January 10, 2008
Presidential Caucuses to be Held Around the County

Photo by Dave Maxwell Hillary Clinton campaign support worker Catherine Hazelton explaining Caucus 101 procedure at Caliente meeting

By Dave Maxwell

Come January 19th the nation will be focusing its attention on Nevada as it becomes the first state in the West, and the third state in the union to hold a 2008 presidential caucus.

At least three of the Presidential candidates have had campaign workers conduct meetings and caucus information sessions in Lincoln County. Both Governor Bill Richardson and Hillary Clinton campaign workers have visited Caliente. Mitt Romney had one of his sons make stops in Lincoln County. Democratic candidate, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, is expected to appear personally at meetings in Caliente and Alamo this Friday. Whether or not the other candidates will only court voters in Las Vegas and Reno while in Nevada remains to be seen.

Hillary Clinton supporters were the most recent visitors with a caucus information meeting January 4 at City Hall in Caliente. Catherine Hazelton, of Oakland, CA, was there to explain to local Democrats the who, what and how a caucus is operated.

In meeting with Democrats in Caliente, Mrs. Hazelton said the reason Nevada moved to third in the line of national state caucuses, following Iowa and New Hampshire, was because Senator Harry Reid wanted to give the West an earlier voice in the presidential primary process. Hazelton said that Reid, in making his case before the Democratic National Committee for giving Nevada an early caucus, “argued the fact that the West has its own unique set of issues that are very different from the Midwest and East and the Nevada population is quite reflective of the nation, a good gauge as to what the rest of the nation looks like.” She commented that Senator Reid has also said politically, Nevada is now viewed as a swing state.

A Democratic presidential debate is scheduled at Cashman Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 15, at 6 pm and will be televised on MSNBC.

Lincoln County voters, both Democrats and Republicans, will meet on Saturday, January 19 to caucus. Republicans will meet at the Caliente City Hall for the Caliente, Pioche and Panaca precincts and in Alamo at the Alamo Annex. Democrats will meet at Olson Senior Center in Caliente, the Pioche Town Hall, Panaca Town Board room, and in Alamo at the PV Senior Center.