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As featured on p. 218 of "Bloggers on the Bus," under the name "a MyDD blogger."

Friday, January 11, 2008

Push (Poll), Nevada?

This is interesting. Pollsters will be taking a pass on Nevada, gun-shy from blowing New Hampshire and understanding what we're all hearing - that Nevadans don't have a damn clue about these caucuses. They're vaguely aware of an Election Day, but the caucuses are very new to the state, and the voters don't seem to understand that they'll have to spend an hour or so at the polling location. It's in the middle of the day on a Saturday, which could be a plus or a minus. This Culinary Worker's endorsement from Obama isn't going to help with everyone who'll be working in the casinos at the time. It's not like the Strip's going to close down at 11:00am on the 19th.

What a way to run a railroad.

I actually agree with Hillary Clinton, even if she is tamping down expectations for what may be a loss for her in Nevada.

"You have a limited period of time on one day to have your voices heard. That is troubling to me. You know in a situation of a caucus, people who work during that time -- they're disenfranchised. People who can't be in the state or who are in the military, like the son of the woman who was here who is serving in the Air Force, they cannot be present."


Nevada is probably tied right now, but we really don't know. They've had to understand the campaign as a national campaign, just like us out in California. From a national standpoint, Obama's endorsements from John Kerry, border state governor Janet Napolitano, and Ned Lamont certainly showed that he's charging ahead. This has unfortunately become a race tinged with identity politics, in the absence of either side making a strong contrast with the other on issues. We'll see who that benefits. But the fact that Nevada is a somewhat important primary for momentum, and yet it's so chaotic that pollsters won't even poll it, speaks to how ridiculous this primary process is.

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