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The delegates awarded in today's Democratic caucus will be binding. Not so for the Republican caucus, which partially explains why most leading candidates focused on South Carolina.
To appease the national Republican Party who didn't support the early caucus, state leaders decided the delegates awarded to the winner would be non-binding.
But Mitt Romney, who decisively crushed the field Saturday, told me on Thursday night he anticipated the winner would get the 34 delegates.
"My expectation is the person who you vote for is the person who gets it," he said in a brief interview in an SUV on Thursday.
Nevada's Republican contest predictably trailed South Carolina's in attention. South Carolina is a traditional early contest -- unlike Nevada -- and its delegates are binding.
But Nevada Sen. John Ensign wasn't complaining.
"We weren't the only focus today," Ensign told me at a Republican party at Las Vegas Academy. "That's OK. At least we were a focus."
Congrats to McCain, and good for Huckabee for keeping it close. This probably wraps things up for Thompson, but it was a good fight and I respect the man.
Mitt Romney, meanwhile, runs away with the most delegates for the day, and ironically, the most news attention and perhaps momentum!
One last congrats to Ron Paul for beating out McCain for second place in Nevada! Welcome to the race!
Brian, of COURSE Romney said that to you. So what? Are you that naive? He's HOPING (beyond hope) that one or more of the other candidates are going to drop out. Well, I'll tell you, THEY WONT. Romney will not get 34 delegate. Rommney will not get 17 delegates. Romney MIGHT EEK out 10 delegates if he is lucky. As I described to you before he did not win delegates in the proportion he did to his vote. Not even close. Unless they are down at GOP HQ right now 5am furiously filling out delegate forms, it's done. Mitt maybe got 10 national delegates. Maybe. You know who I am and how to reach me when you are ready to write an objective article.
The Reoublican caucus was a disorganized mess. Democrats received information in the mail of where to be and when. Not the Repubs. I went online twice and both times was directed to different locations. On caucus day none of the volunteers knew what to do. Frustrated Republicans wandered all over the high school site looking for the room they were supposed to be in. When I finally found mine, I opened the door and immediately knew I was in the wrong camp. The room was full of young mothers and their infants. Welcome to the temple. Of course the majority of votes were for Romney. The precinct leader read from a blue paper of instructions and couldn't tell us what a delegate is or what is expected. The dialogue was racist and ignorant. Since when is it ok to bash a hard working group of people that come here to provide for their families and call it "border security." The Mormon turn out skewed the vote in Nevada for Romney. His chances elsewhere aren't nearly as good.
The Republican party I signed up for when I was 18 years old isn't the same now. I am embarrassed to be a Republican and will change parties this week. I will be a proud Democrat and will work to put a Dem in the White House and change the makeup of our State Senate.