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!

Richardson First Candidate to Visit Elko

Who will be the first presidential candidate to venture into Nevada's rurals? Most, if not all, candidates have been to Las Vegas, Reno, and Carson City by now. A few have travelled a little further inland from Reno and Carson, and Dodd was the first to leave Las Vegas and visit Pahrump.

However, thus far no candidate has gone further than that. Bill Richardson will not only be the first Democratic presidential candidate to visit Elko this Friday, he'll also be the first Democratic presidential candidate to visit Elko in 50 years. This is important news, not only for Elko and rural Democrats, but also for Richardson who needs to do very well in Nevada's caucuses. Visiting Elko will certainly be a first step.

Before travelling to Elko, Richardson will open his Reno campaign office.

Here are the details:

RENO - Please join Governor Richardson for the Grand Opening celebration of his Reno office.

When: 11:30am, Fri., July 13
Where: 418 Cheney St. Reno

ELKO - Governor Richardson will be the first Democratic Presidential Candidate to Visit Elko in 50 years.

When: 1:30pm, Friday, July 13
Where: The Old Airport Terminal off of Mountain City Highway, Elko, NV

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

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.

Bill Richardson in Las Vegas this Wednesday

Bill Richardson will be campaigning in Las Vegas tomorrow:

Wednesday, June 13 -- Pacific Time

WHEN: 1:00 pm
WHAT: Education rally with community leaders, teachers and parents at Reynaldo Martinez Elementary School
WHERE: 350 E. Judson Ave., North Las Vegas, NV

WHEN: 3:30 pm
WHAT: Meeting with the Nevada Central Labor Council
WHERE: Teamsters Local 631 Hall, 700 N. Lamb Blvd. Las Vegas, NV

WHEN: 4:30 pm
WHAT: Kick off of the Richardson for President Nevada Canvass
WHERE: 1923 S. 6th St., Las Vegas, NV

WHEN: 6:00 pm
WHAT: Speech to the Las Vegas Stonewall Democrats
WHERE: Flamingo Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV

WHEN: Evening
WHAT: Fundraising
WHERE: Las Vegas, NV

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Bill Richardson? Then join the Nevada for Bill Richardson 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.

Nevada Appeal Seems to Like Richardson

I guess if the Nevada Appeal would have to endorse now, it would be Richardson. At least that's what it sounds like:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's announcement Monday that he will be a presidential candidate hardly sent shockwaves through the nation, nor in the camps of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

But we hope voters start paying attention to Richardson, a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of Energy, if for no other reason than he is at the forefront of issues that affect residents of Nevada and the West.

Richardson's calm, well-reasoned demeanor during the Democratic presidential forum in Carson City earned him a measure of respect. During his speech Monday, issues of unique importance to the West weren't at the forefront. Rather, he talked about his support for bringing our troops home, dealing with global warming, health care and the disappearing middle class. Those are the issues on which the election will be won or lost, and he says it's his record of solving problems diplomatically that sets him apart.

But Richardson, as a border state governor, knows directly the impact of illegal immigration. He's supportive of a guest worker program, but says available jobs must be first posted for American citizens and legal residents. He wants to double the number of border patrol agents and says a path to legalization should include a fine, background check and payment of back taxes.

He knows the potential the West holds for developing alternative energy sources. He's seen the devastation caused by wildfires and knows the importance of local control over federal lands.

Now if he can only line up some Hollywood friends, he might be able to compete.

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Do you live in Nevada and are a supporter of Bill Richardson? Then join the Nevada for Bill Richardson group 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.

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!

Reactions to Richardson's Nevada Tour

Just a quick post to point out the stories on Gov. Bill Richardson's Nevada tour.

The blog Nevada Up North tagged along with Richardson during his time in Carson City. He writes extensively on the events in Carson and also has a Q&A.

From the mainstream media:

• Richardson plays to union, Hispanics in Nevada push (Las Vegas Sun)
• Richardson focuses on Western issues during Carson City stop (AP via Nevada Appeal)
• Gov. Bill Richardson visits Carson City (KTVN)
• Democrat has different Iraq plan (LVRJ)

Bill Richardson will be on the Nevada Newsmakers show this Thursday.

Richardson to Tour Nevada April 29 - May 1

Gov. Bill Richardson is starting to work on his Nevada strategy. He goes on a three day tour through Northern and Southern Nevada with several events in Carson City and Las Vegas. This is the most extensive swing through Nevada by any candidate so far. Here are the details:

Sunday, April 29

7:30pm – 9:00pm
Keynote address to the Carson City Democrats Jefferson-Jackson Dinner
Note: There will be a press availability immediately following this event.
Plaza Hotel and Conference Center
211 E. Ninth St.
Carson City, NV

Monday, April 30

8:30am – 9:15am
Meet and greet with local supporters
Comma Coffee
312 S. Carson St.
Carson City, NV

9:30am – 10:30am
Meeting with AFL-CIO Leaders
Nevada AFL-CIO Headquarters
602 E. John Street, Carson City, NV
(Closed to the public and press.)

11:00am – 11:45am
Conversation on Darfur with Carson High School students and parents
Carson High School
1111 North Saliman Road
Carson City, NV
(Open to the press, but closed to the general public. Media planning to attend should contact Josh McNeil for rules regarding coverage of the students)

12:00pm – 1:00pm
Meeting with the Nevada Democratic Legislative Caucus hosted by Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus and Speaker Barbara Buckley
Nevada Legislature
401 S. Carson Street
Carson City, NV
(Closed to the public and press.)

7:30pm – 9:00pm
Community Rally
Arturo Cambeiro Senior Center
330 Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV

Tuesday, May 1

7:30am – 8:30am
Breakfast with Hispanics in Politics
Dona Maria's Restaurant
910 Las Vegas Blvd. S
Las Vegas, NV

10:00am – 11:00am
Forum with Culinary Workers Local 226
Culinary Local 226 Headquarters
1630 S. Commerce Street
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(Open to press, closed to the general public.)

Richardson the First One Airing Ads - In Iowa and New Hampshire

Bill Richardson is the first Democratic presidential candidates running ads - in Iowa and New Hampshire. No word on Nevada yet. So, it's nice to have YouTube and you can just watch them here:

"Life's Work"



"The Wall"



Like the ads? Don't like the ads? Either way, you can let Bill Richardson know.

Sig Rogich Contributes to a Democrat

Sig Rogich donated to a Democratic presidential candidate.

No, this is not a joke:

Among Richardson's contributors in the first-quarter presidential fundraising reports that were released last week was well-known Las Vegas Republican consultant Sig Rogich, who is one of the top fundraisers for McCain's campaign.

Rogich said he and Richardson are "really, really, really good friends" who like to go to boxing matches and usually have dinner when Richardson is in Las Vegas.

"I'm all for John McCain. I think he'll make a great president," Rogich said. "But I definitely think Bill Richardson is capable to lead the country."

Yeah, the former White House Senior Assistant to Bush I, the Gibbons puppet master and current National Finance Co-Chairman for the Republican Governor’s Association gave money to a really, really, really Democratic presidential candidate. And he maxed out as well, giving the maximum $2,300 for the primary.

Other, less significant party line crossers are business execs in the Casino and developer industries who apparently want to make sure they've contributed to the next President, no matter who he or she is.

All the snuggly details (and why University Chancellor Jim Rogers is hosting a fundraiser for Richardson) can be found in today's LVRJ "Political Notebook" by Molly Ball.

Richardson to Address Carson City Dems on April 29

Gov. Bill Richardson will be in Carson City on April 29th for a fundraiser for local Democrats:

Presidential candidate Governor Bill Richardson will be the guest
speaker at the Carson City Democrats annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 29th, at The Plaza Hotel and Conference
Center, 211 E. Ninth St.

Richardson, recently re-elected to a second term as New Mexico's
Governor, has previously served 15 years in Congress and as Secretary
of Energy and Ambassador to the United Nations under President Bill
Clinton. He has been nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize
for negotiating the release of hostages, American servicemen and
political prisoners in North Korea, Iraq and Cuba. Governor Richardson
recently negotiated a 60-day cease fire in war-torn Darfur following direct talks with rebel leaders and the President of Sudan.

Also scheduled to speak at the dinner are Nevada State Treasurer Kate
Marshall and Jill Derby, Chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party.

The event is a fundraiser for the Carson City Democratic Central
Committee. The cost is $125 for a hosted cocktail reception and dinner
or $60 for no-host cocktails and dinner. To make reservations or for
more information please contact Carson City Democratic Headquarters at
775.841.3367 or visit the CCDCC website at www.carsoncitydems.org.

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.

Non-Responsiveness

Two weeks ago, on March 26th I wrote two e-mails to both Gov. Bill Richardson's communications director Pahl Shipley as well as to the Stonewall Democrats in DC about Richardson's address to the Las Vegas National Training of the Stonewall Democrats on March 24th. I really wanted to write about it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything on either Richardson's nor on the Stonewall Democrats website about his speech.

To this date I have not received a response from either.

Therefore, much to my regret, no details on Richardson's address to the Stonewall Dems in Vegas.

LA Times Goes to Elko

Scott Martelle has a report about the Democratic presidential caucus in Nevada in today's Los Angeles Times with two focuses. One is on the decision to bring in organizers from Iowa to run the Nevada Caucus:

Wary of a repeat of the 2004 Democratic caucuses, in which unprepared organizers were overwhelmed by a record turnout, the Nevada Democratic Party is drafting veterans of Iowa's famous caucuses to direct its Jan. 19 nominating campaign — including building a new precinct-level organization and adapting a computerized tabulation system initially designed for Iowa.

The party plans to spend more than $2 million as Nevada moves to second on the 2008 Democratic primary/caucus calendar in an effort to reverse its largely irrelevant past role in determining the party's presidential front-runner. Organizers say they expect up to 100,000 of the state's 494,000 registered Democrats to take part, an exponential increase over the 8,000 who turned out in 2004 — itself a record.

"It definitely will be much bigger than last time around," said Jean M. Hessburg, the former Iowa Democratic Party executive director hired to oversee the Nevada caucus. "Being one of the first four early states does gin up turnout beyond anyone's experience in Nevada."

The other focus is on Elko. Yup, the big guys in the traditional media are taking note of the rurals, actually venturing beyond the glitz of Vegas. Here's part of his take:

But some Democrats are champing at the bit — and surprised by what they're finding. A few weeks ago, the Elko County Democratic Party announced that it would start lining up volunteers at its regular March meeting at the Red Lion casino. For local Democrats — who are outnumbered 2 to 1 by Republicans — it was like a spymaster's summons to come in from the cold.

"There were people that walked through that door who were Democrats, and that you never knew," said Duane Jones, owner of an outdoor clothing store who volunteered to chair his precinct's caucus. "It's nice to be around some people with the same feelings and who have the same views."

It is in places like Elko County where the Democrats hope to make their biggest inroads — in part because such places have been dominated by Republicans for years.

Maybe the gamble will work and Democrats will actually be able to make inroads in the rurals. One can only hope. Naturally, this won't happen if the candidates don't show up. So, it'll be interesting who'll be the first to tour the Nevada outside of Clark and Washoe Counties. I'm betting on Bill Richardson.

Read Scott Martelle's whole article here.

It's all about the Benjamins

So, the numbers have come out. It's all still a little bit sketchy, that's why I'm waiting for April 15th by which date all donations will be public. It'll be interesting to see how the candidates did in Nevada. Here's the picture so far, courtesy of Jerome Armstrong at MyDD:

          1Q(internet) General  Senate  Available  COH      Donors

Clinton    $26M (4.2)   $6M      $10M    $30M                50,000
Obama      $25M (6.9)   $1.5M            $23.5M             100,000
Edwards    $14M (3.3)   $1M              $13M                40,000  
Dodd       $4M                   $5M     $9M        $7.5M
Richardson $6M                           $6M        $5M
Biden      $3M                           $1M

Most interesting to note is that Obama is the clear winner here, having the biggest appeal to donors. He actually has more donors than Hillary and Edwards combined. He also raised it all by himself, without any big prior infrastructure which was available to both Hillary and Edwards and he managed to outraise Hillary in the primary money race, even though she had the aid of Bill Clinton.

In the second tier, Bill Richardson is establishing himself more and more as leading the PAC and being the only one who could break into the first tier. Both Dodd's and Biden's fundraising numbers for this quarter seem rather unimpressive.

Now that they've got the money to spend, let's see how much of that they will spend to woo Nevada voters.

Bill Richardson: "I'm not a Rock Star"

Bill Richardson was on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart Wednesday night. Watch: