Rep. Mark Amodei responds to caucus date shakeup: ‘I’m not going to Florida’

By Karoun Demirjian

Monday, Oct. 10, 2011 | 12:04 p.m.

Mark Amodei no longer holds the reins in the Nevada GOP. But he still speaks with some of the authority of his former position when he says he doesn’t like the way this caucus is shaping up.

Nevada Republicans move their presidential caucuses to Jan. 14 after Florida advanced its primary to Jan. 31 even though it will incur penalties -- the loss of half its delegates -- for doing so.

“When I was the state party chair I always thought the most important thing is that Nevada be first in the West, and that we be able to attract presidential candidates coming to the West,” Amodei said. “I don’t want to tread on (current Nevada GOP chairwoman) Amy (Tarkanian) or anybody else, but...there’s nobody in the West trying to knock us out of first in the West.”

Four years ago, the Nevada GOP faced a similar situation when Florida advanced its primaries to Jan. 29, 2008: Democrats and Republicans in both Nevada and South Carolina responded by moving their dates, going together on Jan. 19.

The whole experience left a bad taste in Amodei’s mouth.

“All I will tell you is this: Florida has threatened from way back,” he said. “I am disappointed to see other states thinking about moving because that potentially cuts all of the delegations.”

And if Florida is going to flout the Republican National Committee rules that bind other states, maybe it’s time for other states to flout Florida.

“I’m not going to Florida,” Amodei said, referring to next summer’s Republican convention. “The convention’s in Tampa. The host state is like the rogue? Everybody come to Tampa and celebrate the elephant team? I mean these guys have basically said 'we’re not dressing in the same locker room as the rest of them' -- that’s awful.”