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January 13, 2006
Can local Democrats exploit GOP divide?
What a hoot. Elephants trumpet. Donkeys bray. But 2006 will undoubtedly hold more fascination than usual. This fact has nothing to do with individual personalities, but with the state of the county's political parties. The Nye County Republican Central Committee, specifically in Pahrump, no longer enjoys the obscene clout it enjoyed in years past. Conversely, the Pahrump Democratic Party made its strongest showing in a decade in 2004, but didn't make enough headway to put a dent in the Republicans' historically profound influence on local elections. And it must be noted candidates who had the best showing among Democrats were at the state level, organized by state-level campaign managers. Time will tell if local Democrats learned what it takes to promote a contender, because as solid and strong as the Republicans have been in Pahrump for the past 30 years, Democrats have been weak, disorganized and divisive for just as long, with few exceptions. The shoe's now on the other foot, the right foot I suspect, because Republicans in Pahrump are bitterly divided - so at odds there is a quiet movement under way to secede and form a second GOP committee, one that would seek out its own funding and its own candidates. To suggest the gangrenous, compound fracture that is today's Republican Party is the result of the battle between well-respected farmer-turned-developer Tim Hafen and Pahrump Town Board member Paul Willis would be overly simplistic and would ignore the underlying debate over the local Party's future platform. The chasm is deep and stark and unbridgeable. This isn't a question of being politically right or left - this is about being morally right or wrong. Hafen is a Republican and former Assemblyman in the Nevada Legislature and he is easily the most respected person in Pahrump, Republican or Democrat. But Willis isn't a lightweight. He's the chairman of the Nye County Republican Central Committee and vice president of the state Republican Party. He cast a vote for President Bush as part of Nevada's five-person Electoral College contingent. The brothel brouhaha that erupted last year was a flashpoint that clearly illustrated the division among Republicans. The largest audience in history showed up en masse to protest Willis's plan to allow brothels within town limits. After a long line of residents spoke - the vast majority were fervent in their opposition - the measure was shot down in a 2-3 vote. Willis blames Hafen for the overwhelmingly negative response to a repeal of the law. But people aren't stupid and they weren't fooled by language stating the ordinance was simply being amended; the measure would have, in essence, taken Pahrump Town Ordinance No. 3 off the books and whorehouses could have been built, theoretically at least, anywhere within the valley. You don't have to be a Supreme Court justice to understand the difference between an amendment and a repeal. Since then, Willis has lost a fair percentage of his fan base within the Party, though he certainly has his stalwart supporters. The question is, does he have enough? It all comes down to who the majority of Republicans respect the most. I know what horse I'd put my money on, and he isn't grazing over at the town board stud farm. The irony here is that even with Republicans at each other's throats, Pahrump is still a conservative town with traditional values so it might come down to which Republican candidate gets the backing of the rich and powerful campaign donators. Prior to this year, local Republicans had an absolute stranglehold on the electorate - take a look at the county commission, five Republicans. There was a time not too long ago when many Democrats interested in elected office in Pahrump changed their affiliation just to have a dog in the fight. In fact, several people who were lucky enough to be elected as Democrats mysteriously and radically altered their party ideology mid-term in order to receive the mandatory Republican support. It seemed that was the only way to get elected, and if the Democrats remain rudderless that's how things will stay. The Pahrump Democratic Party has been as inept as Democrats have been nationwide, as a whole, since President Clinton left office. It will be interesting to see if the local club has the necessary killer instinct to pounce, knowing the Republicans are embroiled in a civil war. Can they smell blood? Time will tell - and time is not on their side no matter how tattered lies the remains of the Nye County Republican Central Committee. This one could come down to which elephant can make the herd go on a rampage and donkeys will have nothing to run for but cover. Write to Doug McMurdo at dmcmurdo@pvtimes.com. |
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