EDITORIAL: Nevada Democrats should reject extremism

The surge by Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic presidential contest has many party members fretting over the possibility that a self-described socialist may wind up at the top of the ticket come November.

It’s a legitimate fear — and one that state Democrats should ponder when participating in the party’s presidential caucuses on Saturday.

Sen. Sanders’ supporters have a reputation for fierce devotion, but their candidate has shown little capacity for expanding that base to create the type of coalition necessary to win a national election. Instead, he preaches “revolution” and advocates for the destruction of the free-market economy, a system that has made the United States the wealthiest nation in history.

The results would be disastrous for Nevada and the entire country.

Take government-run health care. Even the powerful Culinary Local 226, a staunch Democratic ally, has avoided an endorsement in Saturday’s caucus, in large part due to widespread support for “Medicare for All” among the candidates. Such a proposal would kick millions of Americans — including Culinary members — off their private insurance and force them into a government-run system. This is anathema to a labor organization that has negotiated strong private health care coverage for its members. Among the remaining candidates, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has been the most outspoken opponent of such a radical reform.

The hostility of Sen. Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other candidates to the private sector should also raise eyebrows among moderate Democrats. Nevada is a fast-growing state that has made great strides in recent years to diversify its economy and attract investment. But it was among the hardest hit states during the Great Recession. Punitive federal tax rates on both individuals and corporations and excessive regulations that inhibit innovation and entrepreneurship could potentially trigger a full-blown depression and once again leave the Silver State reeling.

Nevada, with its vast, wide-open spaces and live-and-let-live reputation, has long attracted its share of transients, eccentrics, iconoclasts and, yes, extremists. But as the state has matured in recent decades, a hardy pragmatism may have overtaken the rugged individualism long associated with the Silver State. The challenge for Democrats — embodied in Nevada’s caucuses — is to find a candidate who can motivate traditional constituencies while also attracting support from moderates and independents with a platform that elevates realism and unity above radicalism and anger.

It’s worth noting that when a moderator at the New Hampshire debate asked if anyone on stage was uncomfortable with the prospect of a socialist winning the Democratic nomination, Sen. Klobuchar was the only one to raise her hand. That alone ought to give practical Nevada Democrats pause.