Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

SUN EDITORIAL:

Moving Nevada forward

In the general election, candidates must show how they’ll lead

Tuesday’s primary was the first benchmark in what could become the year of voter outrage. The Tea Party movement fanned the anger and is capitalizing on it to push its agenda. The movement has pushed the Republican Party and its candidates far to the right.

The success of Nevada’s Sharron Angle is an example of the Tea Party’s influence. The former state legislator rode the endorsement of a national Tea Party group to a come-from-behind victory in the Republican primary for Senate and will face Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in this fall’s general election.

In her victory speech Tuesday night, Angle declared “I am the Tea Party!” She sounded all the Tea Party themes, arguing against “politics as usual” in Washington and saying her campaign “is about taking back America.”

That type of rhetoric worked well for her in the Republican primary. The party’s base wanted a “true” conservative and what they got was Angle, who wants to phase out Social Security and eliminate various federal agencies. However, it will take more than right-wing rhetoric to win over general election voters, who are much more moderate.

Instead of playing to voters’ angst, which seems to be the prevailing strategy for many campaigns, candidates should bring ideas and solutions to address the real problems facing the state and the country, particularly in Nevada.

The state is mired in the recession, with among the highest foreclosure and unemployment rates in the nation. The schools and other services are lacking because state leaders have, for years, pushed off the hard and controversial decisions.

Unfortunately, too few candidates actually want to discuss the issues, and instead use talking points to try to sway voters. The race for governor so far has provided a contrast in campaigns.

Rory Reid, the Democratic candidate for governor, held a news conference Wednesday morning to discuss his ideas for his campaign against Republican Brian Sandoval. Although he faced minimal opposition in the primary, Reid issued several lengthy policy proposals outlining his vision for Nevada. He has, by far, offered more plans than any other major candidate for state office.

In contrast, Sandoval, who won the contested Republican primary, avoided making major statements. Initially viewed as a moderate, Sandoval moved to placate the party’s base by pledging not to raise taxes and taking a hard line on illegal immigration. Otherwise, Sandoval stayed fairly quiet during the primary, carefully avoiding controversy and letting Gibbons’ poor record speak for itself.

Given the problems facing the state, Nevada needs a thorough debate of the issues. It is time for an end to politics as usual, but not in the way the candidates typically talk about. Candidates should quit relying on talking points and empty rhetoric. It’s time for them to explain their views and cast a positive vision for the future of Nevada. The voters deserve no less.

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