Presidential race swings back to Nevada

Even as the husk of the once mighty Borg finds it's way to history's dustbin, the emphasis on white people who don't have any schoolin' and so will probably vote Republican anyway will continue, particularly when Obama and McCain duke it out over Pennsylvania and Ohio.

But now that the general election has pretty much started, it's time to revisit the not-so-distant past and watch the media return to writing lots of thumb-sucking navel-gazing stories about a demographic group that is even more interesting and dynamic, namely, Mexicans.

Over the weekend the NYT took a gander at where the swing states are and, best as can be discerned, why:

Hispanic voters could find themselves drawing more attention from presidential candidates than ever before. Their votes could prove critical in determining whether Democrats capture states like Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico and whether Republicans have any chance of being competitive in California.

Mr. McCain’s identification with legislation that would have permitted some illegal immigrants to attain citizenship, a position he moved away from in the primaries but never renounced, gives him an opportunity to compete for those voters, who except for Cubans in Florida appear to have largely settled into the Democratic camp in recent years.

Mr. Obama also supported measures that would have allowed immigrants to attain citizenship but struggled to win over Hispanic voters in his primary fight, signaling a potential problem for him in the fall campaign. Mr. Obama’s aides said the endorsement by Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, one of the nation’s most prominent Hispanic leaders, could prove more critical in the general election than in the primary.

Both sides say the states clearly in play now include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Republicans said they hoped to put New Jersey and possibly California into play; Democrats said African-Americans could make Mr. Obama competitive in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Mr. Obama’s advisers said they had a strong chance of taking Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio and Virginia away from the Republican column.

In case the three mentions in five paragraphs left any doubt, it appears that the campaigns are certain  Nevada is going to be a swing state. Again.

That's tough for McCain. Not just because he doesn't have any organization in Nevada to speak of because he didn't care about the state or it's War Party caucuses and didn't even compete here. And not just because he thinks dumping all the nation's nuclear waste in Nevada is a great idea. And not just because the Nevada War Party, by virtue of harboring and sheltering the nation's worst and creepiest governor (pictured, explaining to McCain a year ago that it's "Gibbons" not "Gibson") is a laughingstock throughout the state and beyond. And not just because Nevada is lousy with libertarian kookwits, both in the Republican Party and out, who normally might be expected to vote with the War Party but many of whom will likely jump on board the Bob Barr bandwagon to nowhere instead. 

Though that stuff will hurt.

Inasmuch as McCain was for comprehensive immigration reform before he was against it, he now can claim to come down on both sides of the issue depending on his audience and so yes, of candidates that the War Party might have nominated for president, McCain might be the least repugnant to Latinos.

But it's often said, usually by Latinos, that Latino voters have most of the same concerns as everybody else. And that's probably true when it comes to McCain. Whatever his position on immigration at any given time, McCain has remained steadfastly consistent in being a 187-year-old warmonger who doesn't know jack about the economy. That's what'll sink him.

Comments

[Michael Green]

A couple of Sundays ago, Frank Rich wrote a column in The Times that should have been worth thinking about here in Nevada. He pointed out that the media--as usual--missed the real story: that in Pennsylvania, more than a quarter of Republicans (I don't remember exact numbers) turned out to vote AGAINST McCain, although the race was over. Now, I realize that someone is going to say how bad it looks for Obama when Clinton is likely to win West Virginia, but McCain's opponents all had withdrawn, and that's a significant difference.

The point? What happened at that mess of a Republican convention a few weeks ago in Nevada? Did Nevada Republicans look like they felt warm and fuzzy about McCain? No. The Democratic problems had nothing to do with being mad at Clinton or Obama--it had to do with incompetent planning and a lot of voter enthusiasm. So Rich's words may be worth bearing in mind in relation to what Hugh wrote above.

[texexnv@gmail.com]

I'm going to risk being a bit off subject here to disclose what I found out about a public servant [sic] who makes $144,000/yr. and can afford $303,908 in legal bills from 2007.

Interesting stuff can be "gleaned" in this CCE. E.g., if Dems are assuming the gibber's legal troubles are behind him, then they have not looked at the $80,238 he paid to D.C. firm McDermott Will & Emery just last December. And there was also $20,317 to the Reno firm McDonald Carano for a grand total of $100,555 in Dec (alone) legal bills.

That initial legal defense fund of $169,000 grew to $305,459 raking in $123,000 in Dec alone.

Considering that the purpose of the ldf was threefold - and that two of those problems no longer seem to exist - it might be inferred that the bigger problem of involvement in the Trepp corp is accelerating and not diminishing.

Btw, no where can I find where X2B declared that $35,000 that she was paid by Trepp.

[texexnv@gmail.com]

Btw and FYI, there is a bigger whore than James A. Gibbons on the all-time Sierra Nevada et. al whore list.

His name is Harry Reid who has received $37,557 to Gibbons mere $20,100.

[dave404]

texexnv;
Nice work. Gotta agree that the December spending spree back in DC is a LOT of billable hours. Something is perculating.

I see that Mike Harris of Henderson and the State Parole Board gave Gibbons $500....is his term up for renewal?

Are contributions unlimited to this LDF?

I wonder what Gibbons blood pressure is at any given time?

[texexnv@gmail.com]

404, I'd have to defer to What?! or Penguin on the ldf limits. But you know those Latter Day F**ckers give a lot to each other. heh heh heh....

[who knew]

NRS 294A.287 Limitation on contributions; penalty.

1. A person shall not make a contribution or contributions to the legal defense fund of a candidate or public officer in an amount which exceeds $10,000 during the applicable period prescribed in NRS 294A.100 pertaining to the office the candidate is seeking or that the public officer holds.

2. A candidate or public officer shall not accept a contribution to his legal defense fund that is made in violation of subsection 1.

3. A person who willfully violates any provision of this section is guilty of a category E felony and shall be punished as provided in NRS 193.130.

How long is period of NRS 294A.100?
NRS 294A.100 Limit on amount that may be contributed to or accepted by candidate; penalty.

1. A person shall not make a contribution or contributions to a candidate for any office, except a federal office, in an amount which exceeds $5,000 for the primary election or primary city election, regardless of the number of candidates for the office, and $5,000 for the general election or general city election, regardless of the number of candidates for the office, during the period:

(a) Beginning from 30 days before the regular session of the Legislature immediately following the last election for the office and ending 30 days before the regular session of the Legislature immediately following the next election for the office, if that office is a state, district, county or township office; or

(b) Beginning from 30 days after the last election for the office and ending 30 days before the next general city election for the office, if that office is a city office.

2. A candidate shall not accept a contribution made in violation of subsection 1.

3. A person who willfully violates any provision of this section is guilty of a category E felony and shall be punished as provided in NRS 193.130.

[NVMojo]

Nice work to all.

Perhaps Dawn's $35,000. isn't showing because she has rolled over the idiot?

BTW, what the hell is Gibbons doing with his mouth in that pic above? SICK!!

[kickboxermomma]

I have been consistently saying McCain is extremely vulnerable. I like McCain being the candidate precisely because of immigration. There is less likelihood of immigration being debated in a xenophobic way as it was done in 2006. McCain has abbandoned his immigration approach of comprehensive immigration and is going the Right secure boreders first and attention to the !2 M undocumented -probably never. Mc Cain dodged the Dream Act vote although he was present for another high profile vote the same day. His fellow republicans have tried to embarrass him with the get tough anti-immigrant measures that hey have "attempted " to push through although they know it has no chance of success. McCain will be blasted on immigration in the Latino area on Spanish speaking TV and radio. but Demos have to do their own work in the Latino Community. The State and COunty have been derelict in addressing the Latino vote. No resources- money, manpower has been dedicated to this crucial segment.

There is no one on staff at the State level to professionally translate materials and Marcos and Andres have yet to replaced. The State Central Committee Executive Board has yet to appoint a viable Hispanic Leadership Board of individuals who actually organize within the Hispanic/ Latino community. Leave it to the Dems to do a half ass job of working a core constituency. The caucus should have settled one thing Latinos come out and we vote. The Republicans already have in place there core group working to organize in the Latino community. It's been in place for several months.

There is now only one latino Democratic Club. The burden can not be placed on that CLub to do the State and the County's job. The State has the funds and the ability to harness the resources. One DNC position doesn't do it. It's time the State and the COunty show they are serious about reaching out to this new core constituency. Lips service doesn't translate into GOTV.