Nevada GOP caves to New Hampshire and RNC, moves caucus to February, diminishes role in nominating process

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011 | 2:51 p.m.

After the state Republican Party central committee voted overwhelmingly this morning to move its caucus from Jan. 14 to Feb. 4, one smart GOP activist neatly summed up what has transpired during the last few weeks:

“What you saw was pretty simple. The Nevada GOP threw the caucus (first in nation, same day voter registration) under the bus in order to save the general election (RNC money, Amy (Tarkanian) chairmanship, no crazy in position of chair).

Indeed. The RNC held a gun to Nevada’s head – oh, the national Republicans would never acknowledge it was anything but a gentle nudge – and high-ranking GOP officials got off their feet faster than a working girl at the Chicken Ranch.

Republican National Committeeman Bob List and Tarkanian tried to play it as having nothing to do with New Hampshire or its “juvenile” (List’s word) secretary of state and that Nevada was acting like the adult among children. But I can’t believe they actually believe that. And if they do, the party is in even more hopeless shape than I thought.

My guess is most candidates, recognizing this grotesque performance, will do what they have done in the past: Avoid the state GOP and ensure it does no harm.

As one national reporter put it to me today via email: “I don't understand why NV didn't hold tight and make NH go on Jan 10? There were only five days between IA and NH in '08. And all that December stuff was a bluff; would have blown up in Gardner's face by wrecking significance of NH.”

Indeed, Bill Gardner, who kept touting that New Hampshire seven-days-of-separation law and threatening to move to December – the first was ridiculous and the second was transparent -- wins again.

So now Nevada goes fifth instead of third, four days after Florida, which caused this mess by leapfrogging the four early states. Even if the GOP race isn’t over, candidates will spend scant time here now. But at least, Nevada is still first in the West, the fig leaf the party officials used to cover their prostrate position. Oh, and Tarkanian got re-elected.

Both Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul put out incredibly patronizing statement praising Nevada for moving and – again – hyping New Hampshire’s “primacy,” as Paul called it. Really? And I bet the Nevada folks lap it up.

And what of Huntsman and the others who threatened to boycott the state? We absorbed their insults and now all is forgiven, state GOP?

Nevada Democrats, who were thrilled to watch this unfold, quickly announced they were moving to Jan. 21 after a deal worked out with South Carolina. Even though that contest is not a contest, it will probably attract a better turnout. (Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in a statement published by the Review-Journal, also chided the GOP for caving. Raw meat for the Democrats, this is.)

To recap: The RNC behaved badly by setting toothless rules. Florida behaved badly and flouted those rules. New Hampshire behaved badly by threatening to blow up the process. And NV behaved pathetically, not like the adult in room, but like a chastened child meekly eating peas.

How does that taste?