In their longtime quest to turn Texas blue, Democrats are starting to put their money where their mouth is. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign is spending more than $5 million on television ads across Texas between now and Election Day. Texas Democrats are touting it as the largest investment by a Democratic candidate in Texas in the last 25 years, and a sign that the longtime Republican stronghold is in play this year.
But veteran Texas political observers aren't buying it, so to speak. "I know five million dollars sounds like a lot of money, but five million dollars in Texas is nothing, it will have no effect," says Bill Miller, political consultant with HillCo Partners. "If you think it's going to make a determination in the outcome of the race, you're wrong."
"Spending five million dollars across the state of Texas (on a political campaign) is the same thing as just throwing up a piece of paper into the wind," adds Miller.
If it really won't make a difference and Texas is still not in play, then the question becomes why are Democrats spending this money. Miller says it is meant to send a message that Dems are strong and competitive here and, perhaps more importantly, to please their big-money donors. "It's important to (donors), seemingly so, that the president be defeated," he tells KTRH. "And that's the reason they write big checks to the Democratic Party or to fellow traveler groups that will spend that money for that purpose."
In the end, Miller predicts a familiar result on November 3. "I believe Donald Trump will carry Texas," he says. "It will be narrow, but not extremely narrow, and it will be a continuation of Republicans winning the state every four years since 1976."