State Democrats capitalizing on Reid’s party-building enterprise

By Brian Eckhouse (contact), Michael Mishak (contact)

Friday, Aug. 15, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Primary Election 2008

For Sen. Harry Reid, the day after the 2004 general election was bittersweet.

He had just coasted to a fourth term in the Senate, but the good news stopped there. His boss, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, narrowly lost reelection and President Bush had won another term — with the help of Nevada.

It was the fourth straight cycle that Democrats had taken a bath, and Reid, mulling the results in his Searchlight home, decided things had to change. He arranged a series of meetings with Nevada’s key political players to draft a new strategy. Among them was Billy Vassiliadis, the high-powered Democratic consultant and owner of the public affairs and advertising firm R&R Partners.

Reid, fielding calls from Sens. Ted Kennedy and Tom Harkin, was in a prizefighting mood, Vassiliadis said.

“We’re not going to do this anymore,” Reid said. “This is no way to run the place.”

The comments were directed at the Nevada Democratic Party, a largely skeletal organization run by volunteers. For years the party, without a network of precinct captains or an effective voter file, relied on organized labor — and a presidential campaign every four years — to turn out voters.

“It was never a permanent organization. We would create the structure from scratch every cycle,” Vassiliadis said. “There was nothing good to say about being a Democrat.”

In four short years, that has changed, mostly due to Reid’s direct involvement.

Democrats now outnumber Republicans by 60,000 voters, and the marriage of the so-called “Reid machine” to the campaign organizations of Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has Nevada Republicans contemplating a stretch in the political wilderness.

It started in 2003 when Reid’s former chief of staff, Susan McCue, recruited Rebecca Lambe to run the state party. In turn, Lambe, working with paid staff and a communications director, cast a wider voter net and started building a Web-based voter file and a grass-roots network, tapping into various constituencies.

The efforts, besides reelecting Reid the following year, led to Democrats capturing all but two constitutional offices in 2006 and laid the groundwork for Nevada’s early presidential caucus, which attracted thousands of new voters to the party. The campaigns built precinct-level organizations and advanced voter files, which were absorbed by the party afterward. Fundraising soared, with the party taking in $1.3 million during the first half of the year. Republicans raised less than a third of that.

“I think for the first time in a lot of years I see a formidable grass-roots and turnout network for the Democrats,” said Pete Ernaut, a veteran Republican consultant who urged the state GOP to move up its caucus to compete with the Democrats.

Republican candidates, with the exception of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, ignored the contest though. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., finished third.

The enthusiasm gap between the parties is stark.

By the end of the month, the Obama campaign expects to open 20 offices and employ 75 paid staff statewide. Hundreds of supporters are showing up at surrogate events, attending house parties and walking precincts. Since last month the campaign has trained 600 precinct leaders statewide, joining the more than 1,000 who were trained for the caucus. Thousands of others are making phone calls and knocking on doors.

Last weekend 280 volunteers canvassed for Obama statewide, 30 of whom walked Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, where Democrat Dina Titus is challenging Republican Rep. Jon Porter. Pushing the entire ticket, and Titus especially, the volunteers targeted independents and Republicans. Dave Heflich, 58, and Don Carlin, 59, spent two hours in triple-degree heat last Saturday advocating the “Campaign for Change.” They held lengthy discussions with voters, suffered a few slammed doors and after more than 20 knocks, it seemed Democrats had the edge. Still, Obama has work to do.

Labor will be doing its part. The 60,000-strong Culinary Union will be overseeing the political operation of the Change to Win labor coalition in Nevada. About 150 full-time canvassers will visit the 100,000 members the coalition has statewide. The program will also feature mailers — in English and Spanish — and an “aggressive” work site campaign, said Jeffrey Lerner, Change to Win’s national political director.

“Nevada is always important, and this cycle it’s taken on a new importance,” Lerner said. “It’s one of these states that’s spreading the map. And it’s hard to do the math on how a Democrat wins without strong turnout from union households.”

(Nevada is second only to Ohio among 13 targeted states in terms of the unions’ resources.)

All of this has Republicans distressed, particularly those who helped to build the party’s machine in 1998, when Kenny Guinn became the first Republican governor in 20 years. Steve Wark, a Republican consultant and veteran field operative, built a ground game that abandoned standard precinct organizing in favor of people tapping their own social networks. Republicans were encouraged to use their Christmas card and wedding invitation lists to reach other Republicans.

“It takes a lot of time and effort and discipline to do it correctly,” Wark said. “As long as there’s somebody at the top and driving it very hard it works. You can capture, maintain and deliver votes.”

But, after a banner year in 2002, when they swept the constitutional offices, “Republicans got fat and lazy,” said UNR political scientist Eric Herzik, a registered Republican. In successive cycles, Herzik said, “Republicans didn’t tend their field. They didn’t do the daily work.”

In 2006, then-Rep. Jim Gibbons, always considered somewhat of an outsider in the state party, ran a largely media-based campaign for governor. Republicans worry about the long-term implications: If state Democrats win in 2010, they’ll have the power to redraw districts, potentially pushing Republicans out of power for a decade.

For now, Nevada Republicans seek to energize their own. Volunteers worked a state party phone bank Monday in Summerlin.

If the party and McCain can “animate” conservatives on the core issues, they’ll succeed, Deputy RNC Chairman Frank Donatelli said. “To do that, we need more of what you’re doing,” he told volunteers Monday. “Identify McCain supporters now, then rally them in the final week. We can’t win without Nevada.”

The party has seven offices open in the state, five of them new, party Chairwoman Sue Lowden said.

McCain’s campaign here has made the case that Obama is too liberal for Nevada and that he needs the enormous resources he’s spent to convince voters otherwise.

Meanwhile, Democrats continue to increase their ranks.

Reid and Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley fired up a crowd of about 100 supporters at the opening of Obama’s headquarters Thursday. Reid said volunteers had registered 600 new voters statewide in the hours before the rally. “And we still have four hours to go.”

Discussion: 6 comments so far…

By neiman1

8/15/08 at 9:19 a.m.

Suggest removal

Follow Harry and his money while Nancy Pelosi pulls his strings and we lose all of Nevada to a foreclosure sale. How will we live with harry blocking every energy resource in this country. Does harry plan on buying our fuel from Russia, maybe through their new pipeline in Georgia? Harry doesn't care that the airlines have cancelled 20% of the flights to Las Vegas or that thousands are being unemployed monthly by the slowdown. Harry only cares about Harry's position with Kennedy and Harkin. This man is way too dangerous to be in the Senate or feeding KoolAid out for Obama.
By texexnv

8/15/08 at 9:56 a.m.

Suggest removal

Thanks for the history lesson, albeit highly skewed to Boss Reid's version of reality.

One thing not mentioned here is Boss Reid's ratings which are consistently lower than the Psycho-in-Chief (in the high teens).

Also not mentioned is that Boss Reid didn't endorse Obama until it was all over. Dick Durbin was onboard all the way so Boss Reid is O-U-T as Senate Majority Lardasser come January.

And for a more objective review of Tusday's primaries go here http://texex-xpress.blogspot.com/2008/08... Dems don't look as good as the Boss might portray.

http://texex-xpress.blogspot.com/
By jfnance32

8/15/08 at 10:08 a.m.

Suggest removal

What has Reid done for Nevada?

We are ranked 51st in getting Federal dollars for k-12 education.....Wow...he is working on that....LOL

The Democrats control both the House and the Senatte and Yucca still gets funding. Big success story there....they play this game where the House does full funding....Reid cuts it down in the Senate and declares it a win for Nevada. One would think the second most power Democrat in DC (Reid) could get zero funding for Yucca. Why does Pelosi and the Democrats want full funding for Yucca?

His family makes millions each year in DC being busy-beaver lobbyists. At least, somebody is getting money.

What has Reid done for Nevada?
By Johnathan_Abbinett

8/15/08 at 12:33 p.m.

Suggest removal

This is an important story that hasn't been even touched on - THANKS Brian and Mike - and since you got most of it right I'm giving you a B+!

But, there's more worth noting - the progressives really began demanding change in 2000 with the Supreme Court anointment of Bush - that was the straw that broke the camel's back - but, it took three more cycles to prove to the party, and party leaders, it was past time for a change - a change that would require a paradigm shift in how we do politics in Nevada.

Rebecca Lambe's greatest accomplishment, like any good leader, was to surround herself with the best and brightest talent she could garner and build a base of politically astute staffers and advocates and activists. Much credit should also go to Allison Schwartz who served as the NSDP Executive Director (after Rebecca's term) and Jon Summers who served as the NSDP Communications Director - as well as staffers from Reid's office and Berkley's.

The 2001 cycle was dedicated to recruiting, educating and building talent in the many demographic constituencies (such as the area Clubs and the Vets Caucus) - including a major effort to get the unions to limit in-fighting and focusing on common causes.

2002 was dedicated, again, to local races and continuing to build through 2003.

By 2004 we saw the first major groups beginning to cooperate in concerted support. 2005 gave birth to "Team Titus" in support of Dina's run for the Governor's mansion in 2006. Though we lost that race we proved the principle of creating synergy was possible - IF we became a serious, state-wide, political machine and put the days of being little more than a silly social organization behind us!

2007 marked the first time that the Clark County Democratic Party had a contested election for the Chairmanship between Ken Lang and John Hunt - (both extremely competent executive talents) - and though Hunt has made a few widely exxagerated mistakes he's taken appropriate corrective actions and enjoys about a 90% success rate and remains widely popular for his progressive accomplishments - notably finally cutting the umbilical cord to the NSDP and opening Clark County Democrats first professional office!

Jill Derby took the reigns as Chairwoman and returned civility and seriousness to the NSDP (before turning the power over to Sam Lieberman to make a second run in C.D. #2).

Critics can try and condemn Harry Reid all they want, and do so often unfairly, but the facts are Harry Reid is the senior Senator from Nevada and the Senae Majority Leader and he has put us on the national political stage and inspired new life within the Nevada State Democratic Party - that was no easy feat!
By esquared

8/15/08 at 11:08 p.m.

Suggest removal

Good post John. As for the self promoter above and Nance, neiman, and GOD (GOD? Really!) you totally miss the point about Reid. You lack any insight into why Nevada ranks so low in Federal dollars, just blame. The three of you follow the same knee-jerk line, and that line gets thinner every day. Notice how so many people are stepping up to step on you guys?

Reid set in motion the process of rejuvenating the NSDP and it is working. Come November, we'll see some real change.

But keep up the posts. You guys are hilarious!