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FacebookELECTION 2008 :
McCain’s absence vexes Nevada backers
Krolicki counters that campaign here is ‘growing’
Sam Morris
Former New York Gov. George Pataki visits Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s headquarters in Henderson on Wednesday to rally phone bank volunteers.
Thu, Oct 9, 2008 (2 a.m.)
Reader poll
Sun Topics
Beyond the Sun
Conservative activists, operatives and officeholders are anxious about John McCain’s Nevada campaign, fearing the Arizona senator lacks the ground operation and commitment to win Nevada.
Concern grew last week after McCain canceled a Nevada visit. A new Reno Gazette-Journal poll showed McCain trailing by 7 percentage points, with Democratic challenger Sen. Barack Obama competing in traditional Republican strongholds here.
“People I talk to wonder where the campaign is,” said Chuck Muth, a conservative activist who regularly speaks to dozens of other conservatives — north and south — through his newsletter.
State Sen. Warren Hardy said Nevada Republicans and McCain are generating plenty of excitement and volunteers. But Hardy said Republicans face too many competitive races across the state, draining the pool of available campaign volunteers. Republicans are in tough races to retain control of the state Senate, and U.S. Reps. Jon Porter and Dean Heller face strong challenges from state Sen. Dina Titus and Jill Derby, respectively.
McCain campaign spokesman Rick Gorka said the organization recently added two offices in Clark County and one up north, for a total of nine statewide. He said Nevada volunteers often make more voter contacts in a day than volunteers in other election battleground states.
“To suggest we’re doing anything but competing hard in Nevada is ridiculous,” Gorka said.
McCain has not been to Nevada since the Republican convention in early September. His last visit to Las Vegas was Aug. 9. Obama has been to the state three times since then, including twice since the Democratic convention.
Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, McCain’s state chairman, said he expects return visits by the candidate or vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
“The McCain-Palin campaign believes Nevada is important,” Krolicki said. “The machinery of the campaign is growing.”
Sig Rogich, the Nevada Republican operative and McCain consultant, said McCain “is as committed to Nevada as ever.”
“Both campaigns have canceled political events for many different reasons. It doesn’t mean he’s dismissing Nevada,” Rogich said. “McCain will be here.”
The McCain camp won’t say how many paid staff members are here. Rogich said he did not know the exact size of that staff, but said it is “close to 30.”
The Obama campaign has about 100 paid staff members in the state.
A few Republican operatives, who declined to be named, offered blunt criticism.
The McCain campaign is “a joke,” one said. “There’s not a campaign in Nevada. A couple of guys, running around, being incompetent. Or even worse, arrogantly incompetent.”
The consultant said there was no discernible McCain ground game, which is political jargon for the massive effort needed to find likely supporters and get them to the polls.
He did hedge a bit, saying that if some earth-shattering event were to occur, McCain could still win in Nevada. Otherwise: “There’s not one single positive note for Republicans. I couldn’t be more pessimistic.”
The gloom is not surprising, given national polls showing Obama opening a lead and McCain playing defense in traditionally Republican states, which had included Nevada until Democratic registration drives have given the party an advantage of 80,000 voters.
Asked what he would say to disheartened Republicans, Rogich said: “These things go in peaks and valleys.” A few points in McCain’s direction would mean a dead-heat and a changed race, he said.
Greg Ferraro, a longtime Republican consultant who helped elect Gov. Jim Gibbons, said 26 days is a lot of time in a presidential contest, but added McCain needs to find a “point of connection” to persuade Nevadans he can lead them out of the economic morass. “There’s time, but it’s precious time,” Ferraro said.
Most worrisome to Nevada Republicans is their perception that McCain’s organization compares badly to the 2004 effort to reelect President Bush. Republican consultant Ryan Erwin defended the McCain team, though he acknowledged the difference from 2004.
Muth said the McCain campaign solicited him for volunteers. No dice, he told them. Muth had invited McCain or a high-level surrogate to attend a conservative conference in Las Vegas. The campaign declined — via snail mail — after the event.
Eric Herzik, a University of Nevada, Reno political scientist and registered Republican, said, “Obama’s organization is evident everywhere. The McCain — and even Republican Party — activity just pales in comparison.”
Herzik said his two sons, both Republicans younger than 25, received mail pieces addressed to them from the Obama campaign despite the “R” next to their names on registration lists.
McCain is also being outspent in Nevada nearly 2-to-1. Obama spent $616,000 to McCain’s $329,000 on TV ads for the week ending Oct. 4, according to Sun partner Politico.
Obama blanketed the state with high-level surrogates this week, including Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Montana Sen. Jon Tester, and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will appear Friday.
On the Republican side, former New York Gov. George Pataki showed up at McCain headquarters to fire up about 25 volunteers in a phone bank room. “It is very encouraging to see all of you out working like this,” he said.
Steve Spindel, an active volunteer, praised the McCain staff and said they were operating a “well-oiled machine.”
Discussion: 19 comments so far…
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Go figure that McCain does not want to come to Nevada. He is campaigning with a more nuclear power plants platform and that would mean he has to find a home for the radioactive waste...Nevada.
McCain is also bent on putting an end to legalized sport betting on college games. McCain is not "Nevada's friend". Unless you think Yucca is a good idea and college betting is a bad idea?
Looking at it that way, I may just vote for McCain. If the man has the backbone to give me "straight talk" and not send his bimbo to speak out the other side of his face...he could get my vote.
Wow- so the headline says the GOP is nervous - but every comment by Republicans is positive in the article.
Muth is sighted as the only nervous guy and isn't he more Libertarian leaning than GOP?
Also, as far as visits by surrogates, the Sun conveniently leaves out that Sen. Lieberman visited (although snubbed by UNLV), that John Voight joined Pataki at another appearance, that Senator Brownback visited as well. Convenient when you pick and choose what you want to report.
And please reference the quote about more voter contacts in a day by NV GOP volunteers than any other state! Liars...you should be ashamed of yourself and go back to journalism school...or take an ethics course.
McCain has lost this election and by a long run. MOST people can see right though all of the lies. He pulls campaigning ideas of of his butt. Why would ANY working person want their health benefits taxed? Is this guy an idiot or what?
He is going to cut Medicare, cut social security, bail out folks who got 2nd mortgages and are no upside down. Why would anyone campaign for this guy?
Have you ever known a politician who wasn't positive about his/her party before the election unless they were cracking and doing things like attacking the moderator of the debate and referring to the other candidate as "that one" and refusing to shake his hand afterwards? I admire John McCain, but I don't think he's as fit as Barack Obama to lead this country.
Glen Beck gets it best.
The ONE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l46t_nryS...
GOP can send in as many proxies as they want to but its over. McCain should pull out and focus on losing in other critical states. Obama has already won.
All I want to say is "Ring-RING" "Knock-KNOCK" and "Tick TOCK" - the Democrats started much earlier and have been working every neighborhood and every precinct, calling people, knocking on doors and wisely utilizing the most valuable resource - TIME!
Now, the Republicans are nervous and already whining, sniveling and complaining - gee, I just don't feel sorry for them at all!
Maybe the Republicans will squeek by and hold onto Nevada? Maybe the Democrats will finally turn Nevada BLUE by a slim margin? It's still too close to call, though Nevada is leaning Democrat today - the probable reality is that little old Nevada won't really matter - and, if that turns into reality, I'll be thankful for that TOO!
Then, again, maybe, just maybe we will see the greatest landslide ever in American history - now, wouldn't that be wonderful?
Having spent every weekend since March attending events, knocking doors, making phone calls and registering voters I am cautiously optimistic that we have Nevada fired up and ready to go for President Obama. Not sure why the GOP would think that they don't have to show up and don't have to work for it but that is their choice. I agree with 2zero - if McSame shows up and speaks truth about his support for Yucca and his gaming views and his plan to "plug the holes" in Medicare and privatize Social Security and and and - he'll be run out of town on a rail (radioactive one at that).
Vote for Obama... He represents the true face of America. A picture can tell a thousand words.
McCain quote;
"It's easy for me to go to Washington and, frankly, be somewhat divorced from the day-to-day challenges people have." --speaking at the ServiceNation forum in New York, Sept. 11, 2008
McCain couldn't make it to Nevada because he was too busy winning ebay auctions.
The Republican operative who said that McCain's campaign affiliates in Nevada are "arrogantly incompetent," needs to stretch that definition to the McCain ticket as a whole. The most telling sign is that he picked someone with no political stamina or background to be his running mate and thought the mere fact that she was a woman would pull the wool over America's eyes. Unfortunately for him, he is now starting to realize his own arrogant incompetence is getting the best of him, and costing him the election in more states than just Nevada.
by REPUBLICANS FOR OBAMA
WHY WOULD ANY NEVADAN SUPPORT MCCAIN?
MCCAIN SUPPORTS YUCCA MOUNTAIN MAKING HIM A PERSONA NON GRATA IN NEVADA.
MCCAIN WON'T ALLOW NUCLEAR WASTE TO BE TRANSPORTED THRU HIS HOME STATE OF ARIZONA MAKING MCCAIN A HYPOCRITE.
MCCAIN'S 'PRIVATIZED' SOCIAL SECURITY WOULD HAVE BEEN A COMPLETE DEBACLE.
EVEN REPUBLICAN SENATOR RICK SANTORUM QUESTIONS MCCAIN'S TEMPERMENT AND FITNESS FOR THE OFFICE OF THE PREISDENCY.
whoawhoawhoa...
Whoa yourself!
When did McCain learn how to use a computer?
Why would Mr. McCain need to visit Nevada - when he is a senator from a neighboring state. People are so familiar with his views and the wonderful things he's done for Arizona. I mean we share a dam (or two) with Arizona. And, what's wrong with a little nuclear waste truckin' through Vegas? When we all start glowing in the dark we will save on electricity. Thank-you Senator McCain!
The fact that Pataki is out there campaigning for McCain speaks volumes to me. One of the worst governors of NY State? It makes me giddy!! NYers for OBAMA!
Since Obama already has this thing won, I suggest that all you Lefists stay home on Election Day and just enjoy the coverage.
What is a "maverick"?
http://sweetliberty.blog-city.com/the_de...