GOP voters now should consider candidates’ knowledge of issues

Republicans who might have gone with Brown, even though he’s a Damn Democrat, voted for Chaltiel because he’s a likable Republican, even if they couldn’t understand what he was saying with his heavy French accent.

The Republican businessman captured enough of those conservative votes and handed the second-place spot to liberal Democrat Giunchigliani.

Now hard-core Republicans have a choice between Carolyn Goodman — who has been a Republican, a Democrat and is currently a nonpartisan — and Giunchigliani, who is a proud Democrat. Where will the stalwart Republicans go? Or will they stay home?

Five consultants agreed with my premise that Chaltiel drew enough support away from Brown to hand second place to Giunchigliani. But what several saw, and I didn’t, was that Chaltiel also pulled conservative votes away from Goodman, who lost a few percentage points but still came in first place with 37 percent of the votes.

Chaltiel’s consultant Ryan Erwin, who took the political unknown from “Victor who?” to the guy who came in fourth by seizing 14 percent of the vote, doesn’t know where Chaltiel voters will go.

“There’s clearly a bloc of voters who want someone more conservative, and Chris G. and Carolyn may not appeal to them,” Erwin said. “Can Chris G. convince them she’s not going to be an advocate for higher taxes and won’t rubberstamp union contracts? Can Carolyn convince voters she’s got more substance than just being Oscar’s wife?”

Brown’s consultant Jim Ferrence also said that barring a major development in the race, it would be tough for Giunchigliani to catch up with Goodman, especially among Republicans. “It was a very positive primary, except for Victor’s ads against Chris and Larry,” Ferrence said. Chaltiel hammered the two Clark County commissioners for being politicians.

Conservative blogger Chuck Muth predicted that Republicans, without a Republican in the mix, will go for Goodman because “she’s an independent, she’s not known as a philosophical partisan.”

Muth had predicted that Giunchigliani would take the No. 2 spot in the primary, basing it on the grass-roots efforts of Giunchigliani and her husband, consultant Gary Gray.

Gray said his wife was attracting voters who had never voted before in a mayoral race. Perhaps that core makes up for the loss of the staunch Republicans in the supposedly nonpartisan race.

Erwin, Gray and Ferrence all said their tracking polls showed Goodman’s numbers softening, while Giunchigliani’s supporters tend not to waiver in their support of her.

Bradley Mayer, Goodman’s consultant, cited endorsements from high-profile Republicans Dema Guinn and Danny Tarkanian as significant and a sign that Chaltiel’s voters will move to Goodman.

“Our main message is that it’s not about party, it’s about what’s best for Las Vegas,” Mayer said. He declined to speculate on why Goodman’s support seemed to soften, calling it a minor drop.

Not sure I agree, but Gray thinks the reason Goodman lost support between early voting and Election Day was the news media coverage after she made it obvious she didn’t follow immigration or gay rights issues. When blogger Steve Friess asked her about those issues, her answers were feeble.

However, if Goodman continues demonstrating an ignorance of issues outside of education, she could provide Giunchigliani with exactly what is needed to overcome the popularity of the Goodman name and the reservoir of good will Goodman built up by founding the Meadows School.

Ignorance of issues should be a defining issue for voters, including those Republican stalwarts, in all races, not just this one. But that’s just me being idealistic

Jane Ann Morrison’s column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison.