Rallies, watch parties feed political debate in Las Vegas — PHOTOS
Tuesday night's Democratic presidential debate was a big deal for Las Vegas, but come Wednesday morning, even some Democrats will be wondering if this is the best the party can do.
People from across the Las Vegas Valley tuned in — from the Strip to Henderson to UNLV — but the viewing parties were hardly high-energy affairs.
The debate at the Wynn did bring together warring Republican campaigns, though more than 100 people at the Nevada Republican Party viewing at the Henderson Convention Center were literally unmoved by the candidates' responses to questions about Edward Snowden, Wall Street and, you guessed it: Hillary Clinton's emails.
The hot-button issue of the evening was meant to be Clinton's email scandal, according to Jason Chung, Republican National Committee director of Asian-American and Pacific Islander engagement. But that debate was shut down early by Bernie Sanders who stood by Clinton's side.
Chung and Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald both agreed that it was about bringing people and the Republican presidential candidates' campaigns together.
All of the Republican presidential candidates' campaigns were in attendance. All except Donald Trump's — McDonald was not sure why the front-runner's representatives did not attend.
Many valley Democrats watched from on the Strip and at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Dozens of Clinton supporters rallied, with a blue-clad Mariachi band, on a pedestrian bridge across Las Vegas Boulevard before filing into the Wynn to watch the debate.
About a block away, more than 100 supporters of Sanders gathered in front of the Fashion Show Mall.
"The debates are rigged, in our opinion," Las Vegan Jeanine Comeau said. "They're all in Hillary's advantage. They're trying to smother Bernie as much as possible."
The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood played the debate on a huge screen facing the boulevard.
Most passersby glanced up and went on their way. Those who were walking by cheered when Sanders said he'd probably vote to legalize recreational marijuana in Nevada, but few stayed to watch the whole show.
"A lot of people my age don't have cable, so it's cool to have it showing someplace public," Cleveland resident Genna Roman, 26, said about the debate broadcast on CNN. She was coming from dinner and stopped to watch.
Not much about the debate stirred the crowd a few miles away at UNLV's Richard Tam Alumni Center.
Around 150 ticketed attendees paid for a seat at the Clark County Democratic Party-sponsored event. Were it not for the cash bar and finger sandwiches, it's not clear any would have left their seats.
"These are the best five (candidates)? There's no one else?" asked Garlyn Norris, a lifelong Democrat and Nevada state Assembly candidate.
Norris said he was impressed by Sanders' passion and Clinton's "seasoned" debate stage approach. But he longed for the jolt of energy that would have come with a surprise appearance from Vice President Joe Biden, who is still weighing a run for the White House.
And nonpartisan groups were also watching closely. About 50 mostly quiet people gathered at Lindo Nayarit seafood restaurant for a viewing put on by Mi Familia Vota, a Hispanic political organization.
Emilia Pablo said it won't be until the coming days when members of the Latino community determines how they feel about each candidate's ideas on immigration, but she said the Democrats seemed to embrace the issue.
"I didn't see anyone talk about a wall," she said.
Review-Journal writers Kimberly De La Cruz and Ricardo Torres contributed to this report. Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Find him on Twitter:@WesJuhl. Contact James DeHaven at jdehaven@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3839. Find him on Twitter: @JamesDeHaven
