Nevada Chatter

Friday, Jan. 11, 2008 | 2 a.m.

The national media took a second day to ponder the importance of Sen. Barack Obama’s union endorsements. They also noted that Sen. Hillary Clinton spent a few hours in Las Vegas. But that’s mostly the extent of the attention being given to Nevada by reporters, pundits and talking heads.

But as the media begin to trickle into Las Vegas over the next eight days leading up to the Jan. 19 caucus, it should get toasty under the glare.

Some samples of the view from elsewhere:

The New York Times

“Forget about the cholesterol-counting mob heirs to Bugsy Siegel or shy casino kings like Steve Wynn and their $5,000-a-night rooms. The real power in Vegas is centered in a schlub of a building next to razor-wire-enclosed repo lots in the shadow of the glitzy Strip. It’s the headquarters of the Culinary Workers Union, Local 226 the largest and most powerful private-sector union in the state, with 60,000 members. It’s also the reason why Las Vegas even has a semblance of a middle class.”

Marc Ambinder’s blog on theatlantic.com

“Sen. Clinton’s decision to beat Obama to Nevada means that she is definitely contesting the state, whether or not he has an edge there. Union endorsements don’t usually mean too much, but Nevada is a caucus, and that means that there is no secret ballot, and that means that the 60,000 members of the Culinary Workers, Local 226, in Las Vegas will be expected to turn out and expected to publicly caucus for Barack Obama or face, at the very least, significant pressure from their peers.”

The Nation

“Carried by George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, Nevada will be an important test of Obama’s ability to build a new coalition. He’s already sounding the themes that are likely to resonate: In his concession speech in Manchester, N.H., Obama echoed former Sen. John Edwards’ populist language, talking about how textile workers in Spartanburg, dishwashers in Las Vegas and little boys and girls in Dillon and Los Angeles share common interests. The coveted endorsement of the Las Vegas Culinary Union will help him, but he still needs to follow his words with bold policy proposals.”

The Fix, a Washington Post blog

“Should New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson choose to endorse one of his former rivals before the Jan. 19 Nevada caucus, he could play kingmaker given his Western roots and his status as the lone Hispanic candidate in the field.”

Compiled by Las Vegas Sun reporters Steve Kanigher and Mike Trask