Strapping Republican Wunderkind and Nevada GOP gubernatorial hopeful Brian Sandoval thinks the state's current governor, disgraced and discredited Jim Gibbons, is doing a heckuva job.
Sandoval, the former federal judge and Republican challenger, called Gibbons’ handling of the budget “a prudent approach.”
“The last thing to do in a struggling economy is to raise taxes,” Sandoval said. “You need to look at the spending side. Everything needs to be on the table.”
...
Asked specifically about whether education should be exempt from further cuts, Sandoval begged off, saying “I don’t have the access to the numbers that the governor does.”
Oh. Empty suit. Who knew?
Meantime, Democrat Rory (Reid), given the opportunity, also had exactly nothing of relevance to contribute to a discussion about the state budget, which of course is the wise strategy of a conventional candidate who has no primary opposition (or it would be, if this were a conventional year).
Whoever is governor in 2011 will be facing a shortfall currently estimated, and possibly underestimated, at $2.5 billion. But neither Sandoval nor Reid the Younger have any desire to talk about it, and all Gibbons does is mutter Norquistian incantations. So there's a good chance that we could go through the entire election year without having to suffer any of that icky talk about the need to mend our profoundly failed state -- ugh, that discussion is so depressing.
Instead, candidates might just stick to the customary playbook and try to drive up the opponent's negatives with distorted attack ads about issues that don't matter to anybody, which is to say everybody can just ignore the whole campaign, yay!
...and this is why the non-anointed citizens need to file for public office! If you, or me, or us are up at the podium as fellow candidates we can say how we would address such and such an issue and then Reid and Sandoval and all the other anointed ones have to respond, they cannot remain mute. Hard to have a candidates debate when their is only one person from a party addressing, in vague terms, an audience!
Get out there and file for office!
Posted by: dave404 | 01/04/2010 at 11:09 AM
Sandoval's a Nevada RIRO!
Posted by: Nevada Scandalmonger | 01/04/2010 at 12:52 PM
Where is this podium?
Posted by: Goldy | 01/04/2010 at 12:54 PM
You have to admit, who knew when Darrio Herrera left the stage that so soon would we get another chance to vote for such a goodlooking Spanish surname.
Posted by: GladK | 01/04/2010 at 01:43 PM
How much was Sandoval paid?
Good Lord ... another imbecile.
Posted by: Happygirl | 01/04/2010 at 02:23 PM
What he should do is to give up his entire plan very early so Dems can rip it apart, the state union employees can attack it, and imbeciles like the posters on this blog can say it doesn't go far enough.
You all should run for office and solve all our woes. That's right, you'd rather sit back and criticize and babel nonsensical platitudes.
Posted by: Carlos Essencia | 01/04/2010 at 03:29 PM
He did the people of Nevada a favor by resigning his judgeship if this is the type of decisions he makes.
Bottom line, Gibbons crushes the primary competition because of the upcoming special sessions, and Rory is elected Governor because everyone but the Republicans know that Gibbons is an idiot.
As a result, Sandoval ties himself to Gibbons and it is a Reid/Reid victory.
Thank you Mr. Sandoval.
Posted by: Vegas Tea Room | 01/05/2010 at 05:06 AM
And Mr. Essencia, shouldn't you be commenting on Sue Lowden's blog? Wait, wait, I remember, Republicans and conservatizez don't enable comments, do they. So from one "imbecile" to another, please dildo yourself. Vigorously.
Posted by: VegasTeaRoom | 01/05/2010 at 06:37 AM
Oh my!
Posted by: Reality Please | 01/05/2010 at 01:19 PM
Psssst, Carlos, we are not at war with ourselves and thus Sandoval "giving up his entire plan" is not a military and strategic blunder, but what the f^&* we expect in American elections.
Concerns and debate regarding public policy direction is the foundation of elections in a democracy: if one is afraid that their plans will fail under scrutiny, well, that person is undeserving of consideration.
Parenthetically, Sandoval first has to clear muster with the Republicans in their closed primary and as such, the Dems and unions will not have first judgment on the merits of Sandoval's platform (assuming he has one).
Posted by: dave404 | 01/05/2010 at 04:19 PM
For Christ sake Dave, can't Brian just get out there looking all good like he does?
He needs a platform? Maybe he doesn't know that yet cuz, heck he is just sooo good looking and all.
Posted by: judy | 01/05/2010 at 04:53 PM
@ judy,
WIN!
Posted by: Scorpiogal | 01/05/2010 at 06:49 PM