Wayne Allyn Root A move's afoot to draft the sports handicapper to run for president

He's rich, telegenic and knows the odds. Why not run for president?

A movement is afoot among libertarians, gamblers and right-wing blogs to draft Las Vegas sports handicapper Wayne Allyn Root to run for president in 2008.

"This came out of the blue," Root said of the buzz. "I'm being recruited, but I have no idea whether I'll do it. Top Libertarians have been contacting me, but I need to get an idea of how much money, time and effort it would take."

Earlier this month, Root, the relentlessly self-promoting author of "Millionaire Republican," was the subject of posts on the blogs Red State and Mainstream Libertarian. "He'll win the sports vote," the Red State headline noted. Reaction in the comments section was lukewarm.

Root said he has a meeting scheduled for later this month with Libertarian Party officials. "I'd have to be convinced I had a realistic chance, not to win the presidency, but to build a base; that it wouldn't hurt my standing with the Republican Party; and that I could continue to run my business," he said.

Root described his views as "fiscally conservative, socially progressive and strong on defense." He said he believes most Americans favor his ideas, but neither major party currently embodies them.

"Both parties are a huge disappointment to the average American," Root said. "It's time for a third party. I can feel it. I'm a gut instinct guy. I'm a handicapper."

The world's largest legal oddsmaker, England-based Ladbrokes, has put odds at 2-to-1 that Root will get the Libertarian nomination, and 1-to-2 that he will get the most votes of any Libertarian presidential candidate.

Whether or not he runs, Root said, "My ultimate goal has never changed: to be the Republican senator for the state of Nevada." He said he also may run for Las Vegas mayor.

HELLER HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

Congressman-elect Dean Heller appears to have forgotten that, until today, he was also Nevada's secretary of state.

On Dec. 12, a meeting of the state Board of Examiners, of which Heller is one-third, had to be canceled for lack of a quorum. The board, which approves state contracts, consists of the governor, the attorney general and the secretary of state.

Kenny Guinn, who has made sure everyone knows he was still governor until this morning, was there, but Heller and Attorney General George Chanos were absent.

The meeting was rescheduled for Thursday, at which time Chanos appeared by teleconference and he and Guinn voted on the board's business, Debbie Christensen of the state's Department of Administration, Budget and Planning said. Heller was again a no-show.

Three items on which Chanos and Guinn didn't agree ended in a tie and had to be deferred to the next board.

Attempts to reach Heller by cell phone, through a staffer and at his Carson City office have been unsuccessful for the past week and a half.

FORD'S NO LINCOLN, OR REAGAN

When President Reagan died in 2004, the lights went dim on the Strip for a minute in a gesture of mourning. It wasn't clear late last week whether President Ford, who died Dec. 26, would get the same treatment on Tuesday, which was declared a national day of mourning on Thursday. But it didn't look likely.

Most representatives of the gaming community, in addition to practically everyone else besides newspaper reporters, were not on duty Friday, and no one could quite recall how the Reagan dimming came about.

Erika Pope, spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said she believed it had been a "grass-roots campaign" on the part of Strip properties, who came together and agreed among themselves.

Bill Bible, president of the Nevada Resort Association, said his group didn't coordinate the Reagan tribute and he, too, thought it was the properties themselves.

Rob Stillwell, spokesman for Boyd Gaming, said he was under the impression it had been the LVCVA's project.

Pope, Bible and Stillwell agreed that because of the timing, it was unlikely the casinos would get together in time to put something together for Ford, even if they were inclined to.

Everyone was too polite to point out that Ford, who was never elected vice president or president, just wasn't quite as revered as Reagan. But Pope speculated there might have been a reason Reagan would get respect from the Strip that wouldn't be accorded to just any former president.

"Reagan performed in Las Vegas," she noted. "He had an entertainer aspect to his career. I think that was a big impetus behind the Las Vegas tribute."

Indeed, in a 1954 photo taken at the Last Frontier, Reagan can be seen in a German-language Pabst Blue Ribbon apron, backed by a troupe of what appear to be dancing Cossack bellboys.

NO-FRILLS INAUGURAL

Jim Gibbons is to be sworn in as governor today, according to his staff. But while other new governors were planning state tours, kids' barbecues and public jogs, Gibbons' inaugural, scheduled for Tuesday, looked to be a pretty plain affair.

"Chief Justice A. William Maupin will publicly administer the oath of office to the other constitutional officers first, then to Governor Jim Gibbons, and the new governor will make a speech," a news release from the Gibbons team Friday stated. "Several hundred people will be in attendance."

According to a rough program, the proceedings will start with the Fallon High School Jazz Band, the Reno-Sparks Community Chorus and the 1st Nevada Territorial Volunteer Cavalry. The ceremony will include the singing of the national anthem and the state song, "Home Means Nevada"; a military salute; and a benediction by the chairman of the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe.

Maupin, a former Clark County District Court judge, appeared to be the only Southern Nevadan in the news release. The emcee is a television reporter who lives in Genoa; the pastor is from Reno; the singer lives in Carson City.

According to an article on Stateline.org, Colorado Gov.-elect Bill Ritter plans to tour the state by plane and train following his inauguration; Florida Gov.-elect Charlie Crist already has held a barbecue for foster kids to celebrate his; and New York Gov.-elect Eliot Spitzer planned to warm up for his with a 6 a.m. jog.

Contact political reporter Molly Ball at 387-2919 or MBall@reviewjournal.com.