''I like Obama but I think he's a blank slate. It's too important to vote on a blank slate. I feel more comfortable as she's a known quality.''
But Debra Starr, voting in Houston, said Obama's freshness appealed to her and offered her qualities like truth, respect and consideration for others.
''I am looking to see him fulfill what he promises, maybe not 100 percent, but 99 percent,'' she said, listing her chief concerns as health care reform and senior citizen care. ''I believe he has a tiger in him.''
Handyman David Donithan's vote in Lubbock for Clinton was based on her experience, though he disagrees with her on immigration. The 47-year-old wants all illegal immigrants deported.
''It's hurting our economy because they're taking most of the work,'' he said. ''They come here and undercut me and leave me sitting at the house. I deal with it every day. There's too many already.''
But it was the economy — high gas and food prices and climbing utility bills — that troubles him most.
''Everything's skyrocketed,'' he said. ''It's hard to survive.''
Victor Vidalez, 46, a former city garbage collector in San Antonio has insurance but worries about medications he needs after an illness put him on disability and eventually will leave him blind.
''I really think that they know what they're doing,'' he said of Clinton and her husband. ''I'm pretty sure she can fix the country. I know she can do it herself.''
Harriet Johnston, 54, of El Paso, voted for Obama because of the Illinois senator's consistent opposition to the Iraq war.
''McCain is not talking at all about getting out and we need to start to,'' she said.
The war and health care were considerations for Kelly West, 36, a special events coordinator in Lubbock who voted for Clinton.
''I'm worried about medical care simply for the fact that we're willing to spend a gazillion dollars to make sure Iraq has medical care for everyone that's there but we can't get for our own country,'' she said. ''It's cool for Iraq but bad for us.''
''Health care worries me a lot,'' agreed Felicia Ajueyitsi, 49, of Houston.
The Nigerian immigrant who moved to Houston 20 years ago said Obama convinced her by ''talking about everyone coming together.''
''Things are not so good right now,'' she said. ''There are so many problems. The economy is really in a mess right now. Gasoline prices are going up. When you go to the grocery store, most of the items are going up. The Iraq war.
''Things are getting worse. I believe when Obama gets there, he will bring things back to normal.''
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Associated Press reporters Christopher Sherman in McAllen, Jeff Carlton in Dallas, Monica Rhor and Juan A. Lozano in Houston, Betsy Blaney in Lubbock, Michelle Roberts in San Antonio and Alicia A. Caldwell in El Paso contributed to this story.