Caught between the South Carolina primary and next week’s Super Tuesday contests, the Nevada caucus holds an odd spot in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination. Disorganization plagued the caucus back in 2008 and 2012 though Mitt Romney ran off to big wins both times, in each case taking more than 50 percent. There were some glitches to be sure on Tuesday night but nowhere near what happened before.
There wasn’t much in the way of polling done in Nevada but the few surveys that were out there showed Donald Trump with a strong lead and nothing that happened after his wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina changed that.
Here’s a look at some of the winners and losers of the Nevada caucus.
Winners
Dean Heller. If Marco Rubio ends up as the Republican presidential nominee--and that’s a big if at this point--his second place showings in South Carolina and Nevada over Ted Cruz will be seen as important. Rubio narrowly edged Cruz for the silver in the Silver State and Heller should get some of the credit. Heller offered Rubio a last minute endorsement right after the Florida senator took second in South Carolina and campaigned with him earlier this week. It certainly wasn’t enough to help Rubio catch Trump but it probably helped him nudge out Cruz for second.
Brent Jones. This populist conservative assemblyman from Clarke County is one of the handful of state legislators to back Donald Trump and his gamble paid off on Tuesday night. First elected in 2014, Jones is already making a splash in Carson City on everything from making voters show an ID at the polls to offering state constitutional amendments on everything from how initiatives are passed at the ballot to judicial selection. Jones’ standing increased on Tuesday night as Trump ran over the field in Nevada.
Wayne Allyn Root. Already well known for his sports handicapping, Root burst into politics in the 2008 election cycle, running for the Libertarian presidential nomination and eventually serving as Bob Barry’s running mate on the 2008 ticket. But after that, Root jumped back into the GOP fold where he has been a leading critic of Barack Obama, a supporter of the tea party movement and a Donald Trump backer. Root has been active with Trump, especially in his Las Vegas home base, and his candidate’s win reflects nicely on him.
Donald Trump. Sure he didn’t win the Nevada caucus the way Romney did in 2008 and 2012. Regardless, this was a big victory for Trump and squelches any buzz that his rivals will pick up momentum headed into Super Tuesday. Trump’s critics seemed increasingly resigned that he would be the nominee after his win in South Carolina. His big win in Nevada just confirmed it. Trump’s easily the favorite for the Republican nomination as the contest turns national on Super Tuesday.
Losers
Glenn Beck. The conservative media figure was backing Ted Cruz, even giving a speech for the Texas Republican on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. But Donald Trump overshadowed him, walking in while Beck was giving his speech. Beck fired back and went over the top, calling Trump’s supporters “brownshirts.” Like a lot figures on the right, Beck is having a hard time coming to grasp with Trump’s rise and what it means for conservatism. But simply dismissing much of Trump’s support as Nazis goes way too far. Not only that, Beck’s support couldn’t even get Cruz the silver.
The GOP Field. None of the Republican candidates outside of Donald Trump had a good night. Marco Rubio had less of a bad night than Ted Cruz by edging him out for second but he did nothing to slow down Trump’s momentum. John Kasich and Ben Carson--why is he still even in the race?--were even less of factors in Nevada. Trump’s chances for the Republican nomination increased after his win in Nevada, bad news for Rubio, Cruz and the other hopefuls.
Brian Sandoval. Nevada’s governor has high approval ratings but was the odd man out on Tuesday. While he lashed out at Trump, Sandoval did nothing to back any of the other candidates. In truth, Sandoval is not exactly popular with conservatives due to raising taxes, backing abortion and immigration reform and breaking with the GOP over Obamacare. He’s far more popular with moderates--including Californians who moved over the mountains and came down I-80 in the Reno-Carson City area--than he is with the GOP base. Regardless, he played no role on Tuesday night and the one candidate he punched away at won.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
