NPR: Democrats Campaigning Hard in Nevada

Democrats Campaigning Hard in Nevada

If you're looking for another sign of how energized Democratic supporters are about this year's presidential race, the turnout in Saturday's Nevada caucuses should give another good sign. A record turn-out is expected in a state that four years ago attracted only 10,000 Democrats to participate.

Then again, the expected turnout might have something to do with when the caucuses are taking place in the political calendar, rather than any outburst of energy. (Nevada moved its caucuses up this year to give it a bigger role in the selection process.)

As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, Nevada presents a significantly different scenario for the candidates. It's the first state with a large Latino community (one-quarter of the state's population is Hispanic). Unions are much stronger than they are in New Hampshire and Iowa. And the state's main attractions are, well, filled with tourists. So Scott says the candidates have developed a three-part formula for campaigning in the state: visit a union hall, walk through a neighborhood, and hold a rally in a high school gym.

And as NPR's Nancy Cook reports, although Nevada has been in the red-state column recently, there are now more Democrats than Republicans registered to vote this Saturday. Though Nevada Republicans are also caucusing that day, the GOP presidential candidates have largely chosen to focus their efforts in South Carolina, whose same-day primary has long been seen as determinative in the race for the Republican nomination.

The caucuses, which will be held Saturday morning and last for several hours (who wants to caucus at night in Vegas, if you're not working there?), is not without controversy. As Nancy notes, "Nine hotels and casinos have been designated as Democratic caucus sites, in a move aimed at making it easier for casino workers to participate. The state Democratic Party let the culinary workers' union, which has endorsed Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, choose the sites. But that decision has been challenged in court by the state teacher's union, which argues that the sites unfairly favor Obama."

9:53 AM ET | 01-17-2008 | permalink

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