Columns by Jon Ralston

What Nevada's leaders are thankful for: Sunday, November 29, 2009; COMMENTARY:; By Jon Ralston; So what were Nevada’s prominent pols giving thanks for Thursday? Here are educated guesses about what they (and a few others) were thinking in their tryptophan-induced hazes.

What might result from a national airing of Ensign’s dirty laundry: Sunday, November 22, 2009; COMMENTARY:; By Jon Ralston; Mark down 8:35 p.m. PT Monday: That’s when the plug will be pulled on John Ensign’s grand delusion, the moment, as the Wachowski brothers might appreciate, that the Matrix is revealed and the grotesque reality becomes unavoidable.

Why having 10 candidates doesn’t help GOP: Friday, November 20, 2009; By Jon Ralston; There was this moment during the first forum of the 2010 U.S. Senate race Thursday that encapsulates the Republican Party’s problem and could undermine its unprecedented opportunity to excise the Senate majority leader from the D.C. landscape:

Ralston awaits political theater of Gibbons’ Last Gasp: Wednesday, November 18, 2009; By Jon Ralston; Take this prediction to the bank: The next session of the Nevada Legislature will not commence as scheduled on Feb. 7, 2011, but sometime next year, perhaps as early as January.

Running the state revenue structure meeting through a truth filter: Sunday, November 15, 2009; COMMENTARY:; By Jon Ralston; If only someone spiked the java with truth serum before Thursday’s meeting of the Subcommittee to Conduct a Review of Nevada’s Revenue Structure, which will appoint members of the Nevada Vision Stakeholder Group (what’s in a name?).

More evidence of a broken tax system: Friday, November 13, 2009; By Jon Ralston; The Pew report, though thorough and insightful, breaks no new ground for those familiar with Nevada’s financial cataclysm.

Weighing whether Gibbons will seek reelection: Wednesday, November 11, 2009; By Jon Ralston; As Year Three of the painfully memorable Gibbons governorship comes to a close, the most asked questions about his future are: Can he win, and will he run?

Jon Ralston laments the campaign spin from members of both major parties: Sunday, November 8, 2009; By Jon Ralston; There is a distinction between stupidity and ignorance.

Nevada’s bizarro political world: Friday, November 6, 2009; By Jon Ralston; Some end-of-the-week musings from your favorite pundit:

GOP in disarray won’t assure Dems an easy ride here in 2010: Wednesday, November 4, 2009; By Jon Ralston; By now, the instant post-mortems on Election 2009 results will have been written, either overstating (most likely) or understating their significance for Campaign 2010.

Why it’s too early to be ’10 election know-it-alls: Sunday, November 1, 2009; COMMENTARY:; By Jon Ralston; One year before the 2008 election, GOP Rep. Jon Porter seemed like a good bet for reelection. Stories written at the time focused on Porter’s untested opponent, Robert Daskas, who was well behind in fundraising and not ready for prime time. One year later Porter was out of office, but not because of Daskas.

Ralston can see where local right-wing radio is heading: Friday, October 30, 2009; By Jon Ralston; Just another day on talk radio:

The fake outrage is just getting started in Senate race: Wednesday, October 28, 2009; By Jon Ralston; In the classic film about law school, “The Paper Chase,” there is this priceless moment when the incomparable John Houseman, playing the professor, holds up a coin and offers it to the beleaguered student played by Timothy Bottoms.

How abortion could creep into next year’s governor’s race: Sunday, October 25, 2009; JON RALSTON:; By Jon Ralston; I suppose my belief that the abortion question was settled in Nevada was naive. That issue will never be put to rest because too many groups want to see Roe v. Wade overturned, employ it as a litmus test for political support or insist on unlimited access to abortion. And, perhaps most of all, because too many candidates find it useful to brandish it as a weapon to taint opponents.

The pros and cons of giving every candidate his chance to speak: Friday, October 23, 2009; By Jon Ralston; Just because you announce your candidacy for a serious office doesn’t mean you should be taken seriously.