Inside Politics - September 2007

An Elephant or a Donkey?

The Silver State Votes

by Michael Sullivan

Anyone who has ever run for statewide office in Nevada knows one thing: trying to characterize voters in the Silver State into one general category is a huge mistake.

Are they conservative? Possibly more conservative than some states, but they did vote to elect Bill Clinton twice. And the makeup of our state Assembly certainly shows that progressive, liberal-leaning leadership is not a foreign concept to Nevadans.

The late Mike O’Callaghan, a former two-term governor, used to say what he liked about Nevada voters was they were willing to look past party affiliation and find out what a candidate really stood for before casting their votes. Although he was a life-long Democrat, O’Callaghan didn’t fit the typical mold usually associated with the party. He was strong on national defense, a pro-life Catholic and didn’t have much in common with the liberal wing of his party.

On the other side, former Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn was often called one of the greatest Democratic Governors Nevada has ever seen. He went against his party and proposed the biggest tax increase in Nevada history. He did it because he knew the state needed the revenue, and he took a lot of heat from his former GOP supporters for his actions.

As presidential candidates criss-cross the Silver State looking for votes, they are also going to have a difficult time using tried and true Democratic or Republican stump speeches to woo voters. These contenders are looking for party regulars willing to support their candidacy at state caucuses. For example, a Democrat in Elko isn’t like one from New Hampshire or even Iowa.

The Republicans got a slow start in the sweepstakes to create buzz over the presidential race, but now that the GOP has moved up their timetable to match the Democratic dates, Republican candidates are making an added stop on their agenda to Nevada.

The one added benefit this will have will truly be felt by Nevada’s rural areas. How many Southern Nevadans even know where Ely or Elko are located? How many Northern Nevadans have heard of Pahrump? With candidates traveling to these areas to solicit all-important caucus voters, added attention will be placed on these sometimes forgotten areas of our state.

Another benefit is for local and regional politicians, who will be greatly helped by the increased turnout the presidential caucuses will generate. A candidate looking to take on Rep. Jon Porter would generally face an uphill battle against a strong incumbent. However, with presidential campaigns already working hard to turn out Democratic votes in that district, the job becomes that much easier.

Although recent polls show Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic race and Mitt Romney slightly ahead on the GOP ticket, it’s still anyone’s race. A caucus system, unlike a straight-up primary vote, requires much more organization. It’s not always the most popular candidate that wins, but often the one with the best organization and desire to connect with voters’ unique issues.

In the end, Nevada voters will choose the candidate they feel best represents their values.

Michael Sullivan
Michael Sullivan is president of Knight Consulting, a Southern Nevada government affairs firm.