Clark County GOP votes for extra presidential caucus session, inviting potential chaos, challenges

Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012 | 3 p.m.

The Clark County Republican Party, from whence sprung the genius formulation that voting is “a privilege not a right,” will have a special evening presidential caucus session on Feb. 4 that seems destined to cause controversy and further humiliation for the party and the state.

After first trying to move the caucus to Feb. 2 after pressure from Jewish activists, including a guy named Sheldon Adelson, party leaders decided this morning to have a session at 7 PM Saturday – six hours after the actual caucus is supposed to be concluded.

But questions remain, including how they can possibly allow only observant Jews in (how could they?) and whether they can ensure no one votes twice (they say they'll check the voters rolls, but we’ll see). Meanwhile, this creates the situation whereby the campaigns will have to do get-out-the-vote operations in the afternoon AFTER the caucus was supposed to be over and only in one county.

“This is the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever seen,” lamented one Las Vegas GOP insider, choosing a superlative for a party that has encouraged them during the last few months.

The main controversy inside the Clark County GOP, whose vice-chair made that incandescently idiotic comment about voting in protesting the secretary of state’s regulations recently, was how to translate the extra-session participants into delegates for the county convention. That still remains unresolved, but affects who ultimately will be eligible to become a delegate to the Tampa national confab. But it nevertheless is part of the presidential preference caucus and so results will not be available until late that evening and into the morning hours on the East Coast, perhaps.

Can you imagine the derision Nevada will confront from the national media as they await the SPECIAL caucus returns?

Making the black helicopter set even more paranoid is that the special nighttime session will occur at The Adelson School, leaving some of the GOP geniuses to worry the facility’s owner might spike the Kool-Aid with Newt love potion – or some such nonsense.

(Note to readers: Deleted point previously posted here about secretary of state's tweet. Misread tweet. Mea culpa.)

There was some talk, a source tells me, of having folks sign an affidavit that they could not attend the earlier caucus for religious reasons. Really? Why not just have the Jews be forced to wear Stars of David? Any images come to mind, folks?

Are these people that insane? (Answer not required)

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner told me he has been approached in the past by Jewish leaders about not having his primary on a Saturday. It is a real concern and should have been addressed (or not) – months ago!

As it stands, unless the state party can somehow head off this potential nighttime nightmare, we could be headed for yet another national embarrassment and, potentially, controversial and challenged results.