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Wednesday, June 13, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Now that the primary nonsense has passed, it’s time to get to the main event.
I speak, of course, of the Nevada Senate race between Sen. Dean Heller and Rep. Shelley Berkley, which promises to be as exciting and intense, in very different ways, as last cycle’s Harry Reid-Sharron Angle imbroglio. Oh, and it also could determine control of the U.S. Senate.
Thanks to some serendipitous polling released this week — PPP has the race as a dead heat (44-43, Heller) — and some dynamics crystallizing, I think we can be fairly sure of a few things in what could be a much closer contest than Reid-Angle. (The poll can be found at here.) It’s always dangerous to try to deconstruct a potentially fluid and possibly mercurial contest, but I’ve always been a risk-taker, so here are a half-dozen factors to watch during the next five months:
• Atmospherics: There are a lot of blustery storm fronts coalescing in Nevada this cycle that could blow the Senate race one way or another. The presidential contest is the most obvious, with Nevada’s battleground state status ensuring that millions of dollars will be spent here to try to influence voters. The Reid/Democratic Party machine is still whirring, although we will see if it has the same ferocity it did for the majority leader two years ago, while the state Republican Party is more a venue for stand-up comedy and more fit for Branson than Las Vegas Boulevard South. But the shadow GOP should do just fine, and one thing to remember is Heller has had from Day One a team of successful Nevada-experienced advisers, including Pete Ernaut and Mike Slanker, who know what to do to win statewide races. The Heller campaign is not the Angle campaign — and Heller also will have Nevada’s surrogate-in-chief, Gov. Brian Sandoval, who can help him. (I wonder, though, if Gov. Sunny will ever rain on Berkley.) Heller also is not Angle. But Berkley is not Reid — she is far better at retail politics and less likely to make a gaffe, although, ironically, she is being cloistered much as Angle was in 2010. Finally, Meddler-in-Chief Reid will do what he does, but he has not always meddled effectively.
• Washoe: Berkley will win Clark by a sizable margin (how big could matter) and get destroyed in the rurals (the level of destruction could matter). So how she performs in Reno and environs could determine the contest. She seems to be getting up there more and is running ads there, too, pounding Heller for some distant flirtation as a stockbroker. But those folks do not like Vegas people, and Berkley is very Vegas. So she will need to make a sale up there — she doesn’t have to win Washoe, as Reid did, but she can’t lose by too much.
• Hispanics: PPP says Heller is only down 9 points with Latinos, which the poll projects will represent 12 percent of the electorate. If those two figures are true on Election Day, Berkley will almost certainly lose. She needs Hispanics to be at least the 15 percent of voters they were in the last two cycles and she must win Latinos by 20 points — maybe 30. The Republicans have discovered that the Hispanic vote is important — RNC outreach, Heller softening rhetoric, a conservative Latino group suddenly sprouting. I find it hard to believe that will do much good. But if it does enough to keep Heller’s loss under 20 points — much less to 9 — he is in the game.
• Indies: PPP found that Heller is up 7 percentage points (45-38) with independents — my guess is his team believes the senator is solidly up double digits with indies.) Nonpartisans make up 16 percent of the Nevada electorate and are critical to statewide races in Nevada these days. Independent voters in Nevada traditionally have been more conservative, so you would think Berkley would try more for a revving-up-the-base strategy. But because Democrats have lost so much of their partisan edge in registration, she will need to do well with indies.
• Ethics: This is the race’s wild card. Early next month, the House Ethics Committee is scheduled to decide whether to go forward to investigate Berkley on allegations she used her position to advocate on medical issues that helped her doctor husband’s practice. Her team insists they can win even if the panel proceeds. But even if it’s gone, Heller’s folks will still use the issue. And if it’s not, the ethics cloud will darken, if not destroy, Berkley’s chances.
Two years ago, the general election season began with a bang as Reid began airing spots within days of the primary, drowning Angle before she could get her sea legs. I can’t wait to see what is about to happen as Heller and Berkley pivot to the general election.
Enjoyed the breakdown on this Senate race, Jon. But you forgot a few factors.
First is...women. Disagree with me all you want, but one thing that's a fact is that the women voters out here are fired up. They notice this World War Women thing going on. And it clearly originated and was declared ONLY by the Tea/Republican Party side of the aisle. It has been nothing but an all out assault. Maybe not noticed much in Nevada itself, but it has been noticed.
One thing I know, and learned early on in my life, you don't ever make women mad for no reason at all. They may not remember alot of things all the time, but they damn sure don't forget.
You'll be in a restaurant ordering and she'll bring up something that pee'd her off like two years before.
Women are just about 52 percent of the voters out here. And I hate to say it, but this Senate race pits a woman (Democrat) against a man (Tea/Republican). Sounds like I have over-simplified it, but I don't think I have. The Tea/Republicans started this war. But they are not going to win it in Nevada with this Senate Seat.
Second, perhaps the voters have amnesia, but I doubt it. The person the Tea/Republicans have in power was appointed. Not elected. Not even popular. APPOINTED.
And he replaced a Senator who left in total disgrace. And who, in my honest opinion, should have been prosecuted. He dodged a bullet.
The voters out here remember that Ensign debacle. And it leaves a sour taste in our mouths.
Of course, Heller is not to blame, but he damn sure is going to feel the voter anger on election day.
Again, enjoyed the article.
There are a lot of folks, myself included, who have some very deep rooted concerns about the Republican representatives being ever so willing, given the opportunity, to OPEN up the Yucca Mountain High Level Radioactive Waste Respository in taking the nation's most poisonous radioactive garbage. It appears that the Democrats have made more concerted efforts towards closing the YMP to high level radioactive waste more than the Republicans. This issue alone, can be the real game changer for many voters here in Nevada.
Healthcare is a very BIG DEAL with women, because of their own need to keep up on it, and because of children. Our American healthcare system needs to be 1-affordable, and 2-compassionate (no pre-existing conditions clauses). Clearly, the Democrats have attempted to address healthcare,only to be met with political gridlock, due to career politicians who listen to BIG PHARMA and special interests, the voices of the People get drowned out. The disparity between the haves and have nots has widened over the years, instead of narrowing down.
Blessings and Peace,
Star
Pretty fair synthesis of things as they are.
However, it seems to come down to this: Will the voters allow one person - who seems to fade in and out of reality - to control every office in this state or do we try to keep some sort of checks and balances on the power vested in just one person?
The voters granted Obama and Reid the chance to fix the economy and they have failed. There's also a total failure from both of them to do something about the foreclosure crisis and total failure there, too. In fact, they have failed on about an issue that can be named except bailing out Big Banks, Big Insurance, and any other Big Industry imaginable.
We little people are ignored except during the election cycle.
So I can see little reason to elect another Reid pawn so he can show up every day just to continue his grudge match against Mitch McConnell.
Our form of government works best with checks and balances - NOT when one person has unlimited power that they use foolishly.
Seriously not a single point made about policy.
One would hope that at some point Jon would introduce a discussion on spending, taxing, debt, Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, EPA rules,
The Obama Reid elitist (we know better then you) re-election approach is to condescending vilify, intimidate, excoriate, bash and denigrate conservatives.
Obama and Berkley are not running on their record so all their ads are bad faith ressentiment character assassination and vilification - right out of the Sal Alinsky play book (5. "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.")
Obama's campaign which has a stated intention to "KILL" Romney; and Democrats are divisive and lies by omission.
Obama and Biden have stated that Romney and all conservatives are the ENEMY.
Just as in the presidential contest, both candidates are going to have to explain their records and make the case for the policies they would support -- and the focus will be on the economy, whether they want it to be or not. Current double digit unemployment here in Nevada and rumblings of further economic bad news (Europe, California, debt, unemployment numbers) do not portend good things for Berkely or Obama.
Shelly can't buy my vote
Beat her Senator Heller
It looks like this race could be decided by how the president does in Nevada. Heller is no Angle but he still would be a disaster in the United States Senate. He has already voted twice for the Paul Ryan Republican budget plan which would end Medicare as it exists today. That alone should defeat Dean Heller.
John... This is amazing stuff.... Same bare-knuckles matches, just different names.
Two questions arise out of this malaise for us that don't live in your valley but not far (SoCal) ...
1) Has there ever, in the history of Nevada politics, been an honest race run or had honest candidates participating ?
2) I was flabbergasted last week with a short that was aired about your EX Senator, Mr. 'C' Street and full-time, proven crook, John Ensign... Excuse me, Dr. Ensign.... The Vet ? WHAT?
WHY ISN'T HE IN JAIL?