Howard Dean's 50-State Strategy - The Nevada Example

I'm quickly becoming quite fond of J. Patrick Coolican of the Las Vegas Sun. I always knew that national reporters are really overrated. However, I'm surprised by the quality of some local reporters. At least about Coolican's.

I could've just included this story in the news roundup but I think this deserves a little more attention. Coolican has gone on the road with John Murray, one of two rural coordinators for the Nevada Democratic Party who have been hired because of Howard Dean's 50-State Strategy.

One sneak peak:

Murray and Carissa Snedeker, his Northern Nevada counterpart, are Democrats operating behind enemy lines. After Republicans pummeled them in several consecutive elections in rural America, Howard Dean promised during his campaign for party leader that he would send resources into the Democratic wilderness. The former Vermont governor is now delivering, paying for two rural coordinators in Nevada, for instance.

Murray is organizing Democrats, recruiting volunteers, ferrying candidates into places such as Lincoln County, where President Bush beat Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry by 57 percentage points in 2004.

Those margins in rural counties, where voter turnout is extraordinary, are what delivered Bush's narrow victory in Nevda in 2004. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., says.

The lonely Democrats in rural Nevada are ecstatic, getting the attention and help they've craved for years, and they say the effort is paying dividends. Some political scientists say even a slight change in Democratic fortunes in rural America could end their recent slide. Others disagree, saying this effort could be a waste of precious resources in a year when few races could determine who controls Congress.

If you wanna know more about the good and bad sides of a rural strategy this is a must-read for you.