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Mark Mondi takes a photo of his son John, 14, on the CNN debate stage in the Sands Expo Center on Monday, Oct. 17, 2011. CNN will host Republican presidential candidates in a televised debate at the Sands Expo today.
By Karoun Demirjian (contact) 
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011 | 2 a.m.
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For months, Nevada Republicans have giddily anticipated how today’s nationally televised presidential debate and subsequent Western leadership conference would draw the eyes of the nation to the state and establish its first-in-the-West caucuses as a key contest for GOP contenders.
Instead, most candidates spent the past week pledging to boycott Nevada’s Jan. 14 caucuses over a dispute the state is having with New Hampshire related to its primary date.
It’s an awkward introduction for a week that was meant to feature Las Vegas at the center of the political moment. And, in fact, most of the candidates appear to be here more for the national lights, regional platform and deep party pockets than an opportunity to get to know or solidify their appeal with the everyday people of Las Vegas.
Were this Iowa, every candidate would be jockeying for the best-positioned bale of hay and the most impressive looking stick of deep-fried butter. Were it New Hampshire, candidates would doubtless be dropping into VFW halls and country stores, shaking hands and kissing babies.
But Mitt Romney and Ron Paul, who placed first and second in the Nevada caucuses four years ago, were the only candidates to hold public rallies by the eve of the debate (which will be aired at 5 p.m. on CNN).
“Most of the candidates, they’re going to use us as a great backdrop ... but you start looking at their plans, and there isn’t really much in there for Nevada,” UNLV politics professor David Damore said. “My fear is that we get sort of taken as a prop.”
It’s hard to escape the feeling that Nevada is campaigning for the attention of these candidates as much as the candidates are campaigning for votes.
Nevada, of course, doesn’t have a lot of delegates — the state was to send about 28 to the national convention, but moving its caucus ahead of the Republican National Committee’s schedule cost it half.
Still, some say that as a swing state, it has a lot to offer as an indicator. “How Nevada goes could have a lot to say about who the next president of the United States is,” former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty told a crowd of Romney supporters Monday in Las Vegas. He was pandering to a crowd, but that’s exactly what Nevadans have wanted to hear.
Nevada got its first chance at national spotlight during the 2008 caucuses, but turnout was so low, and the vote for Romney so decisive, that it began the 2012 cycle as the forgotten cousin of the early primary states. In fact, Las Vegas has been used less as a campaign stop than as a symbol of the blighted economy that President Barack Obama’s policies haven’t fixed.
But some see that changing, starting this week.
“I think eyes are turning toward Nevada,” former Gov. Bob List said. “Having the site of the debate in Las Vegas in itself is a big deal. I think they’re depending on this debate as a significant milestone in the Nevada campaign.”
Republican political consultant Robert Uithoven said, “Following the debate, there will be a new focus, a more energized focus, on Nevada; the real contenders here are out campaigning, and I think that’s important.”
But, Uithoven added, people need to remember this process is new here. “People need to keep in mind that ... New Hampshire has been doing this for decades. Iowa’s been doing it for decades. For our second time through, I actually think Nevada’s doing a pretty good job.”
The debate itself could prove to be the best forum for candidates to drive a local message home. CNN has billed this debate as an event in the West, for the West, filling the audience with attendees from 16 noncoastal Western states, and promising to address the issues that matter to that constituency.
Immigration is bound to come up, as is the economy. And few GOP presidential candidates have yet had to speak directly about their foreclosure policy.
Uithoven said he hopes there will be Nevada-specific questions so the candidates can demonstrate their understanding of the situation here. But it may be too early in Nevada’s development as an early caucus state to expect the candidates to do much more.
“No one knows how to campaign in Nevada,” Damore said. “There’s no iconic places like there are in the early primary states. In Las Vegas, where are they going to find Republicans? It’s much more worthwhile to raise money than campaign at this point.”
Greed is what destroyed the US in the great depression and greed is again destroying the US with the great re-depression.
The greedy, rich, repugnicans and their greedy chronies should leave Nevada. They created this property and unemployment mess with their greed and greedy friends.
They have all the money and that is why we have nothing.
Bob,
I assume that you are aware you are entirely incorrect in stating that all the money belongs to Republicans.
Purgatory
Comment removed by moderator. Refers to removed comment.
Comment removed by moderator. Refers to removed comment.
Until they take the money out of politics...it will remain corrupt.
No more million dollar fundraisers
No more corporate money
No more PAC money
Ross Perot was right. The money is a huge corrupter whether they realize it or not.
All these politicians on both sides are not working for the people...they are working for the campaign dollar.
The Republican Party better start taking themselves real serious if they intend to make a race out of it. It is amazing how the Republican Party has so much on its side and is letting it slip. Obama can be re-elected, and probably will and our Country will be in for four more years of economic misery, and our City will continue to loose its tourism industry.
I welcome the Fox News Nine, and look forward to an hour of more republican comedy. Who well be in the lead tomorow? I think it's Michael OBachmans turn. getmoneyout.com
Nevada is just a prop for this debate. All the debate is really, is a TV production set that they move around the country.
It's a type of farcical performance art, unless you consider Ron Paul's presence. He's the only one not reading of a script.
Why can't the Republicans see that Paul is their best candidate?
skerlahdee......
Ron Paul is against health care reform and he's
a doctor.
Do you need health care?
Ron Paul says that your friends and neighbors
should help out when you get sick.
This man is out of it, are you kidding?
Nevada has been a blue state since
President Obama.
The job loss and housing mess was brought to us
by republican policy.
THAT'S WHAT HURT LAS VEGAS.
We have even more Democrats in Nevada and we will
re-elect President Obama.
Teamster you are incorrect, blaming parties is fun but we have gotten to the bottom of the cause - the banks and the policies that made it all possible. Obama passed the Bailout for corporations who foreclosed on all of our homes while taking our money and running and Ron Paul voted against it. Ron Paul is protecting We, the People not corporations and his policies are detailed in doing so.
Ron Paul had a pretty great support in Nevada in 2008, believe me I was one of the one's who thought the media was correct in saying Obama would be the one to keep McCain from being elected. I was torn between Ron Paul and B.O. I will admit I made a mistake for not truly holding their voting record accountable for a good source of information, I remember vividly that B.O. never fully explained his policies and this was where I made the brutal mistake(I'm seeing it happen all over again). Ron Paul, however, details everything including keeping Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and how he will do so including reforming the broken systems.
Ron Paul warned us many years ago in fact in 2001 and again in 2002 about the housing bubble and our economy. Did anyone listen? No, they blame parties. Ron Paul is on both sides of the aisle and is with the People, he was right and everyone should have listened.
As for your farce of a nationalized health care debate, he is absolutely right. True, competitive healthcare derives from many choices not a mandate binding us to a company/government (monopoly - comes to mind). We already know Medicare/Medicaid is not top quality care because of the way the current system is and the health care act did not fix any flaws in it.
As I can see from your response, you don't have much faith in the good of humankind or humanity for that matter. I will give you some reality; churches, friends, and family do hold fundraisers for medical needs (we see it all the time). You can go to St. Rose hospitals, if you don't have money, they will pay 90% of your bills (No, you don't have to be catholic) and put you on payments for the rest. Medical bills aren't even allowed to be rated against your credit, and I guarantee Ron Paul will make sure it stays that way(if he doesn't do away with the whole bogus system all together). The credit monitoring system is the worst and meant to keep individuals down. I would much rather have my 10% or for the Self-employed (25%-32%) going to actual businesses or charities helping our community rather than the IRS sending off my money to blow away my neighbors in my name.
Nevada is not in the GOP "In Crowd"..... titled as if perhaps you guys out there don't understand this? As far as I'm concerned, anyone capable of a single rational thought wouldn't step a foot in Nevada. Right now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claims it's the public sector jobs that are hurting and that private sector jobs are just fine. He says his rewritten jobs bill is about reversing that situation. LOL... Beyond the fact that his remarks are 100% opposite of the truth, he might as well just tell the world "this is a jobs bill designed not to pass the House" ... that he's written it just to create controversy, hoping to go to the press down the road and cry that Republicans don't care about jobs. The stupidity of this man is only surpassed by the people of Nevada that continue to send him back to the legislature each election year. Nevada has the worst of the nations housing trouble as well as unemployment rate. Reid is likely the biggest liberal big spender the nation has ever had and in his very state, the results of his spending policies speak pretty loudly to me. Hope you people are happy !!!!