Posted on 05/21/2005 2:24:19 PM PDT by LdSentinal
Since the 1960's, Democrats have steadily been losing ground in registrations and in partisan elective offices in Nevada, and eventhe tremendous spurt of growth in Las Vegas has not stemmed the shift away from Democrats. If Jim Gibbons is running well in virtually all parts of the state, that is rapidly approaching a lock on the gubernatorial election. All over in the primary.
Which may not be as good a situation as it ought. Not because Jim Gibbons lacks in ability, but because the Republican party is rapidly becoming the only game in town.
After all, we've learned that Republican politicians are especially responsive to the stimulus of fear. Say bad words about them in the media and they cower in helplessness.
What Gibbons did in refusing to run against Sen. Reid was unforgiveable. He definitely falls into the category of "RINO", by which he put his own desires ahead of the party and the greater good. I would certainly urge a vote against him in the primary.
Jim has always wanted to be Governor but would not run against the incumbent Democrat because of a rare, apolitical, and gentlemanly act extended to him when he, as a Republican State Assemblyman, was activated for Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
That makes it just that much worse. Those are the kinds of "deals" that have seen 'Rats holding seats in places where they have no business (reference South Dakota).
Don't think I follow. What kind of "deal" are you referring to?
In the case of Gibbons, it sounds like he "owed" Reid a favor, which immediately compromised him as a future candidate for the Senate seat.
No. He passed on running against Reid because he wanted to run for Governor, but preferred to wait until the sitting Governor retired...that's all.
The fact that Gibbons is pro-abortion and is supporting another pro-abortion candidate (his wife!) to replace him in his extremely Republican congressional district (Bush got 57% in each of 2000 and 2004) is further evidence of his RINOism.
And how the heck does Gibbons plan to be the Governor in Carson City while the First Lady is representing 700,000 people in Congress?
Remember when then-OK Gov. Frank Keating played hardball to try to get his wife a Tulsa-based Congressional, and the people of that district would have none of that. Being a First Lady IS a full-time job, and this whole scheme of the Gibbonses is a wee bit much to take.
Unfortunately, there seems to be only 1 other viable candidate in each of those two races. Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt is a declared candidate for Governor, though I don't know much about her, she seems like she may be too close to the incumbent, Kenny Guinn, who has been a fairly piss-poor RINO leader.
As for the Congressional seat, Sec of State Dean Heller is the only major opponent of Dawn Gibbons. Heller was one of those who also should've attempted to take on Reid last year but opted not to, so therefore, my opinion of him isn't quite so warm. On the whole, these seem rather disappointing choices. You and I both have been fans of State Sen. Maurice Washington, but he seems not to want to make a move in the House race. If he ran, he could position himself between the candidate of nepotism and the candidate of Kenny Guinn/RINO establishment.
Actually, Keating was term-limited and leaving office soon when his wife ran in the GOP congressional primary, so if she won her husband would have been without a First Lady for less than a year, not for the entire 4-year term. But your point is well taken---if OK voters did not want their First Lady leaving OK City a year early to represent them in Congress, will Nevada voters elect a governor who encourages his wife to go to Washington during his entire term?
DJ, what was the name of the Democrat Congressman from far western Kentucky who lost to Ed Whitfield in 1996 I believe it was? He tried to get his wife elected in a district in far eastern Kentucky (coal country), but she lost the primary and a few months later he lost his House seat. Hopefully, Jim Gibbons won't commit the same mistake.
That would be Mr. Carroll Hubbard and Mrs. Carol Hubbard (no joke). Mr. Hubbard was the 18-year incumbent in 1992 when he was upended in the primary by Thomas Jefferson Barlow, III, who went on to win that November (though Barlow lost narrowly to Whitfield in '94, and I believe all but destroyed the 'Rats annointed Senate candidate in 2002 by his narrow loss after spending zilch). While Mrs. Hubbard in that same '92 contest (which she jumped into when then-7th District Rep. Chris Perkins bowed out) outspent the eventual primary nominee and still placed 4th in the newly-reconfigured 5th District (which combined the hyper-union 'Rat 7th and hyper-GOP Mountain/Resort Republican 5th). It was an embarrassment for the Hubbards all the way around.
Thanks, DJ. I got the years wrong.
Is Lexington "hyper-Republican mountain-resort country"? I thought that the new 6th combined Democrat coal counties with GOP-leaning suburban Lexington, while Rogers' 5th CD combined heavily RAT coal counties with hyper-Republican areas.
DJ, never mind, I see that you were talking about the 5th all along. My bad.
Say! That is very astute! (or is it asstoot?)
Speaking of the 6th, I keep wondering how on earth we're going to be able to dislodge Ben Chandler from that GOP-leaning seat. I have to give it to the KY 'Rats, it was a stroke of brilliance to lure Chandler into that special election so quickly after losing the Governorship. I'm sure many Republicans in a similar position would not have jumped at that chance.
Nevada's pretty much thick with RINOs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.