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February 12, 2012

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Nevada Democrats’ desperate tactic

By Jon Ralston (contact)

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010 | 2 a.m.

State Democrats have long lamented their gubernatorial contender’s last name, which has wounded him (perhaps fatally) and surely will be used in GOP media starring their U.S. Senate candidate.

So now they are doing what any righteous political organization would if such shameful guilt-by-association tactics were used by the opposition: They are doing it, too.

Faced with an overwhelming deficit in the governor’s race and close contests for U.S. Senate and Congress, the Democrats are employing one of the few tools they have to try to score political points: A GOP triumvirate that has slightly less potency than Obama-Reid-Pelosi, but may have marginal utility.

Angle-Ensign-Gibbons, a three-headed albatross with a combined disapproval rating in triple digits, has become quite useful to Democrats. Or so they think.

The GOP brand here is more like a branding iron with a searing impact that, theoretically at least, could leave a mark because of the travesties of Gibbonsworld, the ongoing sordid saga of Ensign’s web of conspiracies and cover-ups and the rising negatives of Angle thanks to Reid the Elder’s campaign.

The ironies abound, which is ironic in itself because Harry Reid certainly didn’t want Rory Reid on the ballot, and the sins of the father have all but killed the son. Whether Rory should have run this year — as I have said we’d have to exhume Freud to figure out that dynamic — Harry’s “hold your nose and vote for me” campaign may have been the proverbial final nail in his son’s campaign coffin.

One Reid? Maybe. Two Reids? Anyone take the temperature in hell lately?

But if the electorate’s guilt-by-association and dynasty aversion make Reid the Younger’s candidacy stillborn, the Democrats have been actively using the technique to try to save Reid the Elder, pump up Reid the Younger and keep Rep. Dina Titus competitive in a nationally watched race.

Here’s what they are up to:

• U.S. Senate: Angle’s negatives are so high now that she is being used in other campaigns. But the Democrats also delight in linking her to Sen. John Ensign, who has obliged by calling ex-Rep. Barbara Vucanovich and urging her to endorse Angle and this week telling conservative talker Alan Stock that his potential colleague is wrong about those calls Reid made to banks to try to save CityCenter.

I’m not sure whose negatives are higher these days — Angle’s or Ensign’s. The senator is still relatively popular with the base, though, so barring any indictment or ethics panel hearing between now and Nov. 2, maybe the Democrats actually are helping Angle with the GOP faithful.

• Governor: Reid the Younger has been attaching Gov. Jim Gibbons to Sandoval from Day One, suggesting he simply dresses better but is the same empty suit. Perhaps nicer, too, but still weak, Rory might say.

But there is one slight problem with the Democrats’ guilt-by-association technique here: Sandoval left the federal bench, where Rory’s dad placed him to be out of his political way (but, apparently, not out of Rory’s), to try to knock out Gibbons.

Rory tried another Angle during Sunday’s debate, tying the Senate nominee to Sandoval in his opening statement. Sandoval has said he supports Angle, but he has never said he backs her position to abolish the federal Education Department, and he wanted no part of any Angle questions in the post-debate Q and A.

The poll numbers say none of this is having much impact, as Sandoval is crushing Reid the Younger. And during what is shaping up as a Republican year across the country, it may be Sisyphean to try this tactic against a candidate such as Sandoval.

• Congressional District 3: Titus could well be seen as a slight underdog to Joe Heck in her swing district, having been pulled across the finish line in 2008 by the Obama wave. It’s clear she and her allies think they have to tarnish him by morphing him into Angle at every opportunity, especially on the issue of Social Security.

Heck’s position on Social Security is for voluntary withdrawals. That may be unworkable — if people pull out, how does the fund stay solvent? — but it’s not what Angle has proposed, despite AFSCME ads to the contrary.

So will any of this guilt-by-association nonsense work?

Although it’s clear Rory didn’t help Harry, and Harry may kill Rory, the Democratic tactics are unlikely to yield anything of that magnitude. They do display desperation as they try to save candidates who don’t have much to run on by invoking questionable linkages.

But my guess is the Democrats don’t associate any guilt at all with what they are doing.

Discussion: 2 comments so far…

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  1. By ColinFromLasVegas
    Sept. 1, 2010
    6:12 a.m.
    Flag

    Enjoyed the article, Jon.

    But I don't think the Democratic Party in Nevada needs to play Republican stupid games.

    The Republicans, along with their mindless Tea Party infestation, all seem to paint it like nefarious villains in a comic book or something. It's always "the triumvirate of impending doom and destruction, the unholy coupling of Obama/Reid/Pelosi, that dastardly cabal of evilness," or something really stupid like that. As if painting it in those terms of untrue vague generalities, without going into any specifics why, is going to get them somewhere.

    The simple fact of the matter is the Democrats just need to keep their heads up and continue doing what's right. And let the Republicans do their continual idle talk transparency.

    For example, the latest one that is apparent was just yesterday. President Obama had a press conference where he proudly proclaimed, for all America, that combat operations have ceased in Iraq.

    As a retired Navy veteran, it is always great news to hear American military pulled out of harm's way.

    But, yesterday, I was perplexed by Republican politicians' reaction to this. Every one of them idiots all proclaimed their new talking point... That President Obama gave no credit to the previous President. They seemed to have no interest in America and the welfare of the troops. ONLY party politics and their incompetent past President. Disgusting.

    If you ask me, the Republicans are grasping at straws. They may win fights here and there, but they won't win the war. It's all getting incredibly dumb when all you hear is Republicans will take over and their planned strategy is to continue to try to destroy President Obama and his entire administration. They have made it very clear that if by some chance, they end up in the majority in the House and the Senate, they intend to only vote no, obstruct, subpoena and repeal. In other words, they only wish to continue to throw monkey wrenches in the gears. Especially now when we need government to govern and lead and continue to fix the economy and put people to work.

  2. By mred
    Sept. 1, 2010
    11:58 a.m.
    Flag

    "the end justifies the means, you can't make omelettes unless you break a few salmonella laced Republican produced Iowa eggs, and fifty-two forty or fight, dam the torpedoes and full speed ahead..." Go Sorros, go Acorn, go SEIU,

    How come the "Chicken Lady" has not endorsed Angle? How come the NRA hasn't endorsed Angle? How come Angle is trailing Reid?

    Guess Dick Morris will have save the day. Maybe Glen Buck will hold a prayer vigil and cry a little to save Angle?

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