Day 28: Nevada

[MaC]

As of 2004:

Well, it went for Bush about 50-48 (or something like that) this time around.  Didn't even break 50% for him in 2000.  Clinton won Nevada in both of his elections.
   As mentioned in another thread, it was commonly called "most socially liberal Bush state", probably a good deal of voters are more libertarian leaning than the national average--as it was a good campaign strategy on Badnarik's part to advertise here last year.
   Many Democrats have their eyes on how this state will vote in 2008.  Will it go for them or a Republican?  It's currently a 'swing state', but will it always be like that or will it go solid for a party?

An interesting state, much moreso than yesterday's Nebraska.  Your thoughts?

[AkSaber]

The fastest growing state every year since 1986.

One thing I find interesting, that unlike Pennsylvania or New York, the big city doesn't boss around the rest of the state. I guess it's because Kerry won Clark County by 4.9%. Undoubtably much, much more competitive than Philadelphia or NYC.

What I've started to think is that there's Las Vegas, and the rest of the state is pretty empty. With the exception of Washoe county.

I also believe that Clark county will stick with the Dems, but winning it by as wide as a margin as you can will immensely help. The rest of the state where almost no one lives is pretty GOP solid.

Something else I just don't understand is why did Bush do so well in Nevada in 1988, but the state has become one of the most fiercely contested battleground states.

[Alcon]

I think one common misconception about Nevada is that it is socially liberal.

I think that the legalisation of prostitution and gambling has more to do with economic benefit in this state.  Las Vegas is a mostly working class city and votes on things like gay marriage show it.

You'd think that Clark County would be one of the more gay marriage-friendly counties in the state, but it actually voted to ban gay marriage by about the state average - the closest county was Storey, which contains the ex-mining town (!) of Virginia City.

[Aguagon]

I'll agree that Nevada's social liberalism is little more than a myth.

Clark County only went for Kerry by 51.7%, and its margin for Clinton in both '92 and '96 was very thin. My guess is that Nevada will trend Republican, and only go Democratic when the Dems are running an exceptionally charismatic candidate. Somewhere down the line (once my largely libertarian generation starts voting), I could see a libertarian candidate having great success there.

[Alcon]

Aguagon,

Nice post.  Welcome!