Sunday, July 23rd, 2006...12:39 pm
It’s Nevada
Nevada won out in the competition to be the caucus after Iowa. There is still the possibility that Arizona can have an early primary, maybe even the first after New Hampshire like in 2004.
I would allege that the Nevada Democratic Party plied the Democratic National Committee with hookers and booze, but now that Las Vegas is family friendly and everything, I guess the only allegations I have left are bribes of tickets for Céline Dion and Cirque du Soleil. I shudder to think.
Even though Arizona will not be as early on the calendar, the fact that another state is in there among the “Dynamic Duo” already spreads the wealth a bit. Any attention that is taken off of Iowa and New Hampshire diminishes their importance, and that helps out the later states. The geography helps us a bit too, a candidate travelling to Nevada may find it relatively easy to take a side trip here for a primary that would be coming up a few weeks later.
With New Hampshire and Iowa a bit less important, it may also lend attention to a slightly later state like ours. A candidate may need to win Arizona to build momentum from the now slightly less important first two states, or may need us as a last ditch must win after losses in those states.
I doubt any decision on the primary date will be made until after Janet Napolitano’s re-election.
NB - Speaking of Nevada, we apparently have a Republican candidate for State House this year named Travis Junion. I just find that funny. That’s all.
I think his advisors will tell him that that is not the right way to wear the vest, right?
10 Comments
July 23rd, 2006 at 2:46 pm
I think Nevada was a lot smarter then you think. They probably offered to NOT give the DNC any tickets to Celine Dion and any of the other terrifying shows.
July 23rd, 2006 at 4:59 pm
This is interesting. The importance (or lack thereof) of Nevada depends on whether insitutions die hard or not.
We may find that the candidates and media give Nevada little attention, which will take the steam right out of it as a stop. For instance, didn’t Delaware have a primary or caucus quickly after Iowa and New Hamphire? If I remember everyone basically ignored it for South Carolina. I am just not sure what Nevada gets you in terms of media bounce, momentum, or anything else, unless the media and candidates make it as important a stop as Iowa/New Hampshire. The media might “jazz” it up a bit because of Vegas and the colorful story that it could bring as a campaign stop…plus it is freaking warm that time of year, but I am not so sure.
Maybe the the folks in Iowa and New Hampshire were thinking this also.
Arizona, with its substantantial growth/suburban population, the fact that it is a border state, and its Hispanic population might have really attracted some folks and the supporters of the status of Iowa/NH would have not wanted that so much.
July 23rd, 2006 at 6:39 pm
I agree with kralmajales. Arizona was an infinitely better choice than Nevada.
July 23rd, 2006 at 6:42 pm
AZ does not have Harry Reid though…wonder if that had an impact.
July 23rd, 2006 at 8:49 pm
The more I think about it, the more I wonder who, if anyone, will campaign hard in Nevada vs. Iowa and New Hampshire. The tradition/institution built is that the press covers these two races very hard. As a result, those who run campaign there very hard. It is the place, of course, where an upset can mean some momentum (Carter/Kerry) and a poorer than expected outcome can kill a campaign (Dean).
I just keep thinking whether a Warner, Clinton, Edwards, Biden, or anyone else would dare spend time and money in Nevada when they should be, after Iowa, rolling into the New Hampshire.
Maybe the person who stumbles could hope really hard for a win to stop the bleeding in Nevada? My guess is that the person who wins Iowa or comes in second, will also win Nevada while all the attention focuses on NH.
July 24th, 2006 at 12:45 pm
I’m disappointed they chose NV, but at least they got a Western state involved.
I saw on DailyKos a couple weeks ago someone (I belive an IA newspaper columnist) was suggesting both parties agree to take the prior election to rank the states from most contested to least contested, then hold the primaries in that order.
The notion was that way the states in which there is the most for each part to gain or lose would be the first with primaries, and would get the big emphasis from the candidates.
Was an interesting idea … never happen, of course.
July 24th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
I doubt any decision on the primary date will be made until after Janet Napolitano’s re-election.
*GASP!* Oh my God, you’ve jinxed her!!!!!!!!!!!
(not that I’m superstitious or anything)
July 24th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
Tedski,
Funny thing, I was thinking about tivoing Reno 911 recently. This is certainly the beginning of my fifteen minutes of fame as a candidate. There is a uncanny similarity between me and the character in the show. When I first registered to vote, my card came back as “Travis Junior” due to a county flunky misreading my name, big surprise there! I am also a huge fan of Southern Rock. If my doppelganger gets me a couple of votes, I won’t complain. You are an old hand at the game of politics. How about this for a campaign slogan: Travis Junion, funny name, serious leadership? Thanks for the mention on Sunday, I am glad that I was able to provide some comic relief. I’ll host a viewing party at my place soon!
Best regards,
Travis L. Junion
Republican Candidate
Arizona House of Representatives
Legislative District Eight
480-694-1073
www.TravisJunion.com
July 25th, 2006 at 11:58 am
I’m sure they pick Nevada over Arizona since Nevada is so much more liberal than Arizona. Plus you were correct, Nevada’s HO’s are nastier than AZ’s HO’s. Your running in the wrong state Teddy….maybe you should move to Vegas….take your show on the road. You would fit right in with all the wackos there…haha!!!
Fergitaboutit!!!!
July 26th, 2006 at 9:49 am
I think Elizabeth nailed it.
Nevada has the majority leader in the Senate, while if they had the early caucus in Arizona the national media folks would be spending most of their time here talking to Republicans about John McCain.
On top of which, at that time of year, most of the attention in Arizona will be focused on Lute Olson and the Wildcats, while UNLV has been mostly boring since they got rid of Tark and cleaned up the program.
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