NDN Blog

(via Marc Ambinder) Lindsey Graham's primary challenger, Buddy Witherspoon, is running an incredibly harsh anti-immigration spot in South Carolina. It basically has people with Spanish accents saying "Gracias, Linsdsey Graham" and "Lindsey Graham" the entire time. Check it out below:

It seems as if Witherspoon's candidacy is focused heavily on immigration, as his Google search ad displays his immigration position (below) and his website features the same position above all other issues.

Here's a quick video of Senator Obama discussing community colleges and investing in infrastructure. Apologies in advance for the sideways video and the video quality - I took this with my digital camera. Also, please don't judge me for not having a steady hand.

Before I hop on my plane, I wanted to post a few pictures from an Obama event I attended this morning in Henderson, NV. (Disclaimer: most of the photos that are semi-clear are because I used someone's head in front of me to block the spotlights that were shining right at me.)

Security was tight:

Senator Obama thanked his campaign organizers in Henderson before speaking:

This woman was in tears after her daughter got her picture taken with Obama:

I'll post a few videos later tonight.

For analysis from tonight's debate, check out the Reno Gazette journal.

My quick take: Aside from the slip from Brian Williams about the location of the debate - Tim Russert helped him recognize his mistake - tonight's event was pretty amicable. The debate started off by addressing the controversial remarks of late, which provoked one heckler to shout, "We don't want these race questions coming from you two". Then the debate got into the nitty gritty. The economy was the next subject and was discussed rather in-depth for what we're used to seeing. There was also some interesting conversation on local issues like Yucca Mountain, gun control, high drop out rates in schools, etc.

There was talk of coalition building among the candidates, as well as many "I agree with" or "I think [blank] said it well". Though that's not to say there weren't disagreements. One interesting exchange was between Barack Obama and John Edwards on the Iraq war and what it means to leave combat troops behind. I will try to find video of that as soon as possible. 

I think Hillary Clinton did a great job in bringing the focus of the debate back to the issues the event was supposed to address. 

Related aside: The Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial board will endorse Barack Obama. 

I wanted to post a few pictures and videos leading up to tonight's debate. I wasn't able to take a camera or cell phone into the debate, so I apologize if some of the content is blurry. I wanted to get as much as possible!

Obama visibility:

This is just a reminder to tune in to tonight's Democratic Presidential Debate in Nevada. It will air on MSNBC at 9:00PM EST and will be re-broadcast on Telemundo.

Getting ready for tonight's debate, I just wanted to show you all what was on the frontpage of the Las Vegas Sun's website this morning.

More from the Reno Gazette-Journal, the Lahontan Valley News, and the Elko Daily Free Press.

As always, if you have any comments on these posts, or what you think will happen at MacWorld, log in and post them below.

I dropped by West Las Vegas tonight to see a former NDNer, and happened to stumble upon an event with former President Clinton. I'll have more written on this tomorrow, but in the meantime check out the videos below. The first is a quick glimpse out the crowd. In the second video, Rory Reid, Clark County Commissioner and Chairman of Hillary Clinton's Nevada campaign, Introduces President Clinton:

We dropped by the Cashman Center, the site of the debate, to see how things were shaping up for tomorrow. Check out the pictures below:

Outside of the Cashman Center:

Looking at the back drop from behind the stands:

The back drop:

MSNBC's press area:

The general press area:

We stayed central to Las Vegas today, checking out a few press conferences which promoted tomorrow's debate as well as the caucus in general. Before I get to the rest of my post, I'd like to give a shout out to the debate's sponsors: the Nevada Democratic Party (links below); 100 Black Men of America; the African American Democratic Leadership Council; the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; IMPACTO; and the College of Southern Nevada; the third largest community college in the nation. We'd also be remiss if we didn't give a special shout out to Senator Harry Reid for his efforts in bringing the presidential process to his home state.

Just a reminder: check out NDN's materials on the caucus if you're looking for background on Saturday's main event. If you're reading this from Nevada and are going to be caucusing, the following resources are sure to be of assistance:

NV Democratic Party

NV Democratic Party's Caucus Website (English)

NV Democratic Party's Caucus Website (Spanish)

After talking with folks around here, it seems like the debate is going to play a similar role in the decision making process as those of Iowa and New Hampshire. As for specifics, some folks here have told us that their final decision will be based on the candidates' approach to immigration. Obviously the place they are most likely to hear that is either on MSNBC or Telemundo, where the debate will be broadcast.

Also, among those I've spoken with who are planning to attend the Democratic caucus, many seem quick to use the "we'd be okay with either candidate if that's how the chips fall" argument. People just want a good turnout, a theme which the Nevada Appeal chose to echo in its editorial, encouraging folks to just show up. What is clear is that folks in Nevada want their chance at voicing their opinion. Hopefully Saturday's turnout represents that.

(The photo below was taken outside of a press conference that took place this morning in North Las Vegas at the Imagine School. At the press conference, the debate partners gathered to discuss issues affecting minority communities that might come up at the debate.)