Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

OTHER VOICES:

No middle ground. Many people … are either full partisans or sick of it’

Matt Hufman’s take on Campaign 2012

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Hufman

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A Q+A with: Matt Hufman

Editor/Editorial and Opinion Pages, the Las Vegas Sun, and a contributor to “Our Metropolis” on KUNV 91.5 FM. On Twitter: @MattattheSun. Online: lasvegassun.com/opinion.

What trends have you seen this election?

Incredible spending, negative campaigning and the power of third parties. Money and third parties are king, and they’re largely going negative. What’s the return on investment for these corporations and big contributors (left or right)?

Any you are pleased with or worried about?

Pleased: The rise of fact checkers. Worried: The disparaging of fact checkers and the disregard of the facts in the campaigns.

How would you tag this election on a blog?

Attack ads, money, jobs, economy, flexible facts, middle class, 1 percent, little substance.

What’s the best thing(s) you’ve seen this election?

The state Senate race between Benny Yerushalmi and Mark Hutchison. Both are personable, smart men who said they wouldn’t go negative. As far as I’ve seen, they’ve held true to that.

Worst thing(s) you’ve seen?

The negative ads. They’re overwhelming and brutal, and they only serve to tear down the public’s trust in politics. And they seem to work, even the blatantly false ones.

Any Nevada-specific trends?

Nevada as a battleground state. It seems like, “If it’s Tuesday, there must be a presidential candidate in town.”

Anything else notable/memorable for you?

There’s no middle ground: Many people I talk to are either full partisans or sick of it all and want it all to go away.

Campaign terms/clichés that should be retired?

Repeal and replace; I’ll create jobs; government is like a business; the polls say.

Any surprises you’ve seen so far? Any potential upsets or surprises you see on Election Day?

I’m surprised at the way some third-party groups have gone down the ticket. Also, the outrageousness of some of the ads and mailers. Surprises or upsets? This could be a year of them. I won’t be surprised by the election ending in recounts and court challenges.

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