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Mona Shield Payne
Sen. Harry Reid shakes hands with Bob Carsten as he greets community members following his speech during the 2012 Democratic Caucus Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, at Cheyenne High School.
By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
, Conor Shine (contact)
Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 | 5:14 p.m.
Nevada Democrats nominate Obama
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KSNV coverage of Nevada Democratic caucuses, Jan. 21, 2012
Democrats in Nevada don’t have a lot to get whipped up about yet this campaign season.
There’s no Republican challenger yet to focus their ire upon. No fiery primary fight to drive crowds.
The economy is puttering along with some signs of improvement, but nothing yet to get excited about. Congress is at a standstill.
And the weather, well, Las Vegas caucusgoers had to battle the wind, while it snowed in Northern Nevada.
In short, Democrats had little reason to gather in high school gyms and lunchrooms across the state on Saturday to go through the motions of a process generally meant to select the party’s nominee.
They know their party’s nominee: President Barack Obama.
President Obama discussed the American Jobs Act and a housing plan outside Jose and Lissette Bonilla's home in Las Vegas on Oct. 24, 2011.
Still, more than 12,000 Democrats turned out statewide to cast votes for Obama.
As Bill Burton, a Sparks Democrat, put it: “Somebody’s got to do it.”
At several caucus locations, the mood matched Burton’s sentiment. Perfunctory.
At Cheyenne High School, where more than 300 Democrats gathered in the cafeteria, Robert Elliott acknowledged some in the party are dissatisfied, but he defended Obama as having done the best he could given Washington gridlock.
“It’s not like we’re thrilled with everything he’s (Obama) done, we know what things he hasn’t done,” Elliott said.
In both Reno and Las Vegas, party officials did their best to give rallying speeches, primarily targeting front-runner Mitt Romney but saving a few snide remarks for those who still could emerge as the GOP nominee.
“We learned recently that one of the candidates believes in free love,” U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., told a cheering crowd in a jab at former Speaker Newt Gingrich. He also dropped a one-liner about former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum’s sweater vests.
In Sparks, the sparse crowd of about 60 Democrats listened intently as Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, gave a rallying speech, slamming Romney as a candidate out of touch with voters’ economic suffering.
The audience did little cheering. Even at the applause lines.
Rather, they seemed content to wait until they could break into their meetings, cast their vote for Obama and put their delegates on the path to the county, state and ultimately national convention.
That’s where the real excitement will occur, some party stalwarts said.
“As momentum picks up here, as the race starts to get more competitive, as the president starts to get beat up on, it will energize them,” Smith said. “You’ll see it at the conventions. This is just the first step.”
Saturday’s caucuses were a sharp contrast with the boisterous rallies that marked the competition between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton that drove a turnout of 116,000 four years ago, or even those of 2004 that forced a bigger-than-expected crowd to move from a high school gym to the football field at Chaparrall High School to cheer on John Kerry. Fewer than 10,000 Democrats turned out that year.
But the state party demonstrated it still has a thriving nucleus of organized supporters who will form the backbone of a turnout operation that will grow when the race becomes more competitive.
It’s a nucleus that didn’t exist eight years ago.
Those who turned out Saturday echoed little of the disappointment that some other Democratic voters have been expressing as the Obama campaign seeks to energize a dispirited base.
“We need all the help we can get,” said Terry Janowitz-Fine of Sparks. “We need to get behind him and get him going. He’s done an excellent job, especially when the odds were against him.”
Marietta Lewis, a North Las Vegas Democrat, donned a hat with Obama spelled out in rhinestones.
“I love him,” she said of the president. “He’s very educated and smart. I’m sure the next four years will be better with Obama in office.”
Still, others acknowledged that Obama’s diehard supporters have work to do to generate some excitement.
“I still want to support Obama; he’s been doing a good job in an impossible situation,” said Kristin Ferguson of Las Vegas. “I don’t think, overall, there’s as much enthusiasm because of the economy. Personally, I’m still excited.”
Lots of excitement at Del Sol High School, where more than 150 supporters turned out! A few bumps in the process, but overall, a good experience!
I know Obama does a good job at demonizing Republicans. What is his plan to get jobs again ? Will he work with Congress to get our economy going ?
Even more pathetic than anticipated.
But how can one get excited about a puppet president run by Emperor Harry Reid?
Yep - pathetic. Just like our economy....
PRESIDENT OBAMA IS THE MAN!!!
President Obama is fixing the HUGE MESS that
greedy, heartless republican idiots ceated.
Crazy republican fools have no business in the
White House.
FOUR MORE YEARS FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!
@drw - the question you ask should be posed to the Republicans in Congress who have obstructed President Obama's every attempt at job creation.
uhave2laff: You're right, a decision like Obama made about the Keystone Pipeline was all Republican Congress's fault. Personnally I don't think its very funny. And Teamster how are the union jobs the pipeline would have created going for you?
<<And the weather, well, Las Vegas caucusgoers had to battle the wind, while it snowed in Northern Nevada>>
Oh my, Oh my -- battling the wind and snow.
It seems to me that the comments from the Republicans are....well, old. Guess they haven't been keeping up with anything in the news lately such as jobs, unemployment, the economy, etc.
chuck333: Obama himself said he could not pass the legislation about the Keystone Pipeline at this time, not UNTIL more research was done on it. Listen once in awhile. You in Nevada, if you actually live in Nevada, forget the bru-haha about Yucca Mountain. Most of the country was for it, ie transporting nuclear waste from all over the country to Yucca, EXCEPT for those States the route would take to Nevada, including of course Nevada itself. I think you would feel differently if this pipeline was going to be going thru "your neighborhood" without the benefit of the pros and cons of such an endeavor.