No matter the choice, voter turnout huge

AUSTIN, Texas -- "The joke," says University of Texas professor Leslie Jarmon, "is that we're a blue dot in the middle of a red state."

The Democratic blue dot. That would be Austin, home of nearly 700,000 people, Texas state government and one of the nation's largest universities.

But if the city's isolation as a Democratic stronghold in a largely Republican state mildly amuses some denizens, no one -- from either party -- is treating Tuesday's primary as a laughing matter.

During the state's 11-day early voting period, which ended Friday, Austin voters joined other Texans in shattering previous turnout records. Voting peaked on the final day, when residents waited in lines for up to an hour to cast ballots. The Austin American-Statesman reports that early voting tallies here in Travis County are 243 percent higher than in 2004 among Democratic voters and 52 percent higher among those casting Republican ballots.

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From those gathered for a downtown Texas Independence Day parade to those canvassing an exclusive neighborhood, the folks of Austin clearly are engaged and eager to proclaim and vote their views.Jarmon, for one, says she's tired of being categorized by age and gender. Calling herself a "white Texas woman over 50 for Obama," Jarmon said she felt disenfranchised for years before Obama arrived on the scene with what she calls a credible and convincing message for change.That, for Jarmon, is issue No. 1. "With Clinton's campaign, it's Hillary and Bill," Jarmon said. "For me, that's business as usual, writ large."But for 27-year-old Meredith Stoner, Clinton's track record is an asset -- not a liability. Stoner, distributing publicity for a Gloria Steinem "Women for Hillary" event, said of Clinton, "She's been standing up for me -- a woman, young, lesbian -- for a long time."Clinton's big obstacle, Stoner said, is what she called fawning media coverage of Obama that accuses Clinton of "whining" while giving a pass to Obama on a range of issues.Surprisingly high turnout by young adults has marked every primary and caucus conducted this year. It appears that Texas will be no exception, and that may explain, in part, this year's large Democratic turnout in early voting. Travis County Democratic Chairman Chris Elliot attributes the city's Democratic leanings, in part, to the large number of University of Texas students who fall in love with the city and remain to work after graduation.Just blocks from downtown, University of Texas students studying over bagels and coffee said they have been following the campaign intently.Nineteen-year-old Madlyn Hatch of Corpus Christi said growing up in south Texas has placed immigration policy near the top of her issues list. Opposed to construction of a border wall, Hatch said, "I just think there needs to be better regulation of who comes in."Hatch said that while both Democrats generally are too liberal for her views, she registered as a Democrat in order to cast a primary vote against Clinton, who, she said, "has too much baggage." The general election, Hatch said, probably will find her voting for Republican John McCain.Hatch's friend, 19-year-old Katherine Long, cited generational differences in analyzing issues. Long said, for instance, that universal health care is not as crucial for her now, while she's covered by her parents' policy, as it might be later. Long, who will study abroad next year and might seek work overseas after graduation, cast an early ballot for Obama."I'm impressed," Long said, "with Barack saying he'll try to improve our image around the world."While many Austin residents say their interests and issues mirror national polls, some find regional ways to express their views. Such as Fennis Scott, a 55-year-old housekeeping specialist who explained his vote for Clinton by saying, "This is not her first rodeo; she's been battle-tested. We need a captain of the ship, not some rookie off the sidelines trying to lead this country back to greatness."Others, like 20-year-old pre-med student Gwendolyn Luecke of Austin, said they do view certain issues through a Texas prism. She cited the state's large Mexican immigrant population as a compelling reason to adopt Clinton's proposal for mandated -- not voluntary -- health care.Luecke, a Clinton supporter, said immigrants' reliance on after-care instead of preventive measures jeopardizes their health and raises costs. And, she added, a Mexican culture that does not require insurance even for driving means that obtaining health care policies simply does not occur to many immigrants."Health care being affordable is important, but it's not enough," Luecke said. "I think a mandate is definitely the way to go."The city's Democratic voters -- who helped carry Travis County easily for John Kerry in 2004 -- may be split now over their nominee preferences. But many express eagerness to put a Democrat in the White House as their former governor departs in January.There are exceptions. Dan Kaiser, preparing for the state Independence Day parade as a member of Texas Vietnam Veterans, called the prospect of either Clinton or Obama serving as commander in chief "a joke.""Neither one of them has had any military experience, knows anything about it or has a clue about what's going on," Kaiser said.And 16-year-old Zach Cannon, too young to vote, nonetheless agrees with the John McCain sticker on his parents' Land Rover."It's not so much what I like about McCain as what I dislike about Hillary and Obama," Cannon said. 512341Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks during a rally Friday in San Antonio, Texas.Associated Press