OPINION
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Nev. Caucuses Fascinating Next to SC
Advanced date, knotty demographic make state key for Dems
By Wesley Oliver
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Posted Jan 18, 08 9:25 PM CST
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(Newser)
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Just hours before voting begins in Nevada, its newly bumped-up caucuses are more crucial for Democrats than South Carolina's primary, blogs Sasha Abramsky of Mother Jones. Yes, Nevada has powerful unions, but it's more complex than that: outlying areas are conservative and rural, and the state is a third non-white. "For the Democrats, there’s a lot to play for in Nevada," Abramsky writes.
And Dems are paying attention: Clinton touted a 3-month, FDR-style ban on foreclosures last week, while Edwards stumped for union votes, and Obama courted Republican-friendly miners and ranchers. Interestingly, GOP hopefuls have mostly ignored the libertarian toss-up state that once loved Reagan. "And that could augur badly for the party not just this coming election but for many elections to follow," writes Abramsky.