Diary Contest - Who's Your Favourite Presidential Candidate

We do hear a lot from the campaigns and their staff why their candidate is the best and why we should support them.

But what about you?

Who do you like? Who is your favourite Democratic presidential candidate? During the month of August we're looking to hear from you. Tell us why you like Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama, or Bill Richardson.

All you have to do is register at My Silver State (if you have not already done so), log in and click "new diary" on the menu in the right sidebar. Writing a diary is relatively easy. All you have to do is type what you have to say, click preview and, if it looks okay, publish it. So even if you haven't done this before you shouldn't need to worry about that.

The rules are simple: you can remain anonymous or not, that is totally up to you, but we do limit this diary contest to Nevada residents. So please state in which city or county you live.

The best diaries will be promoted to the frontpage. Even though My Silver State only got started about three weeks ago, we already have a little less than 1,000 visitors per week with about 2,000 page loads. So at least several hundred visitors, if not more, will get to read what you have to say. You can write your diary in any way that you like. It's totally up to you. We just ask you to refrain from attacking other candidates. We want to hear what is good about your candidate, not what is bad about the others.

Get to work! Promote your candidate!

Hillary Wows Nevada Democrats - Why Endorsements are Important

Hillary Clinton scored another couple of endorsements, mostly low-key this time but including the first rural one. The LVRJ:

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign says it will announce another batch of endorsements from Nevada elected officials today.

If it seems like you've read this story before, it's because Clinton's Nevada campaign is racking up practically all the endorsements of prominent Democrats, from state officers to county commissioners to legislators to city council members.

Coming on board today will be Las Vegas City Councilman Ricki Barlow, North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Stephanie Smith and Dennis Keating, president of the Nye County School Board.

They follow a trail blazed by Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid and since trodden by such Democratic notables as former Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, former Gov. Bob Miller, state Sen. Dina Titus, Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, state Treasurer Kate Marshall and long lists of business leaders and activists in the Hispanic, black and Asian communities.

Some of the more interesting endorsements are still out there, as thus far most Democratic members of the state legislature have yet to endorse any candidate. Washoe County's Democratic Assembly members are recounting their experiences to the Reno Gazette-Journal's Ray Hagar:

"It was very exciting to check my voice mail and have a message from Hillary Clinton," Leslie said. "She left me her cell number and her office number. You can't help but be star struck when national candidates of that caliber are calling you on your cell phone. That has never happened to most of us in Nevada.

[...]

Bobzien is a prime example of the push to get the legislators. He's just coming off his first term in the Assembly but was given the honor, usually reserved for a party bigwig, to introduce Edwards, a former U.S. senator from North Carolina, during his recent presidential campaign stop in Reno.

"It was pretty exciting, and I certainly had butterflies in my stomach when I did it," Bobzien said.

Of course, butterflies are not a criteria for choosing a presidential candidate, so David Bobzien has asked his constituents to let him know their opinion on his blog. The original post already has four comments to it, all by Hillary Clinton supporters:

“Oh yeah, the caucus.” Phone and email messages from supporters, surrogates and even the candidates themselves were already stacking up and reminded me that the next part of my new job as a politician had already begun. Nevada’s Democratic Presidential Caucus was in full swing and it was time for me to hop aboard. Candidates are campaigning hard, and they’re asking for my support.

Having met six of the eight Democratic candidates for President, read books written or suggested by many of them, and followed news of the campaign, I would have thought my choices for President would be clear by now. But here’s the thing…

I have no idea who I’ll ultimately support for President.

That’s where you come in. I need your help.

David Bobzien also posted an email from a Richardson supporter. Meanwhile, the Clinton campaign explains the importance of these endorsements:

"Having an early caucus in Nevada is new," said Hilarie Grey, state press secretary for Clinton. "So, when you have people in Assembly districts who run grassroots campaigns, who really know their district, its people and their issues, those are the kind of people who you want working in your campaign."

The campaigns are not just after the representatives endorsements. They also want their organizational skills.

"It is important to keep in mind that you need people who are good at organizing, who are grassroots advocates who will bring a caucus together," said Adam Bozzi, Nevada press secretary for the John Edwards campaign. "Our big focus is trying to make sure that we have people who know how to organize."

Added Grey: "At least in the Clinton campaign, we are not looking for symbolic endorsements. We are looking for people with great knowledge of Nevada and great grassroots networking that can help Nevada."

And the Clinton people certainly know how to wow Nevada Democrats. The Nevada Dem blog reported on Tuesday:

The major presidential campaigns were well represented by articulate, passionate and committed staffers. Hillary Clinton knocked everyone’s socks off with a magnificent, very personalized video message to the group –- boutique marketing at its zenith!

And Molly Ball of the LVRJ also took notice of this:

At a recent party Central Committee meeting in Elko, all the candidates sent representatives. But Clinton sent a personalized video in which she mentioned many party insiders and staffers by name.

"People were standing there with their mouths open," the official said.

"They couldn't believe Hillary Clinton said their name. They all wanted copies of the video."

And there would be a lot of copies to go around. Judge for yourself. The campaign has posted the video on its website.

Of course, all this has a little side-effect - expectations:

A prominent Democratic insider who hasn't endorsed a candidate said some of the national campaigns were leery of committing too many resources to Nevada's first-time caucus effort if Clinton already has it sown up.

That, the insider said, could hurt the credibility of the new effort and diminish its significance in early-state momentum.

"In D.C., they think it (Nevada) is hers to lose, so they are not paying as much attention to Nevada as they could be."

Another side-effect was mentioned by the Las Vegas Gleaner - that Nevada might be perceived as Clinton's to lose. Is it?

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

In Nevada, Hillary Clinton Gets Biggest Endorsement Yet

Today, Hillary Clinton received the biggest endorsement in her quest to win the Nevada Caucus as of yet. State Treasurer Kate Marshall of Reno is the latest edition to Hillary's growing Nevada endorsement list:

Marshall, a Democrat who was first elected in November, said she is endorsing Clinton because of Clinton’s fiscal policies.

“It is all to do with her fiscal policy,” Marshall said. “I like her comment on government reform. I really appreciate that she no longer wants to be a debtor nation and that we need to live within our means. She doesn’t believe that tax dollars represent an unlimited credit card.”

Marshall said Clinton understand the importance of the business sector in shaping a strong economy.

“She is the candidate who understand that you can’t have a strong economy without a strong business community,” Marshall said. “She talks about shared prosperity. In other to make the economy strong, you have to have a strong business community and you have to have a strong work force. These two are codependent and I like it when I hear someone identify the fact that we need a strong business community.”

Now, there have been other endorsements before Marshall. They are Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid, State Senate Min. Leader Dina Titus, former Gov. Bob Miller, and former Attorney General Frankie Sue del Papa.

Why does Marshall's endorsement eclipse those of the other important current and former officials. Three reasons:

• Kate Marshall is the only current statewide official so far to endorse any candidate.
• Kate Marshall is the only northern Nevadan to endorse any candidate. She is also the only Democratic northern Nevadan statewide official.
• Kate Marshall is a rising star in Nevada. She is a possible candidate for any higher office, including Governor, US House and Senate.

All in all, she was the top prize in northern Nevada. And Hillary snatched her.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Fundraising: Hillary Uses Bill, Edwards Uses Coulter - Again

It's the end of the fundraising quarter - and frankly: I'm sick of it. It's the same old, the same idiotic emails, the same pitches as last quarter. Some campaigns are even using the same people to rake in some money. Hillary once again asked her husband, the former President, to send out a fundraising email - which fails to surprise (though it is still weird to check your emails and find one from Bill Clinton).

What is surprising is that, once again, dumbpundit Ann Coulter couldn't keep her mouth shut about John Edwards. You'd think she would have learned after Edwards used her last slur against him to rake in some cash, but no, here she goes again:



And once again, the Edwards campaign does the only appropriate thing. Slam her and ask for donations in response. The Coulter for Edwards fundraising drive is on again.

Yucca Opponent Newest Member of Hillary's Nevada Team

Las Vegas CityLife reports that Peggy Maze Johnson, the former executive director of Citizen Alert, joined Hillary Clinton's Nevada campaign this month. Citizen Alert is best known for its efforts in opposing the nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

"The bottom line is the best way to defeat Yucca Mountain is to elect a Democrat, and I believe that Democrat is going to be Hillary Clinton," said Johnson, who has worked for Citizen Alert since 2002. "She's absolutely right on Nevada issues and Yucca Mountain, in particular."

The Hillary Clinton campaigns enthusiasm seems mutual:

"Peggy Maze Johnson has been a stalwart on the political scene," said Hilarie Grey, communications director of Clinton's Nevada campaign. "She has great networks. She knows about all the issues. She understands what's going to be important for Nevada in this presidential election. The experience she brings is going to be a great asset to our campaign and Hillary Clinton's efforts to win the Nevada caucus."

One could argue that this kind of a recruitment might be more important for Hillary's campaign in the long run than the big-name endorsements of (former) elected officials like Gov. Miller and Sen. Titus as the Las Vegas Sun writes that endorsements are not as important anymore as they once used to be.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Hillary Gets Former Gov. Candidate Dina Titus' Endorsement

Dina Titus (l) and her mother Betty with Hillary

The Gleaner reports that the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial nominee and State Senator from Las Vegas Dina Titus today endorsed Hillary Clinton for President. This is interesting in many respects:

One, all the prominent women in Nevada so far have gone for Hillary - most notably former Attorney General Frankie Sue del Papa, with Las Vegas Congresswoman Shelley Berkley contributing to Hillary, and only Hillary, in the first quarter.

Two, Titus was one of the high profile endorsements and most sought after because of "Team Titus" - her volunteers from last year's campaign. It remains to be seen whether they'll all support Hillary but it's fair to assume that the majority probably will.

Three, it'll be interesting to see if this will have any impact on the NV-03 race. Reportedly, both Titus and fellow Hillary supporter Rory Reid are interested in taking on Jon Porter.

Four, now that Titus has come out of the woods watch out for other endorsements to come out very quickly, most noticeably by elected statewide officials who were asked to remain neutral as long as possible.

Five, Obama, Edwards, et al. will have some catching up to do.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Obama's and Hillary's Online Nevada Headquarters Up & Running

Bill Richardson is not the only candidate anymore with an online presence focused on Nevada. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton now have online "Nevada Headquarters" up and running. When you take a look at what other states thus far have special pages at these candidates' campaign sites, you'll find New Hampshire and Iowa at Richardson's, Obama's, Edwards', and Hillary's site, South Carolina at Richardson's and Obama's site and Illinois only at Obama's site. This once again goes to prove the importance of the Nevada Caucus in the Democratic Party's primary process.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, or Barack Obama? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton, Nevada for John Edwards, Nevada for Bill Richardson, or Nevada for Barack Obama groups at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

"Conversation With Hillary" in North Las Vegas, May 30

Here are the details for Hillary Clinton's event in North Las Vegas on May 30. From her website:

When

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Where

Canyon Springs High School, Gymnasium
350 East Alexander Road
North Las Vegas , NV 89032
General Area: North Las Vegas

Description

Join Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for a conversation with Southern Nevadans. This event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 11:00am. Program begins at 12:00pm. Participants are encouraged to arrive early, since seating will be limited.

According to the LVRJ tickets are available at her campaign office at 1055 E. Tropicana Ave., Suite 425 or at AFL-CIO offices, state Democratic Party headquarters and the campaign of Ricki Barlow for Las Vegas City Councilor. You can also RSVP through her website.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Hillary Clinton? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton group at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Hillary in Vegas, May 30; Obama in Reno, May 31

The two current frontrunners for the Democratic nomination for President will be makig their way to Nevada.

Hillary will be in Las Vegas on May 30 for a town hall meeting according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. Her last town hall meeting in Nevada was in Reno on April 29.

One day later, on May 31, Barack Obama will travel to Northern Nevada for the first time in his presidential campaign and hold a "lunchtime rally" in Reno according to RENObama.

Details for both events are yet to be announced. Stay tuned to Nevada Caucus 2008 for more.

UPDATE: Details for Hillary's event here and for Obama's events here.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? Then join the Nevada for Hillary Clinton or Nevada for Barack Obama groups at the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder social networking site.

Bill Richardson Now Has The Best Campaign Website - Hands Down

Bill Richardson has the impressive resume and - with his official declaration to run for president today - he has a website to match his resume.

Looking at the websites of the all eight candidates Richardson's is the best - hands down. There are several reasons for this.

Let me go into detail:

Navigation: Richardson's website is easy to navigate, when you click through the top bar you get all the information you need, above the bar is a box to register for email updates, the action center is clearly highlighted on the left hand side and there's a welcome video on the right hand side. When you scroll further down you get a more detailed look at news, blog entries, issues, etc, all the information you could also find by clicking the top bar. The only additional information you wouldn't find in the top bar are the links to PartyBuilder, MySpace, etc. That's how it should be. You should have a clear overview of the site without having to scroll down. Only on the third look does the website seem a little crowded. But just a little.

The other websites are equally easy to navigate, especially Hillary, Obama, Edwards, and Biden, to a lesser degree Kucinich, Dodd, and Gravel.

Information: Couldn't be better. You can find it all by navigating the top bar. Say, you're looking for his stance on Iraq, you go to issues, click on Iraq and get quite a bit of information. In addition to his stance on Iraq you can download a two page flyer and find related news and press releases.

The other websites are not as good as Richardson's. Hillary has a video in addition to her stance , at Obama's site you can submit your ideas. Edwards' issues page is disappointing. He has one paragraph on "Restoring America's Moral Leadership in the World" and that's it. I only found his plan on Iraq by looking at the frontpage again. I don't understand why they can't link to it from their issues page. Dodd doesn't have an issues page. But there's a link to his Iraq stance clearly visible on the frontpage. What you get is a video with his remarks on Iraq and a transcript. On Gravel's website issues are front and center with Iraq on the top. He writes only a couple of paragraphs on it - but more than Edwards. At Kucinich's site Iraq is one of the top issues and is incorporated into the "International Cooperation" page. On the sidebar you'll find related stories and forum topics. The only one who can compete, at least on the Iraq issue - I didn't look at the other issue pages, is Joe Biden. He has a detailed plan for Iraq and a seperate website devoted to his plan.

Networking: Thus far Obama had the best networking site, and only true networking site in my opinion, of all the candidates. Hillary's action center is not the real thing as networking between supporters (like personal blogs and messaging system) is not taking place. Edwards has a community blog and his One Corps site. Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel have a forum and Dodd and Biden don't have any form of networking at all - apart from writing comments on their blog posts.

Richardson's web team seems to have taken a look at all the other websites and must have wondered "what more can we do" as I would say their networking site now beats that of Obama. Their Action Center seems to be modeled on the same platform as My.BarackObama.com and the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder and the same functions. The only additional function on Richardson's network that Obama doesn't have (but PartyBuilder does) is that you can write a letter to the editor of your local paper.

External networking sites: Most campaigns are using them, so we're looking at two things here: a) are they linking to the networking sites directly from their frontpage and b) are they linking to the Democratic Party's PartyBuilder.

Richardson does both a) and b) - as does Obama. All the other candidates don't.

Hillary, Biden, Kucinich, and Edwards link to external networking sites, though not to PartyBuilder, Dodd and Gravel make you find their links but they don't link to PartyBuilder either. Which is a shame. As I said before it runs on the same platform as Obama's and Richardson's networking sites and is a great tool, both to enhance their own network and to build a network for Democrats in general. PartyBuilder provides an extra page for presidential candidates and links to their profiles. I did a little test to see how candidates use this tool and added them to my friends network. They added me in the following order: Kucinich, Gravel, Obama, Biden, Richardson. After more than a week still no reaction from Hillary, Edwards and Dodd which I find surprising considering their resources.

I've also set up Nevada groups for all campaigns:

Nevada for Barack Obama
Nevada for Bill Richardson
Nevada for Chris Dodd
Nevada for Dennis Kucinich
Nevada for Hillary Clinton
Nevada for Joe Biden
Nevada for John Edwards
Nevada for Mike Gravel

Nevada: Speaking of Nevada, how much do the campaigns currently care about the Silver State? I'm not gonna talk about their appearances in Nevada right now, nor about their campaign infrastructure in the state but only about their web presence.

People always say Richardson needs to win or do extremely well in Nevada to stand any chance in the primaries. Not surprisingly, Richardson's Nevada page is the best among all presidential candidates. You'll find links to the Action Center, Nevada related news, press releases, video, and photo gallery. The same applies to the other state pages (Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina).

Dennis Kucinich is the only other candidate to have a Nevada page. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated since March. Obama, Hillary, and Edwards are still in the old New Hampshire and Iowa mode, as they currently only have state sites for these two. I couldn't find any state specific pages at Dodd's, Gravel's, and Biden's websites.

Overall, Richardson has today launched a website that's ahead of the pack and his rivals will have some catching up to do, some more, some not that much.

Please note: this is not an endorsement of Richardson on my part. This is an analysis of his website compared to those of other candidates and does not reflect my preferences for the primaries.

Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire Like Richardson's "Job Interview"

Bill Richardson has officially joined the Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards in the double digit territory.

Recent polls in both New Hampshire and Iowa show Richardson making a jump in the polls. He's now at 10% in both states.

This comes right after an ad buy in both states, showing Richardson's "Job Interview" ads. Whether you like them or not, they seem to have done their work in New Hampshire and Iowa beautifully for the Richardson campaign. Watch the ads:



The ads have also been viewed 148,000 times on YouTube. He should seriously think about airing them in Nevada as well.

Considering the positive poll news, the timing seems perfect to make his presidential run official. Yeah, he's still been exploring. Richardson will make his announcement tomorrow morning in Los Angeles. Then, Hillary will be the only candidate still in exploratory mode.

The Devil Wears Prada vs. Shrek vs. Runaway Bride

Probably, you've all heard by now, if not watch the most important event of this presidential campaign so far:



Here is a list of the potential campaign songs:

• City of Blinding Lights - U2
• Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
• I’m a Believer - Smash Mouth
• Get Ready - The Temptations
• Ready to Run - Dixie Chicks
• Rock This Country! - Shania Twain
• Beautiful Day - U2
• Right Here, Right Now - Jesus Jones
• I’ll Take You There - The Staple Singers

You can listen to the songs and vote here.

Now, what I've noticed right away was that a lot of these songs were already used on movie soundtracks which makes them good campaign songs, I suppose.

Most noticeably, two songs from "The Devil Wears Prada" soundtrack made the cut: U2's "City of Blinding Lights" and KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See" (which is my favourite). Of course both songs have also been used on other soundtracks.

Some of the other songs might also be familiar to you from the movie theater. From "Shrek" there is the Smash Mouth's version of "I'm a Believer" and from "Runaway Bride" you'll remember the Dixie Chicks' "Ready to Run."

Finally for us Nevada Caucus goers there is the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There" from the "Casino" soundtrack.

As you can see this choice is more important than you think as you'll be either reminded of "The Devil Wears Prada," "Shrek," "Runaway Bride," or "Casino" everytime there's a Hillary event.

Vote here.

Does Obama Even Care About Nevada?

While Obama volunteers in Nevada are busy and doing one "Obama walk" after the other (even in Elko), Obama himself doesn't seem to care too much about Nevada.

At least he hasn't been to the state too much. After he missed out on the AFSCME forum in Carson City one would have thought that he'd make that up by traveling to Northern Nevada soon after. Yet, three months later, and nothing happened. Obama's been a total of two times in Nevada, both times in Las Vegas. He ranks at the bottom of the list of candidates:

Richardson: 14
Dodd: 7
Edwards: 5
Biden: 4
Clinton: 4
Kucinich: 4
Gravel: 3
Obama: 2

(numbers via MyDD, via Washington Post)

Obama was on top of the list in primary contributions in the first quarter and the two men with the least money managed to travel to Nevada more often than he did? Are you serious?

All I can decypher from this is the following: currently Senator Obama is not seriously competing in Nevada. If he wants to compete here, he needs to visit and talk to the voters. He really has to make up some ground. So it better be a real visit and not just a quick stop in Reno on the way to another California fundraiser. Otherwise he might just surrender Nevada to either Hillary or Edwards who have both been to Northern Nevada more than once.

Join "Nevada for" Groups at PartyBuilder!

The Democratic Party's PartyBuider social networking site has thus far not been extensively used by presidential candidates - which is surprising when you consider that it doesn't cost anything.

Anyhow, if you're a supporter of one of the eight presidential candidates you can now join the respective group on PartyBuilder:

Nevada for Barack Obama

Nevada for Bill Richardson

Nevada for Chris Dodd

Nevada for Dennis Kucinich

Nevada for Hillary Clinton

Nevada for Joe Biden

Nevada for John Edwards

Nevada for Mike Gravel

Join today and start networking!

Thanks, Shelley!

On April 14 I wrote a post on Las Vegas Congresswoman Shelley Berkley apparently breaking her neutrality pledge by contributing $2,300 to Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. So, I got in contact with the Congresswoman's staff and asked if she had any comment on this. Apparently she did not as I never got a reply either way.

Therefore, I was a little bit surprised when The Hill picked up this story 3 weeks later ('Neutral' Dems quietly give money to Clinton) and there was a statement by Nevada's own Shelley Berkley:

Said Berkley, “The one distinction with Mrs. Clinton is Mrs. Clinton’s Hill PAC has been supporting me for many years and when I was contacted by mutual friends to support her, I had no hesitation whatsoever. However, I just try to be as evenhanded as possible. I expect by Jan. 19, 2008 all the candidates will receive contributions from me.”

Berkley said Myra Greenspun, a friend whose husband roomed with Bill Clinton at Yale Law School, asked her to give.

So, what are we to make of this? That this wasn't a story worth commenting on because it came from a blogger and not the mainstream media? Or that Shelley Berkley rather answers questions by DC reporters than Nevada blogs?

Thanks, Shelley!

The Future of Nevada Democrats is Female

Cross posted from Turn Tahoe Blue. Might this translate into success for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Nevada Caucus?

Women are clearly on the rise in Nevada politics. Especially so on the Democratic side. Consider the following: in the 2006 elections Democrats nominated women in all three congressional districts, four out of six candidates for statewide office were women, including Governor.

While Jill Derby (NV-02) and Tessa Hafen (NV-03) didn't win their respective races, they did come pretty close and it's quite possible that Dean Heller and Jon Porter will have to run against female candidates again in 2008.

Women have captured high offices in Nevada in the past, though they were mostly Republican: former Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich (NV-02, 1983-97), former Treasurer Patty Cafferata (1983-87), former Lt. Governors Sue Wagner (1991-95) and Lorraine Hunt (1999-2007), Secretary of State Cheryl Lau (1991-95). The only Democratic women previously elected to statewide office were Superintendent of Public Instruction Mildred Bray (1937-51) and Frankie Sue Del Papa who was Secretary of State (1987-91) and Attorney General (1991-2003). There has not been a female US Senator yet, the only Democratic nominee was Mary Gojack in 1990.

Recently female Democrats were much more successful in being nominated and elected than their Republican counterparts. Currently, three out of four Democratic (six total) constitutional officers in Nevada are women: Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, State Treasurer Kate Marshall, and State Controller Kim Wallin. Las Vegas is represented in Congress by Shelley Berkley. The Nevada State Democratic Party has recently elected a woman, Jill Derby, as its chair. Among the five-person leadership are three more women: 2nd Vice Chair Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Secretary A'shanti Gholar, and Treasurer Jan Churchill.

In the State Assembly, Barbara Buckley was recently elected Speaker, the first woman in that position in Nevada's history. Majority Whip Sheila Leslie and Assistant Majority Whip Debbie Smith are among the five person Majority Leadership in the Assembly, while the Democratic leadership team in the State Senate is entirely comprised of women: Minority Floor Leader Dina Titus, Minority Whip Valerie Wiener, and Assistant Minority Floor Leader Bernice Mathews. As far as I could find out, no other legislatative body in the country has an entirely female leadership, at least on the Democratic side.

10 out 27 Democratic Assembly members are women (37%) and 5 out of 10 Democratic State Senators are women, making up 50%.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that in a recent poll at Helluva Heller, asking who should run against Heller on the Democratic side, out of the seven mentioned possibilities five were women: Kate Marshall, Debbie Smith, Jill Derby, Sheila Leslie, and Teresa Benitez Thompson and the female candidates were in the lead at last count.

When you consider all this, it is only a matter of time when Nevada will send another woman to the House, the first woman to the US Senate and elect its first Governor.

You can read more about the history of women in Nevada politics here.

Go to Turn Tahoe Blue to see photos of the women mentioned.

Reactions to Hillary's Reno Town Hall Meeting

One wonders whether Hug High School has ever seen anything like this. For her first town hall meeting in Nevada, Sen. Hillary Clinton drew a crowd of about 3,000, wore the school colors, and got a lot of good reactions in the Nevada blogosphere and the pleasure (?!?) to be interviewed by Reno's own Ray Hagar. Here are the reactions:

From the Blogs:

Hillary's Hug Visit (Nevada Dem):

I’ve just returned home from hearing Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton present to a crowd of 3500+ at Reno’s Hug High School. It was a masterful performance. Other than the few Republican plants, I doubt anyone left the gym without thinking, “Wow! I may have just spent time with the next President of the United States!”

The event was well organized and professionally done. One local political regular commented that the briefing of the volunteers for the day was perhaps the best she’s ever experienced, and she came not as a committed Clinton supporter but a willing volunteer.

[...]

My parting thoughts were that she is a formidable candidate for any Democrat and any Republican. She knows what the job entails. She’s ready. Is there still justification to the fear she might not be electable? If today is representative of her campaign, and as people get to know her better and relieve themselves of the caricature in their minds, she’ll beat anyone.

Hillary Clinton's Reno Town Hall (Reno and Its Discontents):

If I had to choose one word to describe Clinton’s town hall in Reno this morning, I would choose “impressive”–surprisingly so. Its not that I think there is anything unimpressive about Hillary Clinton, but I was surprised by how impressed I and all the people around me were by here sheer presence. The town hall is clearly her best venue–she can show off her confident presence, her obvious intelligence, the with and breadth of her political experience, her eloquence, and her attractiveness. Yes, that’s right, Hillary looked absolutely fabulous in a green suit that just happened to match Hug High School’s colors.

Susan Nunes had her camera ready and posted the pictures on Random Thoughts from Reno. You can read her impressions above and below the post with the pictures.

The Desert Beacon sums it up best with this headline: "Nevada News Roundup: Clinton 3000, McCain 300"

From the Media:

Reno Campaign Stop: Clinton: Bush won't change (LVRJ):

The U.S. senator from New York and former first lady spoke for about 50 minutes at a campaign stop at Hug High School.

Her speech took a little less than half an hour, and she then answered questions from the audience for 25 minutes. The event was billed as a town hall-style "Conversation with Nevadans."

It was Clinton's first campaign stop in Reno since becoming an official candidate for president.

Clinton draws more than 3,000 in Reno (AP in RGJ):

When some in the gymnasium shouted “Bring them home,” she replied, “That’s what we’re trying to do.”

“We are ready to try to end this war in Iraq. I am so proud of your Senator Harry Reid,” she said about the Senate majority leader from Nevada, eliciting a 15 second-long standing ovation.

Clinton praised Reid’s efforts to pass a military spending bill with a timetable to begin redeploying troops out of Iraq but admitted she doubts Bush ever will go along with it.

Clinton draws big crowd to Hug High (RGJ):

After Clinton's speech and subsequent question-and-answer period, many left feeling fired up for Hillary.

"I absolutely would vote for her," said Norma Lessard, 60, who drove 100 miles from Schurz to see Clinton. "I'm ready for a change, how about you?"

[...]

Other Clinton supporters said Clinton's performance would have changed the minds of people who dislike her.

"One of my girlfriends for 25 years just cringes when she hears Hillary's name," said Suzy Valle, 55 and a teacher at Roger Corbett Elementary. "She is only believing the things that people tell her, what a horrible person she is, instead of finding out for herself.

"I think there is a lot of animosity for Hillary," Valle said. "But people need to open their minds and investigate for themselves and not just believe what they are being told."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton Visits Reno (KTVN):

During our one-on-one interview, Sen. Clinton said Iraq is going through a sectarian Civil War.

"It's a no-win situation for us," Sen. Clinton said. "This war should be Iraqis' responsibility now."

She also told Channel 2, her husband and number 1 advisor, Bill Clinton, will help gain back allies.

"He will continue to play active roles around the world," Sen. Clinton said. "He's probably the most popular American in the world right now."

Clinton doubts Bush will pull troops from Iraq (AP in Sparks Tribune):

Clinton has appeared in Las Vegas, Carson City and in Fallon 60 miles east of Reno, but had not made a formal campaign appearance before in Reno. She said she was glad Nevada had moved to near the front of the Democratic caucus process, following Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses with Nevada's on Jan. 19, 2008.

''You're on the front lines of making that decision. I'm very pleased you've been moved into the process because I want your voices to be heard,'' she said.

Ray Hagar's interview with Hillary Clinton for the RGJ:

Said Clinton: "I do not approve of legalized prostitution or any kind of prostitution. It is something that I personally believe is demeaning to women. I have worked against it and I have certainly taken a very strong stand against what happens in many parts of the world where young girls and women are forced into prostitution against their wills.

"I understand Nevada has a regulated system and it is within the authority of the state," Clinton said. "So that is not a federal issue that we will have any role to play in when I am president. But I would obviously speak out against prostitution and try to persuade women that it is not -- even an a regulated system -- necessarily a good way to try to make a living. Let’s try to find other jobs that can be there for women who are looking for a good way to support themselves and their families."

Hillary to Hold Town Hall Meeting in Reno, April 29

Ray Hagar tells us that Hillary Clinton will hold one of her town hall meetings in Reno:

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will hold a town hall meeting in Reno on Sunday, April 29th.

Time and place of the meeting has not been decided yet, said her spokesperson, Hilarie Grey. The event will be free and in the morning , Grey said.

That afternoon, Sen. Clinton will speak to the Nevada State Education Association’s delegates’ assembly, also in Reno.

I'll let you know when more details are available.

UPDATE:

Here are the details:

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton will have a town hall meeting in Reno at

11 a.m. Sunday at Hug High School.

Make a reservation by calling 303-1303 or go to

hillaryclinton.com/reno.

Tickets are available at Hug High from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday or 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 327-5600.

They're also available at Washoe County Democratic Party, 1465 Terminal Way, Suite 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, 323-8683.

So Much for Shelley Berkley's Neutrality

The Las Vegas Gleaner, February 6, 2007:

Asked by The Hill, "Who do you prefer, Barack or Hillary?" Rep. Shelley Berkley said, "I am co-chairman with Sen. Harry Reid of the Nevada caucus, so we have both pledged to be neutral." The Hill's question was mostly just a fun little lark of newspaper filler, and was not intended to be taken seriously or anything. Sort of like Shelley's answer.

Well, it seems her pledge hasn't lasted that long. Shelley Berkley had a really good fundraising quarter - raising $548k, with more than $1 million cash-on-hand. Of her $155k in disbursements, she gave a relatively large sum to federal and local candidates, mostly House colleagues who either are in tough districts or freshmen. However, one candidate really stood out:

Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee received $2,300 on March 21st.

And, yeah, she's the only presidential candidate receiving money from Berkley. Now, as far as I understand neutrality you either give to all candidates or to none. My only conclusion is this:

Shelley Berkley just endorsed Hillary Clinton for President.

Clinton Leads in New Zogby Nevada Poll

Zogby released a poll today of 500 likely Nevada Democratic caucus-goers conducted April 11-12 with a margin of error of +/- 4.5%.

Hillary Clinton leads the crowd with 35%, followed by Obama (21%) and Edwards (19%). Richardson has 5% and Biden 2%. Dodd, Gravel, and Kucinich register below 1%. Zogby himself states the obvious:

Their leads track what is happening nationally in polling, perhaps a reflection of name identification, as candidates just begin their efforts to build campaigns in Nevada, which has moved near the front of the line in the state–by–state presidential sweepstakes and represents uncharted waters for the 2008 election process.

So, it's basically up to the candidates. If they wanna catch up to Clinton, they need to come to Nevada and meet the voters. Dodd's working on that tonight and tomorrow. This becomes rather obvious when you look at the Zogby numbers for New Hampshire and Iowa. Obama and Edwards are just 6 points behind Clinton in New Hamphire and Edwards leads Clinton and Obama in Iowa.

One thing to keep in mind: no one really knows who will go to the caucus. No one. Caucus polling is difficult enough in Iowa where Dean and Gephardt led the polls in December 2003 only to lose heavily to Kerry and Edwards one month later.

I'll continue posting all the poll results. At the same time, I'm sticking with what I've said before: they're mostly worthless.