Opinion: Elko becomes Iowa (at least for a few hours)
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LAS VEGAS -- When the Nevada Democratic Party, with the national party’s blessing, decided to move its caucuses to Jan. 19, voters in places like Elko were all atwitter. The reasoning was that as the main population center in northeastern Nevada, with 16,700 people (the security line at LAX might have more people in it), the major candidates would have to visit.
Someone, finally, would pay attention to the ‘rurals,’ as they’re called here, which is pretty much everywhere across the deserts and mountains outside Las Vegas and Reno-Carson City. And a few politicians did come. But it wasn’t the political lovefest they had anticipated.
Until now.
Beginning with a John Edwards rally at 8:30 tonight, four of the major presidential contenders will be holding rallies in Elko over a span of about 18 hours. On Friday, residents might as well take the whole day off work and watch the spectacle. Mitt Romney -- the only Republican spending any time in Nevada -- starts the day with a 7:40 a.m. rally at Adobe Middle School. (Will they need a hall pass?) Hillary Rodham Clinton has a rally at 1 p.m. at the Elko Indian Colony Gymnasium, and 90 minutes later Barack and Michelle Obama rally supporters and the curious at Elko High School.
And in a mark of how upside the whole process has become, Elko County Republicans outnumber Democrats 8,668 to 3,878, or more than 2 to 1. But Elkonans, if that’s what they’re called, will see three Dems and one Republican.
Which makes you wonder how the turnout will skew come Saturday.
-- Scott Martelle
