Jon Ralston on Rudy, Hillary, political staffs and Craig Walton

Friday, Oct. 12, 2007 | 7:26 a.m.

Some presidential race musings (and, thankfully, not just mine) and a valedictory to a valiant knight on a noble quest:

"Every time she improves her position, she abets Giuliani," Hart said. "The one thing that unites Republicans is their loathing of the Clintons.

Hart said his latest numbers show 46 percent of Republicans think Giuliani, with the 9/11 wind still at his back after six years, is their best chance to defeat Clinton. But, he quickly added, "If you ask me who's going to win (the GOP primary), I have no idea."

Hart also said that while the dynamic, as I have often argued, can change dramatically after Iowa, the compressed, front-loaded schedule also will have a huge impact this time.

"Somebody will do better than expected (in Iowa)," Hart predicted. But he also said the possibility of change once the momentum begins to build or shifts also is unlikely. He used 1984 as an example, saying "if Walter Mondale (who won Iowa but lost New Hampshire) was faced with the same kind of calendar, he wouldn't have been the nominee. There is no recovery time (after the early contests). It's going to be pretty hard for a candidate to get a second look."

That could inure to Clinton's advantage, Hart argued, because "the media is pretty much behind her at this stage." That could make Nevada more important if Iowa and New Hampshire are split and less if they go for the same candidate, unless we are seen as a last-ditch way to save somebody's political life.

This is not like a primary where someone walks into a booth and selects a candidate. The idea here is that this is grass-roots democracy at its finest, where adherents of one candidate have a chance to persuade likely voters for another. This is all about organization and getting the best people to attend, which is why the candidates are battling now over who has the most staff in the state.

John Edwards's campaign told the Associated Press this week that he is tripling his contingent here soon. Obama says he is opening new offices and has been building a team precinct by precinct, mirroring his strategy in Iowa. And the Clinton machine continues to purr along, pouring money into the state, corralling endorsements and having the benefit of Clark County Commission Chairman (Rory Reid) making phone calls.

Forget any polls you might have seen reported. This caucus is far from decided - and the Culinary Union hasn't even weighed in yet.

And as he did become a trained quotemeister, ready with a quip when a reporter came calling, that's what gave Walton his credibility. He really wanted to make the proverbial difference and that's why he formed the Nevada Center for Public Ethics and relentlessly hectored lawmakers and whoever would listen about making the system better.

Walton wasn't weighed down with the baggage of cynicism some of us must struggle to shuck after so long, nor was he afflicted with the froth that fuels the blogosphere's relentless, often mindless negativity. He wanted to make real, substantive changes, not just rail and rant.

Reporters looking for an ethical barometer and a public looking to see an issue distilled to its essence will miss him. So will I.

Walton always took off his cowboy hat when he appeared on "Face to Face." Today, I tip my hat to him.