Politico: Culinary gives Obama Nevada advantage (1/10/07)

I'm posting this because it's relevant now.


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Still, the Culinary endorsement could be decisive for Obama.

Here's why:

Although the union is coy about how many of its members are registered to vote, the endorsement is expected to give Obama at least 10,000 supporters in the caucus, in a contest whose turnout estimates have ranged from 28,000 to 100,000.

In a caucus, supporters of a candidate literally stand together on one side of the room, demonstrating to everyone who is supporting whom. Many Strip shift workers, Culinary workers, will be voting at so-called "at-large" caucus sites on the Strip.

This means Culinary members, for whom unity is a creed, will be able to enforce discipline. Clinton can no longer expect to win many delegates at those at-large sites.

The infusion of locked-down voters is only the most obvious benefit, however.

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The Culinary is known as the most politically active and organized union in the state and one of the most active in the country. Political observers in Nevada have long assumed the union would provide the kind of organization that could deliver victory.

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Finally, Culinary leadership, including Secretary-Treasurer D. Taylor and Political Director Pilar Weiss, are two of the most politically savvy — and feared — players in Nevada Democratic politics. State legislators and others are wary of crossing them.

In 2006, for example, the Culinary placed Lynette Boggs, then a Clark County commissioner the union opposed, under surveillance to prove she was not living in her district.

Her opponent, with the help of Culinary volunteers walking the district, beat Boggs in a landslide.

Taylor is revered by his membership for negotiating impressive wage and benefit gains in 2002 and again last year.

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Clinton has advantages of her own, including a massive organization, a slew of political endorsements and momentum.

Also, President Bill Clinton won Nevada twice, and the couple is beloved by rank-and-file Democrats here.

This sudden parity between Obama and Clinton in Nevada comes after nearly a year of Clinton appearing to be the dominant force in Nevada, leading in polls and racking up political endorsements.

The early Clinton dominance was always somewhat misleading, however.

The polling has never been considered reliable, because Nevada has never conducted an early presidential caucus, and so it's largely unknown who will show up.

And it has always been assumed that the numbers would shift considerably with a victory by Obama in Iowa or New Hampshire.
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So now Nevada comes down to this: Who can identify supporters and get them to the caucus?

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A final question is what role John Edwards will play. The former senator from North Carolina placed a distant third in New Hampshire, but he's an effective campaigner and has a sizable group of supporters, a big Nevada staff and the endorsement of the 12,500-member carpenters union.

He has hammered Clinton in recent months as the candidate of the status quo, but his message of change could take votes from Obama, who is driving the same theme.

All of this is unfolding as a race that appeared a week ago to be a mixed martial arts brawl — fast, furious and decisive — and has turned instead into a lengthy chess match of state-by-state contests.

With the Culinary endorsement, the Obama team surely sees victory in its grasp here.

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7831.html

hate America....and women? Is it a terrorist organization or something?

Consider the source, as I always say....

Never mind selling them to our sworn enemies! Iran/Contra remember

Is it non-sequitor day?

It is answer a rhetorical question day.

There was a culinary union leader who is trying to split the union over the endorsement of Obama. He is apparently well liked by the majority of hispanic members of the union. The think the Las Vegas Sun did an article about him and Hillary and her support from this faction of the union. Of course, union solidarity is apparently very high in the Culinary Union in the past, so we'll see what happens. My belief is that the lawsuit will backfire against Hillary... even though she and Bill have denied responsibility, it was telling that their statements were in support of the lawsuit and the "unfairness" of the At-Large caucuses (which is simply NOT true, but you have to really read the rules to figure that out). Anyway, I think people will be cynical and blame the lawsuit on Hillary... and the At-Large caucuses will have a very large turnout ("don't tell ME I can't vote, by god, I voting NOW, even if I lose a couple of hours of work!")

Anyway, we will know tomorrow night.

Or at least a name?

I think the Culinary will help make it closer.

I didn't bookmark it. Can't remember the guys name. I did respond the thread, so... give me a little time to research, I have been busy on DU for the last week or so (the lawsuit just pissed me off), so finding that thread will take some time.

Oh, never mind, I found it... name is Ruben Kihuen.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jan/11/power-culinary-union-hangs-balance-its-protege-kih/

we have to bear in mind that many of the culinary workers are immigrants and HRC has the education union who will be at the main caucus site.

Gobama!