Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary. With that in mind, members of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, North Texas’ largest LGBT political group, will meet Tuesday, July 8 to consider endorsing Obama in his race against Republican Sen. John McCain. Stonewall Democrats endorsed Clinton over Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in February, but now that the former first lady has suspended her campaign, the group’s leaders say they’re ready to help unite the party. “My goal is to not only make it [the Obama endorsement] a unanimous vote, but to teach people who are still hanging on to the anger that Hillary is not our nominee that this candidate [Obama] is the most progressive ever,” said Jesse Garcia, president of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas. “I was a very strong Hillary supporter, but I eventually came around, because I knew when it was time to move on. I still run into people in the bars who are angry that Hillary didn’t get the presidential nomination, and that he hasn’t offered her the vice presidential slot yet, but I tell them he won this fair and square, and he needs to choose someone he feels comfortable with.” Even if Obama doesn’t win Texas — which he probably won’t — turnout among his supporters in November is expected to have a big impact on other races locally and across the state, Garcia said. Stonewall Democrats already has endorsed 21 local, state and federal candidates in November, and the group will consider endorsing another eight on Tuesday in addition to Obama. One recent poll showed McCain leading Obama by only 5 percentage points in Texas, a reliably red state. Regardless, Obama has made it clear he plans to spend money in states he’s not likely to win, and his chief strategist recently told donors in Houston that the campaign will have 15 full-time staff members in Texas. Stonewall Democrats of Dallas Vice President Erin Moore, a delegate for Obama to the National Democratic Convention in Denver in August, will represent the campaign at Tuesday’s endorsement meeting. “This isn’t just a presidential race,” said Moore, the only national LGBT Obama delegate from Dallas. “It all comes up from the bottom, and he’s very aware of that. I have never seen a presidential candidate do this. He is not forgetting about the down ticket.” To further build support for Obama in the local gay community, one supporter said he’s exploring the possibility of creating a countywide LGBT steering committee. Gary Fitzsimmons, Dallas County’s openly gay district clerk, said he’s concerned that some members of the LGBT community who backed Clinton still have a negative view of the presumptive nominee. “Once they come out and vote, chances are they’re going to vote a straight Democratic ticket,” Fitzsimmons said. “If there’s any bad feeling in the gay community, then I think that has an adverse effect.” Fitzsimmons, one of the founders of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, said the steering committee wouldn’t be intended to compete with the group. But Fitzsimmons said he believes Stonewall Democrats, which can’t contribute directly to Obama’s campaign because it isn’t registered as a federal political action committee, should focus on local contests. According to Fitzsimmons, there’s precedent for a separate LGBT steering committee in presidential races. He said there was an LGBT steering committee, with an office on Lemmon Avenue in Oak Lawn, for President Bill Clinton’s campaign in 1992. “From my perspective as an Obama supporter, Stonewall Democrats didn’t support Obama, so I wanted to start a way for LGBT people who’ve been Obama supporters to move forward,” Fitzsimmons said. “It’s not a competition, but if there’s a sense that we would really prefer to do it ourselves, then I think that should be honored.” Garcia said he isn’t opposed to the idea of an Obama steering committee that’s separate from Stonewall Democrats. But he added that he believes Stonewall must play a role in reaching out to people who supported Clinton. “I see Stonewall as being that go-between for that constituency that may be unsure of Obama or still has some doubts about him,” Garcia said. “We’re in a perfect position to get those folks on the Obama bandwagon.” Garcia there will be a watch party for Obama's acceptance speech Aug. 28 and a LGBT fundraiser for the campaign Sept. 7. Both events will be at the Round-Up Saloon. At the fundraiser, which is not an official Stonewall Democrats event, the goal is to raise $10,000 through individual contributions. Garcia added that he recently spent hundreds of dollars out of his own pocket to purchase Obama pins and stickers that were distributed to members of Stonewall Democrats. “I think Stonewall is doing its part to show that we’re supporting our nominee,” Garcia said. Tuesday’s endorsement meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Resource Center of Dallas, 2701 Reagan St. The meeting is open to the public, but only Stonewall members can vote. New memberships will be taken at the door. In addition to Obama, those who attend the meeting will consider endorsing state Reps. Rafael Anchia, Allen Vaught and Yvonne Davis,; Thomas Love and Eric Roberson for the U.S. House of Representatives; John Ames for Dallas County Tax Assessor/Collector: Don Chae for 5th District Court of Appeals, place 3; and Gracie Lewis for criminal district judge, court No. 3. The endorsement recommendations from Tuesday’s meeting must be ratified at Stonewall’s regular monthly meeting July 15. For more information, visit www.stonewalldemocratsofdallas.org. This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 4, 2008. © Copyright by DallasVoice.com |
