Noriega tries to dodge difficulties
AP
August 5, 2008
Two minutes later, Democrat Rick Noriega's show turned to static. Lots of static. Then the camera tilted upside down. Then more static. The screen went to black. A few voters' questions could be heard, but Noriega's answers were often interrupted by audio and video glitches.
Technical troubles aren't the only difficulties lately for Noriega's long shot bid to oust Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Faced with Cornyn's far larger bank account and advantage of incumbency in a predominantly Republican state, Noriega has little room for error. Yet his campaign continues to stumble on matters big and small.
"Hiccups" and "growing pains" are the words new Noriega campaign spokesman Martine Apodaca uses to describe the candidate's problems. "We're getting better. We're taking steps in the right direction."
It's clear Cornyn won't be easy to beat. Far from it.
"You have to have a perfect storm exist for Noriega to win," said Jerry Polinard, a political science professor at the University of Texas-Pan American. He said the waters right now appear calm and favorable for Cornyn. "At this point the race is almost just completely off the radar screen."
Noriega's winning storm, according to Polinard, would be this:
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama must ignite turnout among the Latino,
African-American and youth voters of Texas, who also may vote for Noriega. Republican John McCain's lack of appeal with Texas social conservatives must cause significant numbers of Republicans to stay away from the polls. And national Democratic groups must supply Noriega with money to compete against Cornyn's $9 million.
Noriega, a Houston state legislator, had less than $1 million in cash on hand at the July quarterly reporting deadline-not quite enough to run ads in all television markets in the state for even a week.
Noriega's campaign spokesman says the campaign shouldn't be categorized only in terms of money as Cornyn's aides are trying to do.
"We'll have the resources we need to be competitive in the fall," even if it's not as much as Cornyn, he said. National money may roll in as more Senate races in other states are deemed less competitive and favorable to the Democrats, Apodaca said.
Cornyn has taped television ads that are expected to begin running around Labor Day, if not sooner.
Though Cornyn's campaign has endured a few bobbles of its own this summer-like when Cornyn lost the endorsement of the Texas Medical Association because of his vote on Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors-his campaign seems to have succeeded in pushing them aside.
"Sen. Cornyn tried to force a long-term reform on Medicare reimbursement instead of temporary patch. He didn't get there, but at least he tried, which is more than can be said for most," said his spokesman, Kevin McLaughlin.
The Cornyn campaign video titled "Big John," a 2 1/2-minute piece showing Cornyn dressed as a cowboy and spoofing the old Jimmy Dean song, "Big Bad John," drew chides from Democrats as it circulated on the Internet. But it was a hit with Republican supporters, McLaughlin said.
Cornyn appears to be so comfortable with the size of his campaign cash account that he recently gave $250,000 of it to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a group dedicated to electing Republicans and trying to retake control of the Senate.
Meanwhile, Noriega's campaign has gone through multiple staff shuffles and has shifted course at the last minute with routine events.
After Friday's botched town hall Web cast, the Noriega campaign followed up Monday with an abrupt cancellation of a Houston news conference where Noriega was to unveil his immigration proposal. Later, the campaign said it was canceled because Noriega had emergency dental surgery and was having problems speaking. The immigration plan was postponed until another day.
Noriega must avoid the perception that his campaign "can't shoot straight" in organizing events, said Polinard, the political science professor at UT-Pan Am. Noriega has to be visible and give voters a reason to abandon the incumbent, he said.
Noriega, a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard who served 14 months in Afghanistan, seems to have scored some of his biggest points on veterans issues. He attacked Cornyn this summer over an initial vote on the revamped GI Bill and said Cornyn wasn't working hard enough to help military men and women. Cornyn, the son of a veteran, denied the claim.
The Noriega camp initially blasted Cornyn for his Medicare payments vote that dismayed the doctors but hasn't carried on a sustained attack over it.
"There's going to be plenty of opportunities in the next couple of months," Apodaca said. "People are just now starting to pay attention."
Cornyn's aides have tried to pummel Noriega on the subject of oil exploration and other energy sources, saying Noriega's energy plan was inspired by Al Gore and that he makes "bewildering" statements on energy policy.
Noriega's spokesman said Cornyn wants to shift the subject to Noriega and national Democrats to keep attention off Cornyn's failed record.
Whatever the policy arguments, if Noriega is to win he needs to carry predominantly Democratic South Texas with heavy turnout, Polinard said, adding that Obama or his surrogates could help Noriega with intensive campaigning there and in the state's urban centers.
Obama is putting workers in Texas to register voters but has no plans at this point to campaign in Texas himself, said Obama campaign spokeswoman Shannon Gilson.
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