GOP: Yucca not a strong enough issue

Cy Ryan and Benjamin Grove

Thursday, Nov. 4, 2004 | 11:12 a.m.

As the dust started to settle on the day after the election, the state's Republican leadership said it was obvious to them why President Bush won Nevada despite intense Democratic campaigning here and despite Bush's support for turning Yucca Mountain into the nation's nuclear waste dump.

In Nevada John Kerry campaigned largely on his opposition to the Yucca Mountain project, but that issue was less important to most Nevadans than security and the economy, said Gov. Kenny Guinn, co-chairman of the Bush campaign in Nevada, and Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev.

"When you look at the polls, Yucca Mountain was way, way low," Gibbons said.

Guinn said that based on polls and his own contacts, education issues and Yucca Mountain, which is 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, were less important to most voters than their safety and jobs. A poll he saw showed only 2 percent to 2.5 percent of the people would change their votes based on the Yucca issue.

Gibbons also said the Democrats' effort to tie the Yucca Mountain project to President Bush didn't work.

But Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., doesn't necessarily buy the argument that the Democrats in Nevada harped on Yucca too much.

"Without Yucca Mountain, it wouldn't have been a close race in Nevada," Ensign said, adding that it might have a been a seven- to 10-point lead for Bush without Yucca. "You had a Massachusetts liberal running in Nevada. Those two don't match up."

David Cherry, spokesman for one of Kerry's point people in Southern Nevada, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said the media in some ways created a false perception that the Democrats were only talking about Yucca.

"We thought it was the one thing we needed to talk about first," but it was hardly the only issue Democrats were touting, Cherry said.

There was a lot of pent-up frustration among Democrats after years of trying to get answers from Bush about Yucca, Cherry said. Bush still never took questions from Nevada media about the subject, even as Kerry was offering detailed plans about how he would try to kill the project, he said.

There was a clear difference between Bush and Kerry on the issue, but it apparently wasn't enough to galvanize the state behind Kerry during the campaign, Cherry said.

"Maybe people felt like they were beating their head against the wall," Cherry said.

Another difference between the two sides was that the Republican campaign for the White House spent more money in Nevada, Guinn said. He said he has seen figures indicating that the two parties spent a combined total of $25 million trying to win Nevada's five electoral votes. He said the Democrats spent $1.8 million per electoral vote and the Republicans spent $3.1 million for each electoral vote.

But Guinn and Gibbons said that more important was the fact that Nevadans have remained safe from terrorist attacks and have enjoyed a strong economy.

"I've said all along we're going for Bush based on the fact we have been safe," Guinn said. "We went the entire election without a terrorist attack. People want security No. 1."

Gibbons said, "I think voters of Nevada weighed who was going to be the best president on national security and the economy."

He noted that Nevada has been mentioned on occasion as a possible target for terrorists. He said voters were looking for a strong leader who would "go on the offensive when it comes to terrorists."

The governor said the second most important issue "in all my contacts and in polls is the economy, and that relates to jobs. Nevada led the nation in job creation at a good pace. We are second in the nation in producing jobs at a livable wage."

Guinn said, "All of us want a really good job, but if it's not safe what does a good job mean to you?" he said.

Gibbons said the economy in Nevada has turned around since 9/11 and the state has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. "The mining industry is doing well. Things are looking up for Nevada."

But Gibbons said he figures that the deciding factor for many voters was that they asked themselves: "Why change leaders in the middle of a war?"

Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, likewise said that while nobody likes the war in Iraq, they don't want their soldiers to have died in vain.

"We've got to win," he said and added "People felt he (Bush) was the guy who was going to do it." He said the voters felt Bush had the "resolve to get the job done."

Gibbons also said education was a strong issue. He said Bush has followed through with his promises on education and, "He (Bush) was rewarded with a great vote of support."

Bush defeated Al Gore 49.4 percent to 46.6 percent to take Nevada's electoral votes four years ago. He beat Kerry 50 percent to 47.4 percent on Tuesday.

Republicans had a 4,400 vote margin in registered voters but Bush accumulated a 21,567 vote lead over Kerry. Four years ago, Bush beat Gore by 21,597.

"This president knows we were there for him," Gibbons said. "We have had a close relationship. Now it will be even closer than before. We worked hard and he recognized the effort we put out for his election."

The numerous campaign visits by Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney allowed Nevadans "from both parties get to know them on a personal basis," Guinn said.

For his part the governor said he has a personal relationship with all of the Cabinet members and they have been working to solve some of the water and land problems.

Gibbons said his own relationship with the Bush administration probably won't lead to a presidential appointment, however. He said he is not interested in that because he wants to remain in the House.