Hillary Clinton Wins Nevada by Six Points Over Bernie Sanders

I've been on board for Hillary Clinton since she got in the race, so I'm glad to see she's fairly well on her way now to securing the nomination. But I'll give Bernie Sanders credit. As much as I've always liked him, I seriously thought he was at best an extreme long shot, and he's proven to be a formidable candidate. It's not over yet, of course, but there is unlikely to be--barring an unforeseen disaster--any real shakeups on the Democratic side for quite a while, which will do a lot to influence perceptions.

[Excerpt]

Hillary Clinton's Path Is Clear

Before the New Hampshire primary earlier this month, it was assumed that the Nevada caucus was going to be a victory for Hillary Clinton. She had strong outreach to the state’s Latino and black voters; she had endorsements and support from key figures in the state; and she had her campaign manager, Robby Mook, who cut his teeth organizing the state for the first Clinton campaign in 2008, when she beat Barack Obama there. . .

Read more at: Slate

Obama Wins Nevada!

Image from (not kidding) BlackSnob

Oh, this was a foregone conclusion, I know. But with 90% of precincts reporting, President Obama got 98.3% of the caucus goers' (including moi's) votes. That's pretty good right there. If there were a Democratic backlash, you'd think that it would have shown itself in some sort of protest vote. All they needed in any precinct was 15% to register their protest. Clearly, that barely happened.

Now, on with the Gingrich-gasm. >shudder<

My Experience at the Nevada Democratic Caucus

I only heard about the Nevada Democratic Caucus a week or so ago. I got an email, and went to try and find my caucus location. I tried the website twice, and then again on a different computer, and just got errors. But I finally did get a postcard with my location: Silverado High School, which is coincidentally the school a friend's kids go to. But, should I go? I mean, Barack Obama is running unopposed, so what's the point?

This is a professional operation,
I tells ya!

Well, I figured I ought to do my civic duty, and go regardless. The Other Half--likely story--wasn't feeling well *cough* *cough*, so he didn't go with me. When I got to the school, there was little indication of where to go. And the wind was ferocious, kicking up dust and debris. My very short hair was mussed anyway, and I had dirt in my eyes and teeth. Shielding my eyes with my hand, I followed a couple of likewise staggering people, hoping I was going the right way. Then I saw a sign taped to the door.

We lined up inside at the A-E, F-L, M-S, S-Z tables. There was no ID check, but they did ask my address. Which was good, because there are two James Greenlees in my area, apparently! I got my caucusing ballot, and headed inside the gymnasium. Wow, those Silverado Sky Hawks are apparently good at everything! State champs at most, runners up at others. I was impressed.

Not a tough choice.

Anyway, at first I was amused by the very small turnout. I wasn't sure if the few people there were like me, supporters of the President, or people determined to embarrass him by voting "uncommitted." Slowly, over the half hour, more people streamed in. All said, there were over 150 people in our group, by my estimate. And strikingly, the racial makeup of those assembled was varied. As a Caucasian, I very well may have been in the minority. The crowd was also much older than in 2008, with my 45-year-old self a relative youngster. Lastly, I noticed--especially in retrospect, after shopping at Sam's and Walmart--that the caucusers were noticeably not fat. I don't know what that means, but there you go.

Not a big crowd at first, but it got bigger.

So, we listened to a guy who wasn't meant for public speaking, read letters from President Obama, Senator Harry Reid, and Congresswoman Shelley Berkely. Then we separated into precincts, and it got kind of sad. The precinct to the left and right of mine were filled with people, 25 or 30 each. Our group consisted of five, led by a man of indeterminate foreign extraction. As difficult as he was to understand, and as ill-equipped to lead as he was, we elected him permanent chair anyway. Who wants to do that? And because there were so few of us, all of us were eligible to be delegates! Two went for it, I did not.

The groups on either side of us seemed to be run by much more experienced, much more enthusiastic people. It was okay though, since this was all pretty much for show anyway. A vote of "uncommitted" would have required at least 15% to even be viable, and I'm not sure that happened anywhere in the room. If President Obama gets less than 85% of the overall vote, I'll be very surprised.

So, I participated. It took at most an hour and a half out of my day, and it felt good. It felt American. I'd do it again, whether it matters or not.

Nevada GOP Caves on Caucus/Primary Calendar

Churchy, Crazy, Crazy Bread, Ken Doll, Dummy, Fatso and
Battsina Belfry.  Image from source, Politico.

I love the headline from the story excerpted below. Nevada's trouble-making Republican Party caused the problem in the first place!

[Excerpt]

Nevada helps resolve calendar chaos

Finally conceding defeat to New Hampshire in the Republican calendar stare-down, Nevada’s GOP on Saturday voted to move its caucus date from Jan. 14 to Feb. 4.

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner is now expected to set his state’s first-in-the-nation primary for Jan. 10. He will not make any announcement before Monday, his office said Friday. . .

Read more at: Politico

Nevada Caucus: A Final Word

I've wrung most of the news nuggets and personal accounts I could get out of the Nevada Caucuses, but there's one last thing I 'd like to add. . .

Attention news media!!! The state that held the caucuses this weekend is pronounced Nuhv-ADD-uh, not Nehv-ODD-uh. And no, as my brother asked, I'm not kidding. Putting "ODD" in the middle seems to be a peculiarly east-of-the-Mississippi assumption. And it annoys the crap out of Nevadans like myself.

News media personalities and talking heads have been getting it wrong all week. Even people I like, such as Air America Radio's Randi Rhodes, and Michelle Obama.

Often, people will argue that since "Nevada" means "snowy" in Spanish, it should have a Spanish pronunciation. Oddly though, they do not say "Tejas" for Texas, nor do they say "Mejico Nuevo" for New Mexico. My advice, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. If the people of Bellfontaine, Ohio insist on calling it "Bell Fountain," then just go with it. Shoot, in England they pronounce town names like Worcestershire "Wooster."

And so, say Nuhv-ADD-uh, unless you enjoy ticking us off. If you would like to hear it pronounced, take a cue from Keith Olbermann. . .




UPDATE: Arrgh. . . I just heard FOX "News" host Geraldo Rivera say, "Nehv-ODD-an," and his guest do the same.

Nevada Caucus: Record Voter Turnout

Photo from source, Associated Press

This is one of the least reported facts in the Presidential race: Democrats are turning out to vote in much larger numbers than Republicans. Today in Nevada, Democrats showed up in numbers almost 3 to 1 compared to their Republican counterparts. This bodes well for a Democratic victory in November, in my humble opinion.

[Excerpt]

Record Dem, GOP Turnout in Nevada

More than 120,000 Democrats, nearly a third of all Nevada's registered Democrats, showed up at 520 precincts around the state. The previous record for an early Democratic caucus was the 2004 presidential race when nearly 9,000 voters turned out. . .

Read more at: Associated Press

Nevada Caucus: Hillary Clinton Wins It

Photo from source, MSNBC

I really have little problem with a Hillary Clinton candidacy for President, even if she was technically my third choice. I've heard her speak in person, and I think she's a fine choice. My only real worry is that she will energize Republicans to vote against her--people who may have just stayed home with an Obama or Edwards candidacy.

[Excerpt]

NBC News: Clinton takes Nevada

NBC News declared Hillary Clinton as the projected winner in Nevada presidential caucuses on Saturday.

Clinton and Barack Obama vied heavily in a race marred by last-minute claims of dirty politics. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney easily won the Republican contest. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

Nevada Caucus: FOX "News" a Friend of Mitt Now?

The news that Mitt Romney won the Nevada Republican Presidential Caucus was no surprise. He's the only one who even tried here, for reasons I don't clearly understand. So why, as the South Carolina primary is underway, and the Nevada Democratic Presidential caucus results are coming in, is THIS the FOX "News" top story?

[Excerpt]

Mitt Romney Wins Nevada GOP Caucuses, Scoring Back-to-Back Victories

Mitt Romney won the Nevada Republican caucuses Saturday, scoring dramatic back-to-back victories in the race for the nomination.

Early returns showed him taking 55 percent in the state, followed by John McCain with 13 percent, Ron Paul with 12 percent, Mike Huckabee with 7 percent, Fred Thompson with 7 percent, Rudy Giuliani with 4 percent and Duncan Hunter with 1 percent.

Read more at: FOX "News"

Nevada Caucus: What's at Stake

Photo from source, NPR

Now that I've posted my personal experience with the Nevada Caucus, here's what the press is saying, at least so far. . .

[Excerpt]

What's at Stake in the Nevada Caucuses?

Nevada is the first Western state to hold caucuses for both parties, but Saturday's event has become more of a Democratic affair. Sens. Barack Obama (IL) and Hillary Clinton (NY) compete in the Silver State having each won a victory in an early voting contest. They, as well as former Sen. John Edwards (NC), are looking for a win in Nevada to give them a boost going into South Carolina and Super Tuesday. . .

Read more at: NPR

Nevada Caucus: First Hand Report

I've just returned from my first caucus, and I'm not impressed. This being our first-go around as a state (though others allude to previous caucuses I've never heard of), it was very disorganized.

When we arrived, we found out that three precincts would be housed in the elementary school. One precinct headed for the library, and two precincts including ours had to share a multi-purpose room. This created a great deal of confusion, and it was also clear that the other precinct was better organized than ours.

It was assumed by the vocal participants that we were two camps: "Obama voters over there, Hillary voters over here. . ." That left The Other Half and I--Edwards supporters--to wander around in between.

Ultimately, our precinct of 80 people broke down like this: 37 Obama, 32 Clinton, 8 Edwards and 2 Kucinich. Where did the 80th person go? No idea.

After that count was taken, we were allowed to realign to a second choice, where we changed our votes to Barack Obama. Our precinct finished with 43 Obama, and 34 Clinton. As you can see, two people left before the realignment.

My opinion of this event was largely negative. Our precinct chair had no voice, and was unable to overcome the noise the precinct next to us. Nobody could hear him, and we all felt out of sorts, not knowing what we were supposed to do, or when we were going to do it. The projected "less than an hour" turned into more like an hour and a half, and we left before the delegates were chosen.

An older man was very vocal in his belief that the caucus system was unfair, excluding anyone who was unable to be there that specific hour. He's one of the people who left before realignment. For us, we figured we bothered to show so we wanted our vote to count. And while I settled for Obama in the realignment, I intend to keep my support of John Edwards going on this blog, at least as long as he remains in the race.

Caucus Day!

Though I've been assured that Nevada has had caucuses before, nobody I know remembers ever going to one. I was pretty sure I voted for John Kerry in a primary, but maybe not. This caucus thing is going to happen in a little over an hour, and it will be Nevada's first--at least the first that matters in any way.

It will be something of a relief to have the political season quiet down in our neck of the woods, at least until late summer when the general election heats up. I can't tell you how many phone calls we've gotten in the last two weeks. John Edwards' campaign has been pulling out all stops to make sure we go to the caucus. And while I'm flattered at the attention, I'm annoyed by the interruptions!

Oddly, Republicans are largely ignoring our state. I was a registered Republican until two years ago. I'm still on their mailing lists, even Karl Rove still seems to think I'm a devotee. And yet I've received exactly one identifiable Republican message, and it was a Mike Huckabee push poll (which I'm sure I didn't answer to their satisfaction).

I had FOX "News" on a moment ago, and they called the Nevada Caucuses "largely a Democratic affair." I still don't know why, and they didn't say. Also, I was surprised to hear them put the "-ic" on the end of "Democrat." They never do that! I guess one of the FOXbot chicks was misprogrammed. . .

Nevada Caucus Lawsuit Dismissed

Another backyard political issue is resolved in my state, and I'm ambivalent to its outcome. I understand the issues on both sides, and can see everybody's point. While I'm personally looking forward to the Nevada Caucus, I still kind of think changing everything around this year was a bad idea.

The caucus automatically excludes people that would have been willing or able to vote in a primary. Because it happens at a set time, in a set place, anyone not available for that hour or two will not be able to participate.

Now, if this lawsuit were successful, even less people could have participated. But these "at large" precincts in the casinos allow only a certain group of workers the opportunity. Anybody working elsewhere in the valley that day will not have that advantage. I predict that there will be some outcry for a return to the primary system.

[Excerpt]

Judge dismisses Nevada caucus challenge

A union with ties to Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton failed in court Thursday to prevent casino workers from caucusing at special precincts on the Las Vegas strip. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Bill Clinton Explains Nevada Caucus Lawsuit

Photo from source, Huffington Post

Politics in Nevada have heated up, with our first-ever relevant shot at helping pick the Presidential candidates. Dennis Kucinich fought a losing battle trying to participate in the Democratic debate yesterday. And now, the big story is a lawsuit attempting to stop some "special" caucus locations.

Casinos have been allowed to set up alternative caucus precincts in order to let their workers vote without going to their home locations. Someone mysterious, assumed to be with the Clinton campaign, has filed a lawsuit to have those special locations disallowed. What I didn't know before now was precisely why. What Bill Clinton had to say here was the first good explanation I've heard.

[Excerpt]

In Testy Exchange, President Clinton Defends Suit Over Nevada Voting

"Do you really believe that all the Democrats understood that they had agreed to give everybody who voted in a casino a vote worth five times as much as people who voted in their own precinct? Did you know that?" Mr. Clinton said in a testy exchange with a television reporter, Mark Matthews of KGO. "What happened is nobody understood what had happened. ... Now, everybody's saying, 'Oh they don't want us to vote.' What they really tried to do was to set up a deal where their votes counted five times, maybe even more."

Read more at: The New York Sun via Huffington Post

Dead Heat in Nevada: Three-way Race

John Edwards' campaign's epitaph may have been written a little prematurely if these numbers are true. And why bring you a crusty, dry excerpt when I can have Keith Olbermann show you?

Nevada's Holding a Caucus, and I Get to Play!

I've mentioned before that Nevada's fight for an early spot in the Presidential race, and making it a caucus was sort of like a little town putting in a roundabout because they think it's "classy." I still feel that way a little, but I'm glad too. Our votes for Presidential nominees have never really counted before, and this year they will.

But having a voice this season also brings strangeness. We're inundated with polling calls, and calls from the candidates endlessly. Several times a day. And then there's the news spotlight. The in-fighting (seemingly) between Obama and Clinton, with where the caucuses will be allowed. Dennis Kucinich's (possibly successful) fight to be included in tomorrow night's debate. It's very odd for all of this to be happening in our back yard. Not OJ Simpson odd, but odd.

I'll be caucusing for John Edwards on Saturday, and hope to blog about it upon my return. In the meantime, here's a little of that news I was talking about.

[Excerpt]

Kucinich OK'd for debate, appeal planned

NBC to Appeal Court Decision Granting Kucinich Entry to Tuesday's Democratic Debate in Nevada

NBC News said Monday it will appeal a judge's ruling rather than include Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich in a candidates' debate in Nevada. . .

Read more at: Raw Story