Area woman may save local election season from being most boring ever

Nevada War Party Rep. Jon Porter has raised $1.8 million so far this election cycle and has managed to spend only about $800,000 of it partying with the band and overpaying consultants so he still has about a million in cash on hand.

American corporations really appreciate all the work Porter has done over the years to assure that people have no choice but to pay too much for stuff like health insurance, student loans and gasoline. And if there is one campaign promise that Porter is bound to keep, it is his solemn vow that so long as he is on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, he will do everything he can to assure that the same corporations that rip you off will never, ever have to pay their fair share in taxes.

In return, thanks to some of the most abusive special interests in the history of American socioeconomics, Porter can turn on the fundraising spigot in earnest at his leisure, and just leave it running 24/7 until election day and beyond.

What that means, of course, is that if Dina Titus makes it official and challenges Porter then come autumn the television airwaves will be saturated with the words "Dina Taxes." Coming up with material sure to turn the tables and put Porter on the defensive won't be difficult, him being a flip-flopping career politician tool of the special interests and a cad to boot — not to mention all the warmongering. No, the problem will be having enough money to get a word in edgewise on the teevees.

At least Titus won't have to spend a bundle building name recognition. She's a proven fundraiser, and she'll get oodles of help from the national party organization. But make no mistake, neither Titus nor anybody else is going to beat Porter by outspending him.

Fortunately, she's got some experience winning with less money. In her 2006 gubernatorial bid, Titus was outspent in a Democratic primary and won. She was outspent in in the general election and lost the state, but won Clark County by more than 23,000 votes — and more to the task at hand, according to a precinct-by-precinct breakdown of the vote done by the state party, Titus beat Gibbons in CD3 by two percentage points, 47 to 45.

Now of course the state Democrats are crowing that they've registered thousands of new voters, giving them something they didn't have in 2006, a 22,500 vote edge in CD3.

If in fact Titus makes it official, it could be one of the most hard-fought, mean, low-down and vicious campaigns Nevada has ever seen for any office, period. Well, one can hope, anyway (we'll save the retrospective on the comparative performance and nature of her gubernatorial primary versus general election campaigns for another day 'cause the subject deserves it's own post, m'kay?).

But the chances of Democrats knocking off Porter looked a lot better at close o' bidness Monday than when the day started.

Comments

[mc]

Dina is the only candidate that has a chance of winning THIS LATE in the game. Nevadans know her, especially due to her run for Governor.

It looked like Daskas was about to get trampled by Porter's slime machine. Define yourself before your opponent can define you. I hadn't heard a peep from his campaign... not good.

And I have to say, I bet Nevadans will give Dina another shot considering how much of a screw-up Gibbons turned out to be as Governor. She'd be wise to remind voters that.

Tie Porter to Bush and tie him to Gibbons. And raise some decent $$$! Go Dina

[MikeZ]

What no one is mentioning here is how goddamn pissed the D triple C is at we here in Nevada. Furious, per my emails today. We got f*cked by both Harry and Robert. This is the price for the senator's incessant meddling in local offices.

Meddler in Chief harry Reid has blackened our eye yet again, and the calls for his head are loud again today in DC. From a big shot friend in OH to me this afternoon: "Mike, you guys are a bunch of assholes for wasting our time." I told him to tell his people to vote for Dick Durbin as soon as possible for SML. I am counting the days!

Where is Ms Hafen. Dina has written Porter's ads in spades, and you don't have anywhere near the baggage she does this evening.

[Kickboxermomma]

If Dina runs she will win it regardless of what Porter throws at her.

[RebelRouser]

Titus would be great, but if not, I think we need to just get behind Martin.
Some of you guys on here like joking about Martin, but the fact is I've been seeing them owning every dem event in town the last couple months. At least they wont be starting from zero, and the fact is that the message of a certified fraud examiner should go well in this economy against a man who's supported all the Bush policies.

Zahara thinks the DCCC is talking to him. They don't talk to losers Mike. You are imagining emails now.

I have old friends in several states who work with the DCCC. 28 years in this, you make friends. My home state is a big player in the DCCC, though we never paid them any mind.

It is important to the big states, and the tight races, otherwise the DCCC is useless and bogged down in bureaucratic sludge imo.

[KidFromVegas]

Oh Mike, give it a rest. Ms. Hafen is Mrs. "Somebody Else" now, she's married and moved on. "What no one here is mentioning here..." please, you don't get to set the narrative with your hard-on for Harry.

Viva Titus!!!

[MikeZ]

Actions have consequences, and our problem is we can only see 20 minutes into the future. Had people not done what they did, we'd wouldn't be here today. No one thinks two-four years down the line here, that's why its such a cluster f*ck most times here.

We look like a tent full of clowns this afternoon, and that's regrettable--it damages whomever is taking on Porter in Nov.

[theo]

So let me get this straight, Mike. You're not happy that we're looking to replace an untested political neophyte who had zero name recognition and dire fundraising abilities with someone who knows the game, the issues, can fundraise with the best and has won the support of the voters in the district?

I'm not seeing the cons here. Maybe party leadership thinks Dina's "damaged goods," but she's still beloved by a wide swath of Nevadans... myself included.

[Nevada Ned]

I've kept my bumper sticker for Titus on my car bumper. It makes me seem smarter every day.

Leave Mike alone. He hates everybody except himself.

[Werd2406]

Best news I could get after seeing Obama's pastor trying to implode his campaign.

[MikeZ]

She's got a base, but remember she turned this down already, many recruited her heavily last year, and she would be coming in in the 8th inning.

You also have to consider that she's worked her entire political life to be majority leader, and by ducking out now, she sends a message to Allison and the others that she may not have confidence in them giving her a majority this year. She runs for CD03, and the money likely stalls for our state candidates, to the benefit of the GOP.

How does it look to have one of the party's top liberal voices step over a gay man who is already in the race? How does it look teaming up with Harry Reid Inc after years of acrimony between these party wings, and his obnoxious meddling in her own race two years ago? They did grave damage to her 2006 efforts, and few who know this can just brush it aside, including Dina.

I think she'll enjoy the attention and adulation, but take a pass on the race. Maybe just to spite those in the party who spited her, or maybe just to protect her own legacy and record. Again, she'd be great in the House, I told her this, but should have taken it when first offered; she have a million bucks on hand today if she did.

It's hard for anyone but Tessa to jump in now, she has the most credibility given her last race-- and we have a guy who's been running for months; how do we kick him to the curb given all of our rhetoric?

We are a tent full of clowns to the voters today. How did we get to this place in a race that is ours on paper, at least?

[kickboxermomma]

Tessa struggled to clear out her sizeable campaign debt. She fully understands running a campaign and will not run now. Family is more important at this stage and the prospect of debt is chilling. If Dina runs she invites Andrew on board. No filing has taken place. A graceful exit. Andrew has drawn attention to the anointment process and has valiantly carried on the battle but the idea is to win. Without a massive infusion of cash and technical experience and political backing Andrew has 0 chance of winning. He'll be Don Quixote riding out into sunset.

If Dina decides to run she wins this handsdown. It will be ugly and bloody but this will be hasta to Porter the supporter of torture and the man who thinks women should not have equal pay.

I still say this is Nevada's loss if Dina decides to run.

BTW I likes clowns although I know some people are afraid of them.

[texexnv@gmail.com]

Isn't this all just rumor, speculation, and idle gossip? Really now....

[MikeZ]

lol Tex....that's what's fun about it! Look at the nvdems site; Sam has an oddly worded statement; almost demanding she run, but not saying so.

We're supposed to know in a few days. I can't give it any better than even odds tho knowing how much she wants to draw the new map in 2011 as SML. 20 years of effort is tough to relinquish.

Lotsa fun watching the machinations go on. The ringmaster is trying to herd the clowns under the bigtop, and it may work, it may not. I'm sure more surprises are coming!

[Bring back Rick Devoe!]

Dario Herrera, Tom Gallagher, Tessa Hafen, Jim Gibson , Dina Titus, Richard Perkins, Rory Reid, Robert Daskus, Dina Titus, Andrew Martin can beat Porter! Someone get Rick Devoe on the line!

[texexnv@gmail.com]

Sorry I don't see the humor here, Mike. From my little corner of the world it looks like both CD2 and CD3 are going to be victims of the caucusux and the folly of the NSDP and Derby.

Derby and the NSDP put every resource it had into the presidential race and abandoned all focus on recruiting, funding, training, and supporting candidates for all the many other offices we need to compete for.

Now the true price of that folly is coming due and payable with the Dumbocrats offering up the weakest slate of candidates it could possibly scrape together.

Will Nevada Dems ever learn? Will they ever learn a goddamned thing from their mistakes and follies?

CD3 has its candidate. Either get behind him or watch Pooter cruise to another win. The one thing I do like about Martin is that he does not appear to be under Boss Reid's thumb and that should be worth anybody's support!~!

[8 ball]

It may be a tough decision for Dina in my opinion, but the better decision may be that it is better to stay where she is.

The Paultards are ready to tar and feather Senator Bob Beers. Beers now has a minority of total party votes in his district. If Paultards and Ds come together against Beers, he's got problems. D nominee wins and Titus is Majority Leader (big fish, little pond; time for federal ofice later----btw, can she get a full pension from state employment yet?).

So, even if she gambles on becoming majority leader and fails, that CD3 seat is open in 2 years and that's 2 years of fundraising!

[Just wondering]

LOL - I'd forgotten about Rick Devoe. Whatever happened to him? Andrew does seem to be this year's Devoe.

I love Dina but I think it is too late for this time. I think she should stay, become SML (when the Paultards KO Beers) and then run when Porter leaves to take on Reid.

[Werd2406]

Too late? She has one of the biggest names in the state?

[Just wondering]

You don't have an understanding of the realities of raising a large sum of money when you can't do corporate bundling and you are limited to $4,600 per donor.

Like I said, I love Dina. Sadly, it is too late.

[theo]

Y'all are discounting how much help Dina could get from the national party. Anyone with half a brain knows they can't rely on the state party, but the national Dems know that Porter can be beat.

They're looking to field the heaviest of heavyweights. The election is still 6 months away. NO ONE is paying attention to anything but the Presidential race right now.

She has the time (and, more importantly, the connections) to fund a decent campaign. Will it be shoestring? Perhaps. But the conventional wisdom that you have to outspend your opponent won't apply to her. She already has name recognition, which is what Tessa, Jack and Daskas had to spend big money on. Some targeted mailers, a debate or two, a few commercials?

Plus, get Kos's support with a few fundraising posts and the internet would be very kind to fund someone looking to boot Bush's lapdog.

Plus, Porter would run the whole "Dina Taxes" schtick in a year where the state is in financial ruin BECAUSE of a governor who won't raise taxes. She should earn some sympathy votes for that alone.

[Silver State Hispanic Activist]

If we're bringing up the brilliant Dario Herrera candidacy (yay for machine-backed but shallowly-supported Hispanics!), let's also talk up a Ruben Kihuen candidacy if Titus doesn't run, k?

[Silver State Hispanic Activist]

If we're bringing up the brilliant Dario Herrera candidacy (yay for machine-backed but shallowly-supported Hispanics!), let's also talk up a Ruben Kihuen candidacy if Titus doesn't run, k?