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President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney
Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Sun coverage
If Mitt Romney has any hope of beating President Barack Obama, Nevada is the kind of state he needs to pull into his column.
Several factors make it a ripe pickoff target: The economy has been decimated by the housing crisis; the influx of largely politically unaffiliated residents; and the Republican Party has spent big to organize. The state also has a significant Mormon population.
Yet, recent polling in the state shows Romney still neck and neck with Obama, mirroring the GOP nominee’s struggle to overtake the president nationwide.
If Romney can’t put the state away soon, he’ll have to keep devoting money and time here — the two resources he also needs for larger, higher-stakes swing states such as Virginia and Florida.
Despite all the reasons Nevada should be a winner for Romney, the state also has a large Hispanic population hostile to his anti-immigration stands, an active union political base of well-organized casino workers, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s political machine, all mobilized to help Obama.
Democrats hold the edge on voter registration in the state: 463,000 active voters versus about 407,500 for Republicans. That gap has been growing again after the GOP succeeded in trimming what was once a 100,000-voter Democratic advantage four years ago.
Nevada political columnist Jon Ralston said the Republicans’ attempt to slim the Democratic advantage in voter registration and organization has been “a joke.”
“They’re getting out-registered by the Democrats every month,” Ralston said. “They have no clue what they’re doing. Republicans are trying to erect overnight something that needs a lot of structure and needs to be built up over time.”
Both campaigns are playing hard in the state.
Romney has traveled to Nevada for 24 events over 16 days since February 2011 — including last week on the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to address the annual conference of the National Guard Association in the politically crucial Reno area.
Obama has traveled to Nevada 14 times as president, including seven times for four political events and six official events this year. He was in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
The conservative group Crossroads GPS is weighing in, as well, with a $1.4 million ad campaign, seizing on a 2010 speech during which Obama told a New Hampshire crowd that “you don’t blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college.”
The race looks nothing like a repeat of Obama’s easy win in Nevada in 2008, when he beat Sen. John McCain 55 percent to 43 percent.
Obama supporter and veteran Nevada political operative Billy Vassiliadis said Democrats have reason to be concerned “given the struggle and trauma that Nevada has been through the last five, six years with this economy.”
“We’ve got a very unsettled and very concerned electorate,” said Vassiliadis, head of Nevada’s biggest advertising firm and a member of Obama’s Nevada steering committee who often is described as one of the most powerful unelected political figures in the state. “And that is something that causes obvious concern to the presidential campaign” and that of any incumbent.
Meanwhile, Republicans focused on taking on the Reid political machine have spent the past several years building their organizational strength.
They’ve also worked to overcome a heavily fractured state Republican Party, which in the past year has suffered a nasty split between mainstream GOP forces and Ron Paul supporters. That has forced the creation of an alternative Team Nevada structure, with GOP strategists Ryan Erwin and Mike Slanker and Romney’s Nevada campaign manager, Chris Carr, taking the lead.
“It’s bigger and badder than anything we’ve put in Nevada before,” said Slanker, a top strategist to Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval and Sen. Dean Heller.
“The candidates get along, genuinely like each other, are willing to work together and help each other and understand are in many ways tied to each other,” said Erwin, who is Romney’s top Nevada strategist and an adviser to Rep. Joe Heck and other prominent Republicans in the state. “This is by far, without reservation, the most organized Republicans have been since 2004 and maybe more so than 2004.”
In polls, Obama’s lead over Romney in the state has slimmed to within the margin of error. A survey released last month by the Las Vegas Review-Journal showed Obama edging Romney 47 percent to 45 percent, the closest Romney has been since an NBC News poll in May. Another by Public Policy Polling had Obama leading by 3 points.
Still, Vassiliadis is optimistic for Democrats’ chances.
“Nevada has been fairly cyclical on who’s ruling the roost,” he said. “When is that cycle up again? I don’t know. I don’t think it’s this time.”
In seeking to retake the state, Nevada Republicans aren’t exactly trying to do the impossible.
Republicans hold the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, along with one of Nevada’s U.S. Senate seats and two of the three House seats.
The state’s unemployment rate — the highest in the nation outside of Puerto Rico — is a major problem, particularly in an industry dominated by service employees who often need to work multiple jobs. None of that sits well with a Hispanic community that came out strong for Obama four years ago and helped Reid’s 2010 re-election effort.
“I do believe that there is not the same enthusiasm that used to be four years ago for Obama,” said Otto Merida, a longtime leader in the Southern Nevada Hispanic community. He’s a Republican who voted for McCain in 2008 but supported Reid two years ago and backs Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley in her challenge to Heller.
Merida said the conventional wisdom is that Obama’s popularity in the state will help Berkley’s chances. “But I think it will be the other way around,” he said. “If I’m voting for her, people are also voting for Obama.”
Merida represents both the unpredictability of Nevada voters — who often cross party lines — and their sense of loyalty to politicians who have been there for them often for many years.
Nevada was one of only five states where voters elected a Democratic governor and U.S. senator during the Newt Gingrich-led GOP revolution of 1994. It was also the only state to elect a Republican in an open-seat Senate race during the post-Watergate 1974 election, when Paul Laxalt beat Reid by 624 votes.
Nevada’s population is also largely transient, both enabling and challenging political teams to identify a host of new voters this cycle.
All that leaves some Republicans optimistic.
“Is there a lot of work to do? Yes,” former Republican Nevada Rep. Jon Porter said in August. “I think that Republicans have plenty of time to catch up if they choose to do so.”
Porter pointed to the Strip and the valley beyond from the top floor of Mandalay Bay. “I mean, looking out over the valley, we grew a million people in 10, 15 years?” he told Politico. “A lot of untapped potential.”
Porter — who lost his re-election bid in the politically swing Las Vegas suburbs in 2008 — acknowledged that Democrats then “certainly outmaneuvered us in registration.”
Another potential challenge for Democrats is that there may not be the same number of union boots on the ground this time.
One of the state’s leading unions — representing culinary workers — has been wrapped up in contract negotiations and a fight with one of the state’s largest casino companies. That struggle is sapping attention away from helping Obama, Berkley and other Democrats.
“We can’t do political work in the way we’ve done in the past,” said Yvanna Cancela, political director of Culinary Workers Union Local 226. Four years ago, this local chapter of the Unite Here labor movement had about 100 volunteers knocking on doors and helping to register voters in Southern Nevada from Labor Day to Election Day to help Obama. It fielded about 80 volunteers to help Reid in 2010.
If the union is unable to do so again this year, “it would certainty change the field landscape compared to the previous two cycles,” Cancela said.
But other unions say they are trying to more than make up the difference.
“We’ve hit the ground running,” Danny Thompson, executive secretary-treasurer of the Nevada chapter of the AFL-CIO, said in August. Volunteers have registered more than 6,000 people statewide, according to labor officials.
Despite the favorable winds, it won’t be easy for Republicans to close the significant voter registration and organizational gap that Democrats have built here.
“We are the underdog,” Erwin said. “The truth is anybody who thinks that the Republican Party in Nevada is as organized as the Democrats doesn’t know what they’re talking about. And anybody that thinks that the Republicans aren’t more organized than we’ve been in the last decade doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”
On voter registration, “we are not where we need to be yet,” Erwin conceded at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. “But the progress is there, the movements are there. There is a legitimate energy that’s coming together.”
Democrats didn’t always have the advantage here. Nevada Democrats got thrashed in the 2002 cycle, losing nearly every significant race.
“The modern history of the Democratic Party here was launched in 2003 by Harry Reid,” Vassiliadis said. “After 2002, Reid made the decision just not to continue like this.”
Vassiliadis said Reid and other Democratic leaders did what they set out to accomplish, and then some.
Now Republicans are looking to return the favor and use what Democrats did as a model.
Once again, the next US presidential election will be fixed.
Mitt Romney will be elected even though Barack Obama
will have received more votes in the 2012 election.
The political assassination will be perpetrated by Bush hiding behind Crossroads GPS, the most influential group of Neocons.
The Neocons will have Mitt Romney elected to first use him and then let him fall easy prey. All blames and responsibilities will fall on the new Mormon president for the events already planned.
The new World War of Religion is already a done deal behind the backs of all people which will be forced to fight for their own Countries in their obligation as citizens.
Welcome the New World Order,
or else,
there is only one alternative Solution.
www.wavevolution.org
good article but:
Mormons are only 7% of vote, Asians 8% Blacks 8% etc.
Nothing on the RNC trying to have "none of these candidates" declared unconstitutional.
Romney is running against Virgil Goode, Gary Johnson, none of these candidates and OBAMA. Greens do not make ballot.
Nevada is leans Obama state, not a toss up. Hispanics are 30% of vote and there is a 30 point lead for Obama in that demographic. With Romney's comments about the worthlessness of the 47% you can but a fork in it , it is done = Obama wins Nevada.
Since the release of the scathing video of Romney insulting half the country...Romney has no chance of winning.
Quotes from Romney at a fundraiser:
"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," Romney says in one clip. "All right -- there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them. Who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing."
"My job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives"
In Romney's view if you voted for Obama you are dependent on government. If you are struggling and receiving government assistance since Bush crashed the economy...Romney has declared "My job is not to worry about those people"
This is only a couple quotes from the video loaded with inflammatory comments. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/17...
Mitt Romney: "...the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace...the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish" http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012...
Romney is beating the war drums for Israel. A vote for Romney is a vote for more war in the Middle East.
Mitt Romney is not fit to be president. He has no morals. Romney is a disaster on foreign relations. Mitt's tax give away for the rich will increase the debt by one trillion dollars. Aside from failing to pay his own taxes, he keeps money in the Caymen Islands. What kind of example is he setting? Mormons want to divide us. America deserves better.
I sincerely doubt Romney is neck in neck with Obama in Nevada.
Mitt is now thinking of switching his party. Obama talks about change but Mittens actually changes every day.
The truth...Nevada will be a Blue State after election day.
Independent voters and the majority of undecided voters, are hearing two different messages from the campaigns of Mitt Romney and President Obama. Mitt Romney campaign is based on lies, distorting the facts, and misleading statements. Mitt Romney is running a campaign of hate. We saw and heard it up front and personal on the Video released by David Corn of Mother Jones on Monday 09/17/12. Mitt Romney is running a campaign of hate and racial divide.
Rep. Peter King from New York told CNN's Soledad O'Brien, "I don't care what the Fact Checkers say." These are the Words from the mouth of a US Congressman on a national cable news network, seen by millions of Americans. Peter King said it, he said it with a hateful look and aggressive tone reinforcing his statement with several hard hand gestures.
My friends, Peter King had hate in his words and his actions! Where did that come from? Who has that much hate in their heart to let themselves go in front of millions. As American, we can see what is truly needed!! We need a new congress!!! The Peter King's are exactly why America is deeply divided!! Hate is the message of the Republican Party. Hate! Even at the cost of their individual integrity. Hate is the message we hear from elected US officials.
We need a NEW Congress. The words and actions by Rep. Peter King on CNN is endemic in congress, the Senate and the House. This is not what America is about. We need to vote our the extreme officials in our government.
Lies, Distortions, misleading statements, ignoring the facts, and just plain ugly hate, has no place in American! Apparently, all of these are thriving in the extreme right of the Republican Party and in Republican lead House of Representatives. Just listen to Peter King!!! This is not what American is about. We hope Peter King's actions and words are not representative of the voters in his district!!!
Our poorly educated population makes some of our voters vulnerable to Republicans dog whistle politics. However, while poorly educated, our population in Clark and Washoe counties is street savvy. They know a fraud when they see one, and for that reason alone, they will reject Mitt Romney at the polls. Once the elderly realize that Romney puts them in the 47% who are "looking for government handouts", GAME OVER!
Bill_Gordon Sept. 18, 2012 7:08 a.m.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012......
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More information will be released today. Thank you for your comments
Was It the Day Mitt Romney Lost the Election? Round Up of Reaction to 47% Mittmockle
http://www.politicususa.com/day-mitt-rom...
A Desperate Romney Puts Out Late Night Statement Confirming He Hates the 47%
http://www.politicususa.com/romney-repon...
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
"The modern history of the Democratic Party here was launched in 2003 by Harry Reid,".... This is the Democrat Loyalist Party Chameleons masquerading as your mom and pop's Democrat party of yesterday. What's wrong with the truth for once, inflammatory or not?
Yep this story is so much bird liner at this point.
Romney imploded for good yesterday.
Even a Bankster manufactured Stock Market crash now won't change the Romney into electable.
OBAMA HAS KILLED NEVADS ECONOMY W/ RECORD UNEMPLOYED & HOME FORECLOSURES. Obama promised lower unemployment but raised it .Obama promised to cut the deficit in half but added 6 trillion to it...
Obama not only destroys foreign relations but economies also.
Obama cant be trusted.
CLICK HERE FOR PROOF OF OBAMAS DESTRUCTION TO NEVADA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5fSd5ghM...
Yawn...
Another regurgitation of the same, very old stuff that too easily forgets that the largest voting bloc in the state is the unpredictable 180,000 strong nonpartisans.
Make that the unpredictable, restless, and mad-as-hell nonpartisans who don't want more of the same.
What's wrong with the truth for once, inflammatory or not? 47% is a little low, Romney is a 1%er, look at the economic mess Obama inherits if he gets reelected, Caribou Barbie is a 99%er and more trustworthy than Romney and Obama, Caribou Barbie will drink beer and eat pork, Caribou Barbie didn't register for selective service either, it's all about "Green Energy", "let the housing market hit bottom", "Drill Baby Drill"
Mitt sure knows how to alienate half the population. Why on earth would he think that was a good thing to say 7 weeks from the election.
As I've said time and again I don't see Romney winning under any circumstance. The Republican party will have to be remade after this election. If they try and put Paul Ryan up in 2016 they will not only lose but get destroyed.
The republican party is going to have to change the mindset. In the 1950's there was an expectation that if you went to college, worked hard you would be rewarded with a nice job, decent benefits, maybe a defined pension and certainly some kind of health care benefits. The erosion of that idea "the American Dream" is not because people want hand outs, not because people want government help...it's because they have run out of options and need help. When the republican party begins to understand the "whys" and not just blame it on those seeking handouts, then they will begin to understand the solutions. Until then the republicans winning the Presidency is unlikely.
I predict a lot of angry people here on election day blasting a "stupid population" even though those same people elected GWB twice. You can't have it both ways. Either the population is stupid because they opted for Obama or they are stupid because they opted for Bush.
Might be a fierce fight but how can we tell? The endless repeats of the same sorry tv commercials are tuning us all out. We just mute the sound as with many other commercials--vehicles, cosmetics, medications, hair color. I doubt that things will improve when they get the sound level fixed so that the ads are the same or quieter than the regular broadcast volume. The media might try advising the campaigns to do something else--cause they are going to lose the ad revenue when election turnout is so sorry.
For 30 years Republicans preached the virtue of low taxes. Now, if your earning are low enough that you owe no taxes, you're a mooch. How do you like them apples?
Obamacare may be the largest tax increase in American history, fact checkers say it ain't so, second or third maybe. Bill Ayers, "just some guy in the neighborhood".
Comment removed by moderator. Personal Attack
Look what the Romney campaign and the RNC did to the Nevada state republican party? Cutting them off and replacing them with "Team Nevada" tilted our state to blue..
Mitt's released 1040 says he earned about 200 bucks but got a refund well over a million. Thank goodness he is isn't a moocher.
Clint was right. Obama & the Dems have failed -- their policies don't work and won't work. They totally scr**ed us on the economy and jobs, and are about to get us sucked into another mideast conflict cause they don't know what they're doing when it comes to jihadism v Islam or China. Mitt may be something of an arrogant SOB, but at least he knows how to make things work and won't backdoor the Constitution if he can't get his way. And he'll be much more successful about working across the aisle on immigration reform, trade, or foreign policy than Obama will ever be.
Looks like Mother Jones pulled off a political pincer movement with few equals.
The Pincer:
"A double envelopment by definition leads to the attacking army facing the enemy in front, on both flanks, and in the rear. If the attacking pincers link up in the enemy's rear, the enemy is encircled."
"Such battles often end in surrender or destruction of the enemy force". Breakouts are rarely successful.
I propose this YouTube video be the new Romney/Ryan campaign focus.....
Called "Save The Rich" by the comedy act Garfunkel & Oates.
Enjoy....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M8fOwHnw...
There are a lot of people out there who made their way, worked, received a paycheck that were laid off or fired and in order to get by applied for unemployment insurance. Technically they are relying on government support. Is Mitt saying he will never get their vote? If this is his criteria for never getting their vote....he will never win this election.
Win Nevada Mitt Romney