Thursday, November 04, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

STEVE SEBELIUS: Mistakes were made

Well, that could have gone better.

The votes having been counted. It turns out that George W. Bush won the popular vote and the Electoral College. For the very first time, I might add. But that means Bush will be president, sans recounts, hanging chads and dramatic trips to the U.S. Supreme Court.

It was close, mind you: 52 percent for Bush, 48 percent for Kerry. Here in Nevada, Bush took 50 percent to Kerry's 47 percent. In fact, Bush won Nevada by almost the same number of raw votes -- 21,567 -- as he did four years ago. Despite its growth, Nevada mirrors the nation in its political split.

You'll search in vain for a mandate in those numbers. A little more than half of all Americans want tax cuts, No Child Left Behind and faith-based programs? And the other half wanted health care for everybody, repeal of tax cuts for the rich and a more sensitive war on terror?

It wasn't Yucca Mountain. That much we can say for sure.

This campaign began and ended with terrorism, from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to the 11th-hour appearance of the author of those attacks. Osama bin Laden may have reminded Americans that they're still in peril in a dangerous world. Polls show that many Americans trusted Bush with defense of the nation more than they did Kerry, and our fellow citizens are reluctant to replace the commander-in-chief in wartime, even if the war is manufactured.

Nevada Democrats, having watched their party lose ground in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, were left to crow only about picking up a few seats in the Legislature (they won back a traditionally Democratic state Senate seat, and had a net gain of three seats in the Assembly). The Republican "Contract With Nevada" was a total flop, said the Democrats.

That's got to be the worst consolation prize in political history.

There were some brighter spots for the Democrats: U.S. Sen. Harry Reid won with his largest margin ever -- 25 points. And Rep. Shelley Berkley rocketed into Jim Gibbons territory with 63.5 percent of the vote. At the end of a chaotic election night in which Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle lost his job, Reid was plotting strategy to take over, which would make him the most powerful Nevada lawmaker ever.

Beyond that, messages were hard to discern.

Voters refused to raise education spending to the national average, which would have entailed a huge tax hike. But they narrowly said yes to an advisory question on raising sales taxes to pay for police.

Voters in Clark County Commission District F responded to a flood of negative campaigning and retained their incumbent, Lynette Boggs McDonald; but voters in District B rejected negative campaigning directed against Assemblyman Tom Collins and tapped him to replace indicted Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey.

Hundreds of new voters flocked to the polls in Nevada's highest-turnout election ever -- statewide, 77 percent of registered voters showed up -- but the only reason the presidential contest wasn't a mirror of 2000 was that independent candidate Ralph Nader got fewer votes.

Good news was found in some far-flung places, as former Assemblyman John Lee retired way-past-his-prime Ray Shaffer in Senate District 1. Ditto for the state Supreme Court, where appointed Justice Michael Douglas turned back a challenge from Independent American Joel Hansen, whom polls showed as competitive. The ever-earnest Mo Denis picked up Vonne Chowning's old Assembly seat, and the best freshman assemblyman to come along in years -- William Horne -- was rewarded by running unopposed.

While they did good at the top of the ticket -- U.S. Rep. Jon Porter easily disposed of Tom Gallagher, who should have done much better -- some Republicans may lose by winning. Assemblyman Rod Sherer took 73 percent on Election Day, facing only token third-party opposition. And because he had the extra time on his hands, Sherer took time out to campaign against Richard Perkins.

Whoops. Perkins won re-election with 55 percent, and will undoubtedly win another term as speaker. You can bet he's at Office Depot right now, buying a special trash can into which he'll toss every bill Sherer even thinks about writing. It's better to be king than would-be kingmaker.

Steve Sebelius is a Review-Journal political columnist. His column runs Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Reach him at 383-0283 or by e-mail at ssebelius@reviewjournal.com.