Nevada/South Carolina: Winners and Losers

WP political blog, "The Fix," by Chris Cillizza
01/19/2008
Nevada/South Carolina: Winners and Losers

....WINNERS

The Reids: Rory Reid went out on a limb last spring by signing on as chairman of Clinton's Nevada effort. That effort paid off, as Clinton's victory affirmed Reid's role as a power player in the Silver State. Rory's father, Harry, who also happens to be the Senate Majority Leader, finally got the early presidential vote in his home state that he had long craved. Nearly 120,000 people voted in the Democratic primary, a turnout that eclipsed even the most rosy of expectations -- except those of Sen. Reid who predicted a huge turnout.

Hispanics: Hispanic voters made their voices heard on behalf of Clinton. Hispanics comprised roughly 15 percent of the Nevada Democratic caucus electorate, and they went with Clinton by huge margins. Privately, Clinton's campaign was crediting Latinos with helping to deliver the state for her.

Math Nerds: The fight over whether Clinton or Obama won the most delegates in Nevada exposed the arcane and incredibly complex calculations that sit at the heart of this nomination fight. The Fix, an English major, could barely keep up....

LOSERS

John Edwards: Edwards insists he is in the race through the Democratic convention. That "damn the torpedoes" rhetoric sounds good, but when you get four percent of the vote in Nevada it rings a bit hollow. If Edwards only manages a third-place performance in South Carolina, does he pull out? Or does he stay in the race, seeking to collect delegates and improve his ability to be a kingmaker down the line?

Culinary Workers Union: The influential Las Vegas union came into today's caucuses with a lot on the line. A win for Obama would have affirmed the union as the most powerful force in Nevada Democratic politics. The loss, however, and the depth of the defeat along the Vegas Strip -- where Culinary was supposed to be at its most powerful -- is sure to stoke talk among Silver State politicos that the emperor has no clothes.

South Carolina Republicans: More than 573,000 South Carolinians turned out in 2000 to vote in the Republican primary between George W. Bush and McCain. With nearly 90 percent of precincts reporting, less than 400,000 votes had been cast. Contrast that with a surge in Democratic turnout in each of the first three primary/caucus states -- Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada -- and Republicans have reason to worry about November 2008.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/01/nevadasouth_carolina_winners_a.html

Cause...thats all it is...limit losses to hope for another day/election

I want him to keep doing his best to get his message out. Edwards is our strongest candidate. Neither Obama nor Hillary will be elected in November. Only Edwards can win in November. His message is clear, his language simple and straightforward. He knows the issues and can answer any question on any political topic in language every American understands. He is the best at framing the issues. He can win.

Close your eyes and listen to the candidates. Close your eyes. Forget about race and gender. Listen to Edwards.

a damn who wins...I think hillary will keep up the war and pander to the corporations... and I just can't warm up to obama... I'm not sure what he is and what he will do...I will vote for whoever wins the nomation...but not sure either one will do much to fix things...

when I have lived in this country. But I cannot vote for Obama at this point because of his lack of appreciation for the progressive movement of the last 50 years. I do not think Hillary can win. She is the shill of the corporations and of the corporate media. I am seriously thinking I won't vote for either Obama or Hillary but write in Edwards name. Edwards is the only candidate that I believe will make a good president. I don't trust Obama or Hillary in that regard.

Having yet another Republican president would be devastating to our country and possibly the end of the democracy that we know. But electing a Democrat who will not or cannot rid the country of the domination by the mega-corporations and the oligarchy they form would be worse than that. I do not believe that either Hillary or Obama understands the problem about the domination of our government by the mega-corporations. They just don't get it.

Hey, I really like Edwards too, but he is a victim mainly of bad timing. He was squeezed between two big names with larger purses and more solid bases. If he can not somehow pull out a win in SC, the state of his birth and I think much of his childhood, he's done ! (and it's NOT looking good now) He'd be foolish to try to stay in just to lose, and lose, and lose...at some point reality has to set in or ALL credibility is GONE. With a good, smart campaign EITHER Hillary or Barack could win in November, and actually win quite handily. One thing that MUST cool down though, right now, is this gender/racial fight. That hurts us in the long run in a year when we need to be powerfully united across dimensions. What we have going for us are the winds of change, a rather fractured GOP, and a move back to the bread and butter issues that will be so prominent. When we settle on a nominee, we need to UNITE BIGTIME and work to get Independents over to our side. WE NEED TO MAKE THE ELECTION ABOUT AN INDICTMENT OF THE HUGE FAILURES OF BUSH AND RIGHT WING CONSERVATISM. Do that, and we can win the general.