Democrats are coming to town

When Shelley Berkley enrolled at the school that's now UNLV, it was nicknamed "Tumbleweed Tech," and, she recalls, "the trees were shorter than I was."

But both have come a long way since 1968. Berkley is a congresswoman representing Las Vegas. And two weeks from today, her alma mater will be the biggest political stage in the United States for a night, as the Democratic presidential candidates come to town for a debate that will be broadcast live on CNN and moderated by Wolf Blitzer.

The Nov. 15 debate in the Cox Pavilion at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is one of only six debates officially approved by the Democratic National Committee, ensuring that all the candidates will attend. Given the timing, less than two months before the first primary votes are scheduled to be cast, Las Vegas could be the site of big developments in the race for the Democratic nomination.

The debate stands to showcase Nevada's new role in the political process, with both Democrats and Republicans scheduled to hold nominating caucuses Jan. 19, before most other states have voted.

"This is a great opportunity for the nation to see Nevada, check in and get a sense of how Nevadans are feeling about the caucus and the major issues facing our country," said Kirsten Searer, deputy executive director of the Nevada Democratic Party.

"It won't just be the debate. We'll have dozens and dozens of national and international media in town who will want to do stories about Nevadans and what we think about the major issues, about Westerners, about the rise of the West as a real pivotal area for a presidential candidate to win on the way to the White House."

America will be watching. According to ratings by the Nielsen Co., the dozen debates broadcast on cable since April have each drawn at least 1 million viewers.

Most recently, the Oct. 21 Republican debate, held in Florida and broadcast on Fox News, had about 2.4 million viewers, while the Democratic debate in Philadelphia earlier this week on MSNBC had 2.5 million, according to Nielsen.

"The race is ramping up and up," said David Bohrman, CNN's Washington bureau chief and the producer of the upcoming debate. "We've all been pretty surprised at the consistently strong viewership in the last few months, and now that we're within 60 days it's going to continue to grow."

Despite fears of "debate fatigue," viewers don't seem to be getting tired of such broadcasts, Bohrman said. "People are across the board really interested in this presidential election," he said. "People are watching these debates because voters are still largely undecided, and they're trying to make a serious decision about who they're going to support."

Tuesday's Democratic debate provided a good preview of what Las Vegas is in for. Major newspapers around the country carried a Philadelphia dateline on their front pages, and the political world continues to buzz about what's being called a potential turning point in the race for the nomination.

Previous debates were seen as relatively static affairs, but now that the candidates see the clock running out, they're becoming more aggressive, making for a lively, unpredictable and possibly pivotal showdown.

In Philadelphia, the candidates not named Hillary Clinton were more vehement than ever before in criticizing the front-runner in an attempt to dethrone her and distinguish themselves. The volleys can be expected to intensify when the battle moves to Las Vegas.

Bohrman said the Las Vegas debate format will include local questioners and an emphasis on "issues close to Nevada voters." In addition to Blitzer, CNN's Campbell Brown and John Roberts will be on the questioner panel, while about 100 handpicked locals drawn from the ranks of undecided Democratic voters and activists will sit in a "red zone" where they can be called upon.

The network is still figuring out how large a live audience the pavilion will hold once the stage is installed; it is expected to be around 2,000. For now, tickets aren't being issued, but those who want to attend can call or e-mail the state Democratic Party to be put on the list. The deadline to request a ticket is Friday.

Blitzer also will broadcast his show, "The Situation Room," from Las Vegas on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15, the network said.

Other activities are being planned around the debate. The night before, the ONE Campaign, the star-studded, bipartisan anti-poverty effort, is hosting a concert at the UNLV campus' North Field featuring up-and-coming local band The Cab. The 6:30 p.m. show is free for students and $5 for everyone else.

During the debate, which starts at 5 p.m., the Clark County Democratic Party will host a debate-watching party in a ballroom at Paris Las Vegas, followed by a fundraising dinner that all the candidates have indicated they will attend.

The party hopes to draw at least 1,000 people at $125 a head for an unusually prominent edition of its annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

"It's going to be the biggest social event in Nevada Democratic political history," said John Hunt, chairman of the Clark County party.

It could also be a key venue for the candidates hoping to win over Nevada Democratic voters, he said.

Around this time four years ago, all the candidates attended an Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., wowed the crowd of hard-core Democratic activists with a large contingent of supporters and an impressive speech, and the campaign believes that was a major factor in Kerry's surprise win in Iowa and eventually of the nomination, according to Hunt.

"This (the Clark County dinner) will be their chance, because the vast majority of the people going to the dinner are the precinct captains and precinct chairs for the caucus," Hunt said. "These people are very engaged, and a lot of them haven't made up their minds yet."

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2919.