J. Patrick Coolican

Columnist

J. Patrick Coolican was born in Connecticut to a large, Irish Catholic family and then studied dead white male authors at the University of Notre Dame. He started his career during the 2000 presidential campaign, writing for a Web site he created with two friends. He's written for The Seattle Times, The Nation, LA Weekly and, since early 2006, for the Sun.

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Palin fever brings out campaign volunteers: Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008; With the pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as Republican nominee for vice president, Arizona Sen. John McCain has helped erase some of the Republican enthusiasm gap in Nevada.
Wall Street runs through Las Vegas, campaigns: On the stump: Obama moves to pin turmoil on McCain, Republicans; Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008; Sen. Barack Obama appeared at Cashman Field on Wednesday, but a more appropriate spot might have been four miles down the road on the lonely grounds of Echelon. That partially finished multibillion-dollar Strip resort, paralyzed because the money is gone, has become a symbol of Wall Street’s far-reaching impact on Las Vegas.
But what they meant to say was ...: Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008; You ever get so angry, so sputtering mad, that you say the opposite of what you meant to say?
Candidate untried but intrepid: Shirley Breeden responded to Democratic Party’s overtures to run against Joe Heck; Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008; Political candidates have often had an “ah-ha” moment — a moment of outrage or insight — that prompted them to run for election.
It’s not the issues that likely make up many minds: Experts say uninformed voters have power; Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008; The question is as maddening as it is quadrennial: How do the amoeba middle, the undecided, the independent, the low-information voters make up their minds?
Anti-Heck ads mislead voters: Mailers accuse Republican of opposing cervical cancer screening coverage; Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008; Nevada Democrats have spent tens of thousands of dollars on a series of attack mail pieces aimed at state Sen. Joe Heck, intensifying a battle to control the upper chamber of the Legislature currently held by Republicans.
Attacks on media may fail: Staple GOP tactic fires up base now, may not sway others; Friday, Sept. 5, 2008; The image was arresting: Delegates to the Republican National Convention, fingers jabbing toward the crowd of assembled journalists as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hurled invective at the press corps:
“I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.”
Palin energizes skeptical base: Conservatives gush as McCain’s VP pick berates Obama, media; Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008; For months the presidential election has been all about Barack Obama. The causes: intense media and public interest in the freshman senator from Illinois, and a strategy by the campaign of his Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, to make the election a referendum on Obama rather than a choice between the two.
All the theatrics, and a ‘killer speech,’ too: Democrats built drama into their convention through set design, furious flag-waving and soaring speeches; Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008; It was a dramatic story with compelling characters who read great dialogue and snapped out their lines on gorgeous sets.
State's delegation ecstatic over Palin: If history is guide, base will see revelations as attacks, rally behind pick; Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008; The Sun interviewed nine Nevadans at the convention. They were enthusiastic about Sarah Palin, the surprise vice president pick of Sen. John McCain, and eager to recount details they find compelling in her public record and private life.
With creeping pessimism, partisans fight for party’s soul: Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008; The Republican National Convention here is as much about the far-off future as it is about the November election.
America's hopes, dreams, tensions flow through Denver's streets: On a monumental day for Obama, convention city crackles with a kaleidescope of emotions; Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008; Hours before Sen. Barack Obama would become the first black major party presidential nominee in American history, Romel Trusty is selling Obama T-shirts and hats at his street kiosk, adding to his usual business of imported clothing and handbags.
Far-left wing sees its best chance in decades but frets over pace of change: Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008; The most revealing moments at the Democratic National Convention aren’t happening in the hall or on the stage.
New media, new questions: Two years after bland Vegas powwow, liberal bloggers embraced in ‘Big Tent’; Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008; This is the headquarters of the vast left-wing conspiracy. They’re all here: MoveOn.org, Media Matters and Markos Moulitsas, and if a bomb went off, Bill O’Reilly wouldn’t be disappointed.
Nevada neighbors turn ideas into economies: In Colorado, universities cultivate research to grow companies; Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008; W. S. Sampath was at a loss. The Indian-born professor of engineering at Colorado State University had just been told that he had a great idea for manufacturing solar panels more cheaply but he needed a business plan to turn it into something that would sell.
Rethinking the war: Issue that helped Democrats in 2006 now cuts several ways, Albuquerque voters say; Friday, Aug. 22, 2008; The Iraq war defined American politics for most of the decade, but now, with the endless campaign entering the climactic stretch, the war is losing its clarity and importance as an election issue. That is the message from voters in a tightly contested congressional race here that could well serve as a national bellwether.
Experiences similar, but views of war couldn’t be more different: Friday, Aug. 22, 2008; They are both warriors, and they fought in the same war. But as in some geopolitical “Rashomon,” the events in question look completely different through different eyes.
As Democrats fret, Obama gets more direct: After friendly critics weigh in, Obama zings rival on tax plan Democrat says helps the rich; Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008; Democrats are anxious these days. Sen. Barack Obama he has slipped slightly in the polls and his main opponent, Sen. John McCain, has driven the race onto ground friendlier to the Republican.
Minutemen claim softer side: Defenders of U.S. border say they’re compassionate, even save illegal immigrants’ lives; Monday, Aug. 18, 2008; The Minutemen want you to know they are humanitarians, and they can be quite persuasive. They understand the impulse to come to America, to feed a family. They might do it themselves if they were Mexican.
Signs of region’s emerging power found in Arizona: New residents from inside and outside U.S. borders bring different priorities for government — challenging long-standing Republican dominance; Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008; Beatriz Escalante, a hotel sales manager, paints a grim picture of life in Hispanic communities here, hunkered down and racked with fear.
McCain’s attacks on rival fall flat with vets group: Republican offers plan to let some get care outside VA; Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008; Sen. John McCain, speaking to disabled veterans Saturday in Las Vegas, attacked his Democratic opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, for his foreign policy record, while also proposing a program that would allow veterans to acquire health care at private hospitals and not just through the Veterans Affairs Department.
Obama builds booming Nevada force: McCain camp dismisses the effort, saying it doesn’t guarantee victory; Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008; The campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama is building an organizational juggernaut here. With fewer than 90 days before the election, the upstarts are building on the impressive grass-roots operation they built for Nevada’s early presidential caucus, and it is paying dividends.
In grim present, election is uncertain: Five hacks walk into a bar. They drink a few beers, have a few laughs. But their topic is no joke, and they agree on those two points; Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008; There was beer, there was betting, there was obscenity. To discuss the electoral landscape and to look forward to the November elections, the Sun met at a local pub with five esteemed political operatives — campaign consultants, former elected officials and so on.
Clinton: Buck up, back Barack: Some former supporters need more persuasion to work for her ex-rival; Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008; In a visit to a state that treated her well this year, Sen. Hillary Clinton allayed fears Friday about her commitment to working for the election of the Democratic presidential nominee, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.
Clinton urges party unity in Henderson speech: Friday, Aug. 8, 2008; In a visit to a state that treated her well earlier this year, Sen. Hillary Clinton allayed fears Friday about her commitment to working for the election of the presumptive Democratic nominee, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.
Even Elko sours on governor: Jim Gibbons led his opponent by 40 percentage points in this rural area, whose pro-business, anti-tax sentiments he shares, but now ...; Sunday, July 27, 2008; When Gov. Jim Gibbons hunted for land here to build a retirement home last year, he chose wisely.
‘Back to basics’ isn’t likely to work well for the right: Sunday, July 20, 2008; Rep. Dean Heller, the Republican representing Nevada’s Second Congressional District, caused a Beltway kerfuffle last week when he said the Republican class of 1994, the revolutionaries swept into power with Newt Gingrich, had betrayed their principles.
Public tax break, private leak?: Governor’s ally suggests Dawn Gibbons revealed details of Elko land decision; Wednesday, July 16, 2008; Gov. Jim Gibbons had hoped for a fresh start, but another damaging story has emerged, this one about a questionable tax break the governor received after putting pressure on a county tax assessor.
Could speaker be the next governor?: Buckley’s rare resume an asset, but she’d have to widen appeal; Tuesday, July 8, 2008; Barbara Buckley was a freshman assemblywoman in 1995 when legislators and lobbyists were trying to hammer out a law related to the Navy “Tailhook” sexual assault scandal in Las Vegas.
A compromise reached in the state Senate nearly collapsed in the Assembly
How much does poll position matter?: Experts in polls lend advice on how much to read into their findings; Sunday, July 6, 2008; Given the dramatic Democratic primary campaign between two strong, equally matched candidates, the population of politics junkies has soared, likely comparable to what happened to the population of actual heroin junkies after the release of the film “Trainspotting.”
Lots of answers, all of them wrong: Despite the candidates’ wide-ranging solutions, gas prices are beyond our control; Sunday, June 29, 2008; A few weeks ago, state Sen. Dina Titus stood at a gas station and blamed high gas prices on Rep. Jon Porter, whom she’s challenging in the Third Congressional District.
Gibbons had chance to silence his critics: But his actions in days leading up to Friday’s session left some furious; Sunday, June 29, 2008; Gov. Jim Gibbons came close, tantalizingly close, to getting the fresh start he so badly needed.
Our change politician?: Connected Democrat has ambitious state vision; Saturday, June 21, 2008; When he was just 18 years old and finishing his first semester of college in Reno, Steven Horsford returned to Las Vegas, took his three siblings from his mother, who was a drug addict, and got a job.
Solutions elude state Senate candidate: Democrat knows what’s important, but can’t; Sunday, June 15, 2008; I ran into Shirley Breeden recently at a Democratic picnic in Henderson.
As troubles mount, Gibbons disengages: Observers, including current and former officials, say the governor has become more isolated and his administration more dysfunctional as he faces state and personal crises; Sunday, June 15, 2008; Gov. Jim Gibbons called an emergency budget meeting with elected officials last week, but he and his staff failed to notify key legislators, who learned of it from media reports.
Opposition to room tax hike building: MGM Mirage, Sands want county to keep issue off the fall ballot; Thursday, June 12, 2008; MGM Mirage and Las Vegas Sands, two of the state’s biggest private employers, are lobbying the Clark County Commission to keep an advisory measure about raising hotel room taxes for education spending off the November ballot, a county official said.
Early supporters of Obama stand to gain: Political favor could be the long-lasting thank you; Sunday, June 8, 2008; With Illinois Sen. Barack Obama having sewn up the Democratic nomination, we can call the winners and losers in Nevada. It seems like forever ago, but Nevada was an early state, and early support for Obama or New York Sen. Hillary Clinton won’t be soon forgotten.
State GOP recruits strong ﬁeld of hopefuls: Assembly candidates count on appeal to independents; Saturday, June 7, 2008; When Heidi Gansert took the job as the leader of Assembly Republicans, she must have felt as if she’d been named coach of the long-suffering Washington Generals to Speaker Barbara Buckley’s Globetrotters.
Ensign fielding lackluster lineup: Top-notch Senate candidates sitting out; Friday, June 6, 2008; John Ensign has a terrible job, and it got worse this week.
With the dirt flying, party backing away: GOP support for Gov. Jim Gibbons erodes after wife’s allegations revealed in filing; Thursday, May 29, 2008; Gov. Jim Gibbons’ political future turned bleak Wednesday as prominent Republicans said his support in the party is quickly disintegrating in the wake of the latest court filing in his divorce.
Obama targets home issues in Vegas visit: Wednesday, May 28, 2008; Barack Obama returned to Las Vegas on Tuesday to shore up his weaknesses in Nevada, which is in the heart of a must-win region if he is to take the presidency in November. The freshman senator from Illinois lost the state’s Democratic caucus in January by 6 percentage points.
Dems target Adelson’s politicking: Ads attack Las Vegas Sands kingpin’s largesse to GOP causes; Monday, May 26, 2008; Sheldon Adelson is being taught some blunt lessons about politics after aggressively inserting himself into state and national races this year.
Conservative rise: It came from the ’60s: Sunday, May 25, 2008; The liberal historian Rick Perlstein has just published his second book on the rise of the conservative movement, and if he isn’t exactly like the fox guarding the henhouse, he’s the fox who’s been invited in, shown a plush sofa and bathed in effusive praise.
Vegas' White House hope: Libertarian underdog takes his pro-wealth philosophy to the limit; Saturday, May 24, 2008; Wayne Allyn Root, the Las Vegas oddsmaker, will seek the Libertarian Party presidential nod at the party’s convention this weekend in Denver, a city whose government has violated Libertarian principles by outlawing drugs and guaranteeing fast-food workers a minimum wage.
Nevada again will be presidential battleground, pundits say: Wednesday, May 21, 2008; Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s victory Tuesday in Oregon pushed him ever closer to winning the Democratic nomination, and now strategists and political observers are looking again at Nevada.
Frustration, anger among Republicans growing: Sunday, May 18, 2008; House Republicans unveiled a new slogan last week, “Change You Deserve,” which, besides sounding vaguely malevolent, shared a slogan with an anti-depressant medication.
Calls for unity draw different answers from Clinton voters: Many will support Obama, some say they never could; Sunday, May 18, 2008; Barack Obama has a lot of work to do. After a long and contentious presidential nomination battle, Democrats gathered here for their state convention Saturday, with party leaders calling for unity in a tacit acknowledgment that Illinois Sen. Barack Obama will likely secure the nomination.
Happier days for Democrats: As state convention delegates gather in Reno, their party is stronger than it’s been in years; Saturday, May 17, 2008; As Democrats gather in Reno today for their state convention, they can take heart. With the help of Sen. Harry Reid’s power play — making Nevada an early presidential voting state — as well as Republican drift, state Democrats have made significant gains.
Teamsters may undercut members: Complaints of union collusion to hire nonunion convention labor spur revolt; Tuesday, May 6, 2008; Members of Teamsters Local 631 complain their union is colluding with major convention center contractors to wean them of union labor, a suspicion that has spurred efforts to replace local leadership with a slate of insurgent candidates.
Mischief-making blockers are signature gatherers’ bane: They holler to dissuade potential backers of teachers union petition; Monday, May 5, 2008; Russ Stevens walks out of the North Las Vegas DMV office and is approached by a woman asking him to sign a petition in favor of raising casino taxes to benefit teachers and schools.