Jim Rogers takes a walk

James Rogers, the University of Nevada chancellor, smallish media mogul and billionaire who's been thinking about taking a break from his busy schedule to run for governor of Nevada, is leaving the Republican Party. Yes, of course the Gleaner is taking credit. The July post revealing that the erstwhile Republican's contributions to candidates for federal office over the years have gone overwhelmingly to Democrats, including John Kerry and Ted Kennedy, was subsequently picked up by the MSM. Contacted for comment, this is what we told the Las Vegas Review-Journal at the time:

"You've got to believe that in a Republican primary, this would be red meat for Republican voters."

This is what Rogers told the Reno Gazette-Journal Wednesday:

"From a lot of Republicans’ standpoints, that should disqualify me from running for governor, and it should disqualify me from doing damn well anything else,” Rogers said. “This is red meat for a kind of traitor complex."

So on this issue, at least, we find ourselves in total agreement with a billionaire.

Rogers this week changed his party registration from Republican to non-partisan, and suggests that'd be his status if decides to spend some of his jillions on a gubernatorial bid.

Pete Ernaut, a close ally of Republican Guinn who is now supporting Democratic House Speaker Jim Perkins for governor, observed that independent voters in Nevada lean conservative. Echoed UNLV political science Professor David Damore in the R-J, "Clearly, Jim Rogers in the race hurts Republicans more than it hurts Democrats."

An independent Rogers candidacy would be an uphill battle, his gazillions notwithstanding. But if he drains votes away from the Republican nominee, opening the door to Democratic victory, then his work here will have been done--especially if the GOP nominee is, as many expect, Rep. Jim Gibbons, whose right-wing red-meat musings about slashing state government prompted Guinn to start courting Rogers in the first place.

And if Rogers doesn't run, well, at least there's one less Nevada Republican to kick around.