Harry Reid: Too big to fail

Do you think South Dakotans in 2004 felt like Nevadans feel in 2009? You know, in a Tom Daschle/Harry Reid sort of way.

I'll bet Daschle made the same re-election pitches as Reid's crew does today.

Daschle, you will remember, was then the Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate, just as Harry is now. He was powerful inside the Beltway, just as Harry is now. He tilted further left than his constituents on social and spending issues, just as Harry does now.

Eventually the cumulative chagrin of South Dakota voters reached the tipping point.

Nevadans (South Dakotans) must -- must! -- re-elect Reid (Daschle). Not on the merits of performance, but because he's a Beltway big shot. Conventional wisdom says he's just too darn powerful to throw away. He's politically to a small state what AIG is to the economy -- "too big to fail."

I'm not buying that bedtime story, and if Harry's smart he shouldn't either. Even in the best of times, Nevadans love to hate Harry. In fact, the further away Harry gets from the dwindling numbers inside Las Vegas union halls, the testier people become toward him.

If Harry banks his re-election on the theory that Nevadans would be stupid to vote him out, then mark your calendars because you can count on a whole lot of stupid breaking out on the Tuesday morning of Nov. 2, 2010.

Now, as I am always careful to say, my warnings of discontent don't mean Reid shouldn't be re-elected. He has no opponent yet and there are arguments to be made for Reid. I'll deliver what I think is a pretty good one in a future column.

But today I want to square up once and for all on the bogus "r-u-stupid" argument advanced by the Reid camp.

When Reid supporters play the stupid card I tell them, "OK, I'll drink the Kool-Aid ... if you can tell me exactly how his 'power' has benefited Nevadans."

The answer always is pregnant silence.

That's because Reid's power so far has done more for Reid personally than it has for Nevadans as a whole. He's got a big office. He can pick up the phone and ask Nancy Pelosi and Chris Dodd for directions. But he can't honestly say his power has made a difference in the lives of Nevadans. He's delivered to Nevada about what any senator should deliver through the screwy Washington patronage system. As for using his power to make important changes in, say, a broader job base for Nevadans, Reid's been ho-hum at best.

Now, some will argue that is a point in Reid's favor. Part of what ails the nation is the earmark and seniority patronage systems.

I'm OK with that argument.

And some will say that Harry's good for Nevada because his left-leaning politics are in sync with the soft socialism of President Barack Obama.

More's the pity, but I am also OK with comrades who wish to make that argument.

But, please, I beg you, don't tell me we must re-elect Harry because he's powerful. I'm not OK with that argument.

Unless Harry wants the Daschle Dutch-rub on Election Day, he better start dealing with the work-a-day problems of Nevadans -- not promises about unicorn "green" jobs, cooler summers and lollipop-powered automobiles. From Las Vegas to Reno, the "power" argument won't cut it in the living rooms of people who have been hit hard by this recession ... and get little help, or hope, from Washington.

Sherman Frederick (sfrederick@reviewjournal.com) is publisher of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and president of Stephens Media.