1. Nevada Gets Fired Up For The 2016 Democratic Caucus
By Noah Fischel
After most pundits and journalists spent the majority of 2015 salivating over the
next U.S. Presidential race, we’ve finally arrived at the real thing. Welcome 2016!
And what better way to get pumped for the caucuses and primaries than having all
three Democratic candidates attending an event here in the "Battle Born
Battleground"?
Well I wouldn’t necessarily say, “pumped”, but it is quite exciting. Seeing as Nevada
is the third state in the election cycle for the Democratic candidates, it’s a pretty big
deal for them to try and win us over, especially because Nevada is not only a swing
state, but is also the first state to have a wider margin of diversity than Iowa and
New Hampshire. Strictly speaking, in a poll of likely Iowa Democratic voters, 92%
identified themselves as Caucasian, while the same poll of likely New Hampshire
Democratic voters had that number jump to 94%. Only 74% of likely Nevada
Democratic voters are white, which means that the candidates will have to try much
harder to appeal to minorities if they want a chance to win Nevada.
With big names in Nevada politics, like Dina Titus, Harry Reid, and U.S. Senate
candidate Catherine Cortez Masto all making appearances, the whole building
seemed to shake with each roar of applause, before Nevada State Democratic Party
Chair Roberta Lange finally introduced the candidates.
Hillary Clinton started off the night with a rousing appeal to her supporters from
the Battle Born state, while Martin O’Malley, who has consistently scored in the
single digits in polls since the start of his campaign, tried to vie for voters by
explaining his accomplishments as the former Mayor of Baltimore, as well as
Governor of Maryland. Bernie Sanders, after rushing on stage from finishing a rally
across the street only minutes before the event, stuck to his assertions that his
political revolution has what it takes to change America. But while their messages
and topics may have varied, one thing was consistent with all three candidates.
Republicans cannot be allowed to take the White House, nor can they keep the
senate any longer.
Harry Reid had focused a good portion of the beginning of his speech about the four
congressional seats on the line this election season. Undoubtedly, the Democratic
Party will have to do all they can to win back those seats so that any of the three
candidates’ plans for the country have a shot of being achieved.