Patrick Coolican

By this time next week, the Nevada caucuses will be over and the state, for better or worse, will have left its impression on the presidential nomination process.  In the mean time, the state is abuzz with unprecedented campaign activity and media attention.  In what follows are some observations about what has occurred to date and what is likely to occur between now and the 19th.

Nevada as the Saucer:

The post-reform presidential nomination process has been characterized by the Iowa caucus followed a few weeks later by the New Hampshire primary.  The gap between these two contests provided time for the media and voters to put the results of Iowa in perspective and gave candidates the opportunity to reevaluate their messages and strategies before testing their mettle again.  Not so in 2008.  Because of the desire of more states to have an earlier say in the process, New Hampshire moved its primary up five days after Iowa; providing little chance for meaningful reflection between the contests with the end result being a media narrative run amok. 

Still beaming with success from N.Y. Sen. Hillary Clinton’s N.H. win, Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid spoke with PoltickerNV.com tonight at Hillary headquarters in Las Vegas about her win, Nevada’s impact on the Democratic primary and the “risks” of endorsing a candidate.