Nevada’s Middle Child: Is Reno Jan Brady?

Originally Published on NevadaNewsmakers.com, 8/29/2007 1:31:13 PM

We’re not Las Vegas. We’re not Elko. We are the middle child, neither as glitzy and sophisticated as our big sister to the south, nor as small and charming as our rural sisters.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!… or is Vegas, Vegas, Vegas a more suitable lament for Reno? Presidential candidates shower our big sister with attention, and feel the political imperative to court our rural sisters. But Reno often gets spouses and surrogates. And almost all of the candidates were quite comfortable passing up a uniquely formatted event in Reno last week, designed by the Brookings Institution and hosted at UNR. As originally conceived, the forum would have afforded each of the top four candidates in each party an uninterrupted half-hour to talk.

Mitt Romney skipped that event, but within 24 hours of it, he made an appearance at the Mount Rose ski lodge to cheer on the Reno-Tahoe Winter Games Coalition in its effort to win the 2018 Olympics. At that meeting, Romney offered a lyrical account of what it means to be an Olympic host city. (At least twice during his presentation, the Reasonable Reporter, who abhors crowds and cares nothing about sports, caught herself hoping fervently for a chance to be a volunteer ticket taker at the Reno-Tahoe games, or to be tasked with clearing snow from the bleachers, for the sheer experience of having played a tiny role in the Olympic tradition. Could this be an indicator of Romney’s ability to persuade less passionately partisan general election voters?)

From the Mount Rose meeting, Romney headed for a private Tahoe fund raising event. He had just been in Elko and Las Vegas, but no room on his calendar for the UNR forum. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!

Just a few weeks back, Hillary Clinton was caught, in the moments following a public debate, in a still-audible, off-mic exchange with John Edwards about the need for an event that would free up the time used by the Gravels and Kuciniches, and allow the serious candidates – i.e. those with a prayer of winning – to thoroughly discuss the issues. The University of Nevada event was just such an opportunity, but it was not on her calendar either.

As the Reno forum unfolded, the Clinton campaign was instead off to see the rurals, with Terry McAuliffe at the helm. Rural organizers for Hillary began their McAuliffe tour at Jerry’s restaurant in Fallon, where a group of about 25 undecided Dems and committed Hillary supporters received a pep talk with special emphasis on the importance of showing up on caucus day. (A developing theme in all the campaigns. Anxiety about whether and how well Nevada will perform its early caucus role.)

McAuliffe rejected the notion that when candidates talk up the importance of Nevada in this race — and they always do — they are talking about Las Vegas. He reiterated the Clinton campaign’s strong commitment to the rurals. The Reasonable Reporter respectfully pointed out that Reno is not part of rural Nevada, and then proceeded to explain the format of the UNR event Mrs. Clinton skipped,   making reference, even, to Clinton’s own expressed desire for such an event.

McAuliffe pointed to Bill Clinton’s Reno appearance on Mrs. Clinton’s behalf the previous Friday, and to his own presence for the impending rural tour from Fallon to Elko. Nobody, said the Clinton campaign, can question Clinton’s commitment to Reno, although the Reasonable Reporter had, in fact, just done so.

And so it was that Bill Richardson and Joe Biden, who may in their own way bear some resemblance to Jan Brady, had the Democrats day of the Opportunity 08 Forum at UNR to themselves. And no Republicans showed up at all.

Do Candidates Really Need a Theme Song?

Originally Published on NevadaNewsmakers.com, 6/26/2007 4:23:02 PM

Apparently they do, and it didn’t start with Bill Clinton, whom the Reasonable Reporter is just beginning to forgive for his appropriation of Fleetwood Mac in 1992. FDR’s theme song was “Happy Days Are Here Again,” according to one pop music expert.

 

Hillary Clinton occupied considerable news consciousness last week with her announcement of “You and I” by Celine Dion as the official theme song of the Hillary Campaign.

 

Several experts in the field of precision music selection agree Celine Dion is perfect for the job. She’s upbeat, family-friendly, and has no negative headlines associated with her. (These experts – all radio programming executives — have forgotten that Court TV and the entertainment press gave copious coverage several years back to claims that Dion’s husband had sexually assaulted a woman in a Las Vegas hotel. Hubby was ultimately cleared, and the claimant was charged with extortion.)

 

It’s interesting to note that the radio format known as AC, or Adult Contemporary, has heated up, ditching artists like Dion in favor of younger and skankier singers. Celine is too soft for AC and too young for Oldies, the experts say. While she has clear appeal to women 35 and older, she’s not receiving significant airplay on any radio format. No longer popular, but perfect for Hillary?

 

America’s really not that hip, says Chuck Taylor of Radio and Records Magazine.

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Who Loves John Edwards? Part I

 

A thousand or so Democrats were looking for a presidential candidate to love this weekend at the Damonte Ranch High School auditorium. But John Edwards didn’t seem to wow them the way Obama and Hillary wowed them.

 

Even by his own account, the central theme of the Edwards campaign is not a political slam-dunk. Edwards told the assembled Nevada voters he’ll nonetheless continue to talk about the “two Americas.”

 

He doesn’t mean rich America and poor America. The “two Americas,” he said, are the very rich, and everyone else. 

 

As one of the very rich, Edwards has been repeatedly put on the defensive about his own lifestyle relative to the lives of the poor. Edwards came to life as he defended himself on this point, catching fire for the first time, 20 minutes into his 30 minute speech:

 

“Reporters ask me…’How can somebody with your resources talk about the poor?’ 

I don’t claim to be poor. But does that mean I can’t speak out for people who don’t have a voice? Does that mean I can’t stand up for the disabled, the disenfranchised, the poor? I’m here to tell you whenever you do that you’re going to get attacked. Every time you do it, you’re going to get attacked. 

 

“It’s always true in American history. Because people who have wealth and power, they do not want to hear this. They want this message to be squelched, and so they try to kill the messenger. Let me say this very directly, they are not going to kill this voice. As long as I’m alive, I’m going to stand up for people who need somebody to speak for them.”

 

Is poverty high on the list for Nevada Dems? The admittedly unscientific applause meter says they are more focused on the Iraq war, to which Edwards devoted 3 minutes, or ten percent of his prepared speech. His call to get out of Iraq drew a standing ovation. The far more detailed, more researched, and lengthier discussion of poverty received standard town-hall-meeting applause.

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Who Loves John Edwards? Part II

 

Assemblyman David Bobzien, (D- Dist 24) and Assemblywoman Debbie Smith (D- Dist 30) were front-and-center for the Edwards appearance. Are they endorsing? No. Both said their presence should not be so interpreted. But they have been pitched – by Edwards and everyone else. The presidential campaigns never stop hounding Nevada politicians for support. 

 

“It’s relentless” said Smith. 

 

Bobzien and Smith said they were there to perform due diligence on the candidate. 

 

“Nevada’s elected officials owe these candidates the respect of showing up,” added Smith.

 

Bobzien disappeared for about 15 minutes behind the makeshift “backstage” curtain in the Damonte Ranch High School gym. When he returned, he took the stage and introduced the candidate.