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Republicans Fear Nevada May Slip Away
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| Contributor | The Sunset Provision |
| Last Edited | The Sunset Provision Mar 29, 2007 10:36pm |
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| Category | News |
| News Date | Friday, March 30, 2007 04:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Conservative activist Chuck Muth has almost single-handedly persuaded Nevada Republicans to move their 2008 presidential caucus to the same day as the Democratic contest.
Asked Monday whether the Republicans are prepared for the enormous expense and organizing work necessary for a successful caucus, Muth said: "Absolutely not."
The state party is nearly broke, Muth said. It lives hand-to-mouth, without even enough funds in reserve to meet the next payroll, he added.
The state's Democrats plan to spend about $2 million on their caucus, and they have 16 months of preparation. The Republicans are only now starting, with just over nine months remaining.
But Republicans are willing to try because they are nervous. Democratic presidential contenders are streaming through the state, garnering news coverage and generating excitement -- largely because of the efforts of Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, who was instrumental in landing the No. 2 slot in the nation for state Democrats.
If the Republicans don't respond, the GOP may suffer for years, party members say.
"Nobody is going into this thinking that it's going to be easy," said Robert Uithoven, a Republican lobbyist who managed Jim Gibbons' successful campaign for governor. "But a lot of us would much rather face this challenge than face a well-organized and well-funded state Democratic Party in election cycle after election cycle for years to come."
Without an early caucus, Uithoven paints a grim future for Republicans -- one in which Democrats, with the help of an energized base, not only win Nevada in 2008 but also capture the legislature two years later. As the majority party, Democrats could then redraw district boundaries to their advantage during the 2011 session, he said.
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