It is an election year and the president isn't very popular right now. Just like some Republicans did in the 2006 elections with George W. Bush, some democrats are shying away from being seen with President Obama or even having it reported in the press that they were in the same city as the president. In Texas of all places, one would certainly not judge Wendy Davis if her schedule "coincidentally" happened to be full when President Obama made a trip to the Lone Star State.
However, the democratic gubernatorial candidatemade it clear not long after she won the primary election that she is not afraid to be seen with the president. She said she would not miss the civil rights summit at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin where Obama is scheduled to speak on Thursday, April 10. A spokesman for Davis told Politico on Wednesday that she still planned to attend Obama's speech and would be attending former President Bill Clinton's speech as well.
She will not, however, be attending a big-dollar fundraiser for the DSCC and DCCC in Houston on Wednesday night, which will include several Democratic officials, including Houston Mayor Annise Parker.
Davis already faces a tough challenge in the gubernatorial race. The candidate for the Republican Party, Greg Abbott, is the odds-on favorite to win the race. While the political landscape is shifting in Texas, a Democrat has not won a statewide election in 20 years, and it is not likely to happen in 2014. There is currently no indication how or even if attending the president's speech will have an impact on Davis' poll numbers.
President Obama also attended a memorial service for the victims of the recent Fort Hood shooting on Wednesday. The service was also attended by Abbott, Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and several lawmakers from both major parties.
Photo Credit: John Anderson / The Austin Chronicle