The 2008 presidential caucuses are over and the Nevada political community can now return to some normalcy; unless it’s for a fundraiser, don’t expect to see the presidential candidates return anytime soon – though Nevada’s potential competitiveness in the general election will cause competition for our five electoral votes.

Now the focus goes back to state and local politics: Can Democrats beat Bob Beers or Joe Heck and capture control of the State Senate? Might Republicans make substantial gains in key State Assembly races?   Could Jon Porter lose his congressional seat to Rob Daskas? Will Jill Derby, fresh off rave reviews for the state Democratic Party’s performance in attracting 100,000 voters to participate in the caucuses, agree to a rematch against Dean Heller?  Are Nevada politicians as afraid of D. Taylor and Culinary as they were last week? And will Jim Gibbons rebound – as many Governors do after their first year or two in office – and win re-election in 2010?