Democrats rally Nevadans to caucus, a tall task for some voters
LAS VEGASThe three candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination met for the first time this election year on Wednesday night, when they gathered to kick off their final weeks of campaigning ahead of the Nevada caucuses.
"Your choice in the caucus really matters," said Hillary Clinton, speaking first at the "Battle Born Battleground" Dinner hosted by the state party. "On February 20th, you will begin the process of choosing a president who has what it takes to stand up to the Republicans." She added, "A president who can get the job done."
Martin O'Malley, who again ditched his jacket and opted for rolled-up shirt sleeves, also focused his energy on the Republicans.
"I'd like to say that Donald Trump is the most outrageous and unqualified person ever to run for president, but really that's not fair to Ted Cruz," he said.
O'Malley said that any of the Republican candidates running for president would "take us backward" and he, like Clinton, put the onus on Nevadans.
"Nevada has a historic role to play in crafting the outcome of this race," he said.
The event was designed, in part, to generate more awareness and excitement for the caucuses next month. Nevada is the third of the four early states to vote, but the caucus is relatively new to the state.
"We're here tonight to assure on February 20th," said Sen. Harry Reid in his opening remarks, "we're going to have more than 200 caucuses, more than 1,000 precinct captains and other volunteers to make February 20th the best we've ever had."
But a question for all of the candidates is how to successfully mobilize their supporters. JoAnn Beebe of Summerlin, who attended a Clinton organizing event in Henderson earlier in the day Wednesday, said she caucused in 2008 but does not plan to participate this year. She said she found the process "disorganized."
"I think she'll get the nomination," she said of Clinton, who she supported 8 years ago. Asked if members of Clinton's staff or volunteers in the state had reached out to her about caucusing, Beebe described getting a call, email or text message from the campaign nearly daily.
Between selfies on ropeline at a rally in a hotel ballroom ahead of Wednesday night's cattle call, Sanders put two of his fans on the spot: "You guys going to come out the caucus?"
Liz Kransky, a bartender from Sanders' adopted home state of Vermont who now lives in Las Vegas, said she will be caucusing for the first time for Sanders.
"I honestly didn't even know that Nevada was a caucus state until I got involved with the Bernie Sanders' campaign," she said. "They have been very proactive about letting us know when it is, how the process works."
Sanders' supporters, many that were bussed from his rally to the dinner event, erupted in cheers and blew into piercingly loud, vuvuzela-like horns at nearly every mention of their candidate's name.
"That music is beautiful," Sanders said, before continuing an oft-used line in his speech about the disappearance of the middle class.
Sanders described the stakes of the caucuses, and the general election, in starker terms than the other two candidates.
"We will not succeed as a nation unless tens of millions of people, many of whom have given up on the political process...who no longer have faith in Washington, many of whom no longer vote," he said, "if we are not able to bring those people, working people, young people, low income people back into the political process, we will not be able to transform America and create a government that works for all of us."