Editorial: West’s influence waning?

Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007 | 7:21 a.m.

With campaign money running tight, John Edwards has moved most of his staff out of Nevada, turning his attention and resources to winning early voting in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Several news outlets reported Edwards' decision on Wednesday. And it was just the sort of action that, as an Aug. 10 Las Vegas Sun editorial predicted, was bound to happen as a result of what has become a free-for-all on the part of states that are scrambling to be among the first to conduct presidential primaries.

The Democratic National Committee granted Nevada the opportunity to conduct its caucus Jan. 19 - between the politically coveted Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary - as a way to balance the presidential nominating process by allowing some influence by a larger, Western state.

But two weeks ago South Carolina's Republicans moved their primary to Jan. 19 because Florida had moved up its primary. Iowa's caucus, which by law must occur eight days ahead of the others, must now jump to early January.

With so many pivotal contests crammed so close together, members of Edwards' campaign said he had to refocus his limited resources on the East.

Where does that leave Nevada? Only time will tell. Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton announced on Thursday that she is opening an office in Pahrump on Sunday - her third in Nevada. Democratic contender Barack Obama already has offices in Las Vegas, Reno and Elko. Maybe they will stick around.

In the wake of Edwards' announcement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that "any candidate who chooses to ignore Nevada and its rich diversity does so at their own peril."

We agree with Reid. A good showing in Nevada will be critical for any candidate to gain momentum not only in the West, but throughout the country.