"$10 Million in Texas"
A lot of press is focused today on Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's opting out on public campaign financing. He becomes the first presidential candidate to forgo public money. And it's a reversal of his earlier position.
His campaign is explaining it by saying the public system has been so gamed by special interests that it wasn't something he wanted to be part of anymore. The practical reality for the Obama campaign is that it won't have limits on its spending anymore.
Time's political guru Mark Halperin often does "his take" on political events in bullet form, and in his take on this -- he mentioned a potential impact for Texas:
"Obama will now be able to, say, spend $10 million on Texas television ads, giving McCain some tough choices to make."
Texas is an expensive state in which to run ads, with its twenty media markets, including two in the top ten (Dallas-FW and Houston-Galveston). But "say, $10 million" could go a long way for Democrats downballot, and as Halperin notes, force McCain into different spending scenarios for a state he should easily win.
$10 mil ain't exactly chump change (we can believe in).
I for one believe downballot candidates like myself will see many of the primary voters return to the polls and Texas actually become competitative in the Presidential race. Even if Obama dosen't win Texas the dynamics are there for a Democratic takeover of the Texas House and improved positions on all levels.
Kenneth D. Franks
Candidate for Texas House District 9.
http://www.kennethdfranks.com/index.htm