Reactions to Rick Noriega at the Texas Democratic Convention
The Texas Observer gave Noriega some rave review on his activity at the convention.
Rick Noriega, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, has become an animated and insightful public speaker –Hallelujah!
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I am happy to report that at today’s Democratic state convention in Austin, the candidate looked and sounded like someone ready for the U.S. Senate, and more importantly, the grueling campaign it will take to have a shot at wresting the seat from Republican incumbent Senator John Cornyn.
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As per the new Noriega, he ended with passion that had the crowd cheering. “We have the vision. We will supply the leadership. And WE WILL HAVE CHANGE! God Bless you all and God Bless Texas.”
The Dallas Morning News Blog talks about Rick Noriega as a leader of the Texas ticket in 2008.
As the Texas Democrat highest on the food chain this election cycle, U.S. Senate hopeful Rick Noriega has some coattails to brandish – a slignt amount of pressure to tap into the Democratic energy and sweep other downballot Dems into office with him.
The Austin American Statesman Blog covers his speech to the Hispanic Caucus.
“This election will not be about the Obama family. It will not be about the Clinton family. It will not be about the Noriega family,” he said as hundreds of caucus-goers prepared to elect a chair and vice-chair. “This election will be about those Texas families in south Texas who still don’t have health insurance … this election will be about our kids who still can’t go to college.”
The Austin Chronicle Blog notes that Noriega was all over the convention at most caucuses!
The Democrat chasing down Sen. John Cornyn is also the first superstar of the convention, and can be seen sprinting from caucus meeting to caucus meeting. Interviews are being done on the hoof: Newsdesk caught him running between the West Texas Coalition of Democrats and the Texas State Teachers Association, but even that was interrupted by several people wanting to have their photo taken with him.
Other unconfirmed sightings have included the Energy Policy Caucus, Gun Owners Caucus, and the Texas Military Veterans. And it’s not only lunchtime. “We’re trying to hit everything, but time constraints are against us,” said his press wrangler Rowland Garza.
The Houston Chronicle notes that Noriega is easily tapping into the message of change.
“What I know and what I have heard from every corner, as I’ve traveled our great state, is that Texans want change,” he said. “And we’re gathered here tonight to offer Texas new leadership.”
Noriega said a basic difference between himself and Republican incumbent John Cornyn “is how differently we see the world and how we view our responsibility to the young and the old. In my family’s faith, a nation is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizen.”
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram sees Noriega in a fighting mood for Texas families.
U.S. Senate hopeful Rick Noriega thinks he is in position to break the Democrats’ more-than-decade-long drought on winning a statewide election. “Texans have had enough. We’re fed up,” the state representative from Houston said. “We’ve been sold a bill of goods.”
The Austin American-Statesman points out the call for unity to change Texas politics.
“We need vision, we need leadership, and we need real change,” Noriega said.
He closed his address with a call—a common one from tonight’s stage—for unity.
“Ours must be a mission of unity. This is not about the Clinton family or the Obama family or the Noriega family,” Noriega said. “Our mission must be on behalf of the families of the State of Texas.
