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Wednesday, May 12, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.
“There’s something happenin’ here, what it is ain’t exactly clear …”
— Stephen Stills, 1967
You see Utah’s Bob Bennett, who had a few moments of apostasy in the congregation’s eyes and dared to bow at the altar of bipartisanship, and he is brutally excommunicated.
You see Arizona’s John McCain, who couldn’t please the faithful as a presidential nominee and now is campaigning as a Joe Arpaio disciple, and he may be the next to be expelled from the Church of the Conservatives.
And, closer to home, you see Sue Lowden and Brian Sandoval, who are desperately trying to preach the right gospel and make the parishioners sing along, and yet they are getting crushed in straw poll after straw poll.
For what it’s worth, the moderate-cleansing in the Republican Party in these days of tea and poses could pay off in the short run for the candidates who can deliver the best conservative sermons and fool some of the small electoral universe on June 8. But four weeks before voters who don’t cast ballots early go to the polls, you can almost smell it in the air in the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial primaries — the scent of uncertainty, even of fear.
There’s something happenin’ here, what it is ain’t exactly clear.
Yes, Utah is not Nevada — Bennett lost in some goofy process the ever-active Club for Growth was able to control with its money. Arizona is not Nevada — McCain faces J.D. Hayworth, who is better known than any of the Nevada candidates and has a political base. But Republican primary voters are not so dissimilar from state to state, with those living along routes another great songwriter, Lowell George, once wrote about — “Tucson to Tucumcari, Tehachapi to Tonapah” — mad as hell at anyone tainted by the Establishment or incumbency or, most of all, anyone not willing to hew to the orthodoxy they demand.
Survey results I obtained Tuesday, albeit conducted by a Democratic pollster and ones that go counter to previous public polls (but not some private ones), seem to indicate even without taking the GOP’s temperature that the fever is raging here, too. Lowden losing to Harry Reid for the first time by 5 percentage points (42-37). Danny Tarkanian doing better than Lowden, tied with Reid (37-37). Rory Reid within striking distance of Sandoval in the governor’s race (46-41).
Those numbers don’t comport with other surveys showing Lowden and Sandoval with large leads over the Reids. But the point here is the volatility of the electorate, the volcanic bursts of anger, the intolerance for exaggerated flaws.
There’s something happenin’ here, what it is ain’t exactly clear.
Look at the straw poll results, too. Yes, tiny samples, but two recent ones conducted by the Douglas County GOP and the Action is Brewing Tea Party group show Lowden and Sandoval as also-rans. Gov. Jim Gibbons and Sharron Angle are the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate favorites, respectively, and even ex-North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon is more popular with the core than Sandoval, whose moderate past has come back to haunt him.
If I were Lowden and Sandoval, I’d think of another line from that Stills classic: “Paranoia strikes deep, into your life it will creep.”
How can they not be looking in the rearview mirror considering the relatively low turnout expected June 8 and the toxic atmosphere for anyone who even smells like an incumbent? Let’s face it: Sandoval seems even more like an anointed elected official than the incumbent governor. And even though Lowden is laughably now trying to cast off the Establishment mantle Little Tark so smartly tarred her with months ago, it’s sewn into the fabric of who she is.
So in both races, you see these candidates trying to avoid the fate that befell Bennett and that could afflict McCain. Suddenly, Lowden, in a new ad, claims she has “fought all my life” for smaller government, a claim so risible the commercial should have a laugh track. And Tarkanian has simply been declaring himself the most conservative candidate in the race, “endorsed” by conservatives, when the evidence of such is minuscule. And while Gov. No New Taxes wears the conservative mask well, he has raised taxes and fees, even though he hopes no one has noticed. And Sandoval, a moderate for years, is having a difficult time convincing anyone that he is the guy who will never raises taxes, who has a reasonable suspicion that Arizona’s law is A-OK and who does not think illegals should be allowed to drive.
Who are these people? And a better question: Who will vote June 8?
To both queries, I say: There’s something happenin’ here, what it is ain’t exactly clear.
LOL, here we have a panicked liberal trying to explain that it isn't just Dems who will be getting hammered in Nov.
What he conveniently fails to mention is that Republicans losing favor are doing so because other and more conservative Rep are beating them in primaries, while Democrats in trouble are being ALSO beaten by REPUBLICANS.
This article is a lame attempt to bolster the flagging spirits of a disorganised and depressed Democrat constituency. What it amounts to is a great example of whistling past the graveyard
Sandoval has a history of this sort of things.
Tax increases: http://www.dontbetonsandoval.com/taxincr...
Immigration: http://www.dontbetonsandoval.com/illegal...
and more.
Sandoval may be a RINO in conservative clothing, but Gibbons or Reid II for Governor? Talk about having to choose between Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum....
Sandoval is a RINO..Gibbons is flamboyant and Reid is an embarassement. Montandon is going to be my choice..
Nevada needs to present a better image to the nation to diversify the economy. Gaming is a boom/bust gamble. I am against nuclear waste at Yucca but..I want an hardworking, honest man for governor.
Ralston continues in his weekly efforts to breath some drama into the election. Good thing that Nevada voters are smart enough to see through the manufactured fog.
Be careful of ScottReno. He is a Reid plant who works for the National Democrats shadow campaign to get Gibbons through the primary.
Sandoval is not only conservative; he is the best choice this state has had for governor in a long time. The fact that the Democrats are spending millions of dollars backing Gibbons should be evidence enough of why Sandoval is the right candidate.
Jon:
Your emphasis on the likely low turn out points to the huge "x" factor at the very least in the primary. The passion on the right, well at least the far right, is at levels that rival the far left in 1968. The likely turn out from that segment may follow the passion and if it does the real "far right" candidates will have the edge. But as xtra points out above, Reid the Younger sees a Gibbons victory in his best interest and I suspect that Reid the Elder has his favorite far right candidate as well.
As one of the 1968 faithful who has the after-taste of kool-aid in his mouth, I sit back and revel at how little we learn from history.
This was dumb. Ralston uses unreliable sources (tiny straw polls and shoddy Dem polls) to extrapolate material for this blog. Ha. When the Sun publishes everything you write, it's tempting to just make stuff up, huh Jon?
"There's a man with a gun over there. Telling me I've got to beware" May as well add to the song, since these far-right wingers like to flaunt their weapons too.
Interesting equating use of straw polls and Dem polls (apparently shoddy due to fact that their Dem) with making stuff up?
Lowden and Sandoval are rino country clubbers, I wonder why the Teabags have not made more ground? the local nut talk stations -that are behind this type of politics are on hard times, most have switched to infomercials, music or financial programing in the evenings and on weekends, the blowhards are out of steam.
If the Republican Party in Nevada is taken over by disorganized, ultra-conservative cranks who are less interested in governing than in complaining about how bad they've got it, despite the lowest total tax load since 1950, then they are going to lose big in the general election. You can pose, whine, and squawk about "Reid plants" until the cows come home, but that's just how it's going to turn out.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxe...
Fear in the Air for the Established 2 parties.
Perhaps it is time to look at other options.
SMELL OF DEATH
There is a distinct odor to imminent death. I know that smell. I have seen politicians come in to the debate extremely ill prepared, with such problems as selective amnesia, manic depression, void of thought, etc and the really sick ones are usually unpalatable. When you sit in the room and watch the debate, there is a smell -- I don't know quite how to explain it. But I call it the smell of death.
The continued breeding of closely related individuals so as to preserve traits in a stock (Republican Party). It is the inbreeding that is what's killing the Republican Party, genetics will be thier demise.
sue "let them use chickens for healthcare" lowden...
is a snot nosed spoiled rich punk who wants to go to washington to fight for other snot nosed spoiled rich punks...
period...
end of story...
I can tell you exactly what's going on.
The Teabaggers have taken over and they just plain scare people.
They are bigoted (but, transparently lie that they are not), Ignorant (proudly), false patriots (stay out of my life ,but, let me make laws against yours) and stupid (check out super stupid R candidate Steve Sanson and his announcement that he wants to take property from dead people. He also had to be told recently that "foreigners" could own property in the US, legal or not!).
You add all that up and the right scares the middle more than the left does.
How's that Hate-y Stupid-y thing going for you now?
With all the baggage that Gibbons and Reid have, the lack of base principles that Sandoval has (he has to change his position each time he goes out), it would appear that Mike Montandon is the man for the job. He refuses to continue to do things the way its "always been done", will "think outside the box" for economic development issues- like get Yucca Mountain going again- and not embarrass the heck out of us as our Governor.
Teabaggers are on a cleansing jihad (tihad) and the defeat of very-conservative Bennett proves the mob is being led by its most radical elements.
Meeting their purity requirements won't be easy for anyone -- even Sarah Palin's endorsement of McCain has landed her on many bagger's blacklists.
It's like a sick horror film with retired, senile zombies who turn on each other and eat their own.
Grow up Ralston-all your lies are not going to save Harry or Rory.
We have in this country something called PRIMARIES. It's all part of the system.
A congesscrook from your party in WV just lost one. Tuesday there will be divisive primaries in your party in Arkansas and PA. Same with the MA Senate and VA governor-both of which your party lost in the general election.
People have finally seen through the "Yes We Can" veneer of your party and seen the ugly reality-trillion dollar Greek style deficits as far as the eye can see crippling the economy and collapsing the currency like a pancake.
Think of the shallowness of Sue Lowden's career trajectory---a former Miss America runner-up, then another pretty but vapid TV "reporter," followed by a marriage to a rich casino mongol who appointed her to various casino boards and financed her for a single term in the Nevada Senate, where she had a remarkably undistinguished record.
The "chickens" remark is more of a symptom than a cause---it shows that Sue Lowden has not seriously considered a single issue that would be of importance to Nevadans. She just attacks Reid, and spouts the same tripe about lowering taxes and cutting regulations and wasteful spending, without being specific in the slightest. Reid would trounce her in a debate, which I'll bet she will never agree to do anyway.
I hope we Nevadans are ultimately smart enough to elect someone with competence, regardless of how much they may disagree on the specifics, rather than an empty skirt like Sue Lowden.
Of course, we keep electing Jim Gibbons as governor, Ensign as senator so it's hard to be optimistic about this.
Stuart & Robert Wyman-Cahall
Las Vegas, NV 89142
melbedwetter must be off his meds again.
"We have in this country something called PRIMARIES."
**********
Uh, melbedwetter, Harry Reid is NOT being challenged on the Democratic side so what's the point of your bizarre post? If you were refering to Rory Reid then leave Harry out of it.
Enjoyed the article.
Mostly for the fact that I'm a 1960s music lover too.
Those from that era all know that Muddy Waters created electricity. And, if it weren't for Jimi Hendrix, there wouldn't be any uses for electricity at all.
I liked the Steven Stills from Buffalo Springfield and the late Lowell George from Little Feat lyrics you used.
And they fit when you talk about the current state of affairs of the Republican Party and their interactions with the Frankenstein monster created Tea Party. Republicans created it for fund raising, now they can't manage it. At all. It has eventually went around full circle to bite them.
The worst thing that can happen to the Republican Party in the long term, is to continue to chase moderates out of the party...
This has been going on for some time now, but it has recently picked up steam, and with the "keep the government out of my Medicare" group up in arms, the worst thing a political incumbent can be at this point in time is a moderate Republican.....
History tell us that any time a political party becomes controlled by those on the extreme right or extreme left, the future of that party is limited....
Americans, through out most of our history, have supported moderates who are slightly to the right or slightly to the left......extremism has been popular in American politics from time to time, but it always fails when it comes to any type of permanence...
This does speak well for what is happening to the present day GOP!
The Teabag purge will result in more people like Crist winning. Even Rupert Murdouck has rained in Sean Insannity, (search: Hannity Cincinnati Tea Party)
All teabags should be shipped to the nearest insane asylum for brewing.
I think Harry Reid should quickly reconvene the Un-American Activities Committee, and start questioning these candidates to find out who the REAL Americans are. Then the primary voters will know who's who.
Give 'em hell , Harry Reid! Good like in November vs. whichever Tihadist (Thanks LastThroes) limps to the finish line.
Nice Little Feat plugg, and since you want to carry on this musical lyric theme, Nevada will be singing Na a na na, Nan a na na , Hey hey hey, goodbye to Harry Reid come November.
Sssnnnnooozzzzzzz, The Democrats will take heavy losses in this next election. They have been exposed thanks to Mr. Obama.
Perhaps someones has had too much kool-aid to drink.
harry reid is despised by everyone I know,everyone on my street and everyone at my work. In November(i wish it were today) harry reid will be blubbering,sniveling ,giving his goodbye speech how he only meant to screw americans a little bit. bye-bye harry 11/2/10,you truly are dingy.
Why is Harry Reid despised? Hes not evil and hes not a bad guy, what are you going to punch him in the face for not agreeing with you? You wingers are crazies, thats all there is to say. What is even more revealing about how ignorant the right is, they woulfd vote for someone sight unseen as long as its not Reid....that is so responsible, takes a real intellectual to do that.
Teabaggers have split the GOP vote and pushed moderate independents to the left.
By this time next year, after the crazies have laid waste to GOP election hopes, the Tihadist will be as welcome in the GOP as bin Laden is to the Vatican. Everyone will be scared to death to go near them.
Angle doesn't have a clue; Parsons and Christenson are almost unheard of; Chachas is from Ely, so nobody cares what he thinks; Tarkanian is as crooked as was his Daddy; and Lowden is still plucking her chickens. The GOP is doomed to go down in self-induced flames in November. Harry is no prize, but he is sooooooooooooo much better than any Republican on the horizon.
Sounds like DUI is happening here. Losers opinions don't count, even from far left.
Scent of fear for republicans? I would say dems nostrils are filled with the stink of death, they will lie, cheat, and do anything else to stay in power, even vote against the wishes of most of their constituents.
Which will be their downfall.
Jon...... You're correct on all counts.
The republicans are scared to death.
They should be, they know they ruined our
economy with their greed.
They run on a platform of complete failure.
They will lose BIG in November.
I still smell the sulfer.
Hope we put up a better candidate against Reid than Sharron Angle. She organized a tax-payer funded trip to Mexico for legislators to study a crazy, scientology-based prison program. The RJ even reported on it!
Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nFp1O9Xv...
Sharron is not the kind of "conservative" we need.