The three hottest races in the state, from a national standpoint, are the contests for governor and the reelection bids of incumbent U.S. Reps. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, and Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio.

So, when the star of the Democratic Party also has abysmal approval ratings and is coming to a state he didn't carry at his most popular, there are three places he's not going: Houston, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White was mayor, and Waco and San Antonio. Instead, President Barack Obama will make stops in Austin and Dallas, hitting the state capital for a fundraiser and then a speech at the University of Texas before visiting Dallas for another fundraiser.

Fundraiser number one is for the Democratic National Committee, which has promised the Texas Democratic Party $250,000 of the haul, according to a TDP spokeswoman. The Dallas stop, at the home of attorney Russell Budd (of Baron and Budd, which made its name on asbestos lawsuits) is to raise money for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. That particular layover isn't about candidates — neither of the Texas seats in the U.S. Senate is on the ballot.