Diversity, Economy, Immigration Shape Race in Texas

JIM LEHRER:

And now we take a closer look at next week's Texas primary with four Texas political journalists: Rick Dunham, Washington bureau chief for the Houston Chronicle; Bob Ray Sanders, associate editor and columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Jaime Castillo, a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News; and Brandi Grissom, the capital reporter in Austin for the El Paso Times.

Bob Ray, first of all, does the reporting on the ground in Texas support what the polls seem to be saying, that it's close but that Obama is slightly ahead?

BOB RAY SANDERS, Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

I think it does. I mean, if you just judge it from the crowds alone, Jim, you will see that there's an enthusiasm here — I mean, in the rural areas in south Texas and west Texas, as well as in the Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston areas, it seems to me that there is a movement here, and it's gaining in strength.

JIM LEHRER:

What about in south Texas around San Antonio, Jaime, where you're working? Is it the same kind of breakdown? Or explain it to us.

JAIME CASTILLO, San Antonio Express-News:

Yes, I think if this were a football game, you know, the momentum is with Obama right now. We're seeing a similar scenario what happened in Wisconsin, where the polls tightened up right before the race and then Obama had a victory.

And it seemed like, if you go back to the week before Super Tuesday, Hillary had about a 12-point lead. And that has shrunk to what's basically an even race. And you would think tonight's debate would be real key in her stemming that kind of tide and momentum.

JIM LEHRER:

Brandi, what have you been seeing on your rounds, both in west Texas, also in central Texas and Austin, where you're working?

BRANDI GRISSOM, El Paso Times:

Well, certainly in Austin, Obama seems to be gaining a lot of strength. In El Paso, Hillary Clinton seems to be still pretty…

JIM LEHRER:

We lost your mike. Brandi, you can maybe read my lips here. We'll be back to you. We're going to fix that in just a moment.

Rick Dunham, you're involved in the whole thing in Texas. You work for the Houston Chronicle, which, of course, is south Texas, the Gulf Coast area, but what are you seeing happening?

RICK DUNHAM, Houston Chronicle:

Well, in Houston, Barack Obama is running very strong. In east Texas, toward the Louisiana border, Hillary Clinton has an edge. And as you get closer to the Mexican border, Hillary Clinton does very well.

But in the Harris County area, the county around Houston, Barack Obama is way ahead right now.

JIM LEHRER:

Brandi, you're back, right? You can hear me?

BRANDI GRISSOM:

I can hear you.

JIM LEHRER:

And more importantly, we can hear you. So anyhow you were about to say what you're — in El Paso and in the Austin area, tell us what you're finding.

BRANDI GRISSOM:

Well, in El Paso, we did a recent poll at the Times where it showed that Hillary and Obama are really neck-and-neck, with Hillary just slightly ahead at 33 percent.

So I think that Obama seems to be, from young voters that I've talked to, they're cutting in just a little bit on her support, but she still has really strong support in El Paso, especially among some of the established Democratic leadership there.