THE BLACK KNIGHT
DUCK, DUCK ... QUACK QUACK
BY GEORGE HARRIS

Primaries are just 13 months away and Republicans have no visible registration program. We are behind in every targeted district; we must start registering Republicans, otherwise we’ll continue to remain in the minority. It’s an easy concept — get all your ducks in a row, then on Election Day turn them out for victory.

So why hasn’t such a program already launched? Simple. Kenny Guinn.

Since he was elected governor, the Nevada Republican Party hasn’t had a registration program of any consequence, and that’s the way Guinn wanted it. He ignored increasing Republican registration for fear of facing a credible challenger in a Republican primary to earn a second term. His handpicked chairwoman, Earlene Forsythe, ensured there wasn’t a meaningful registration program. This — coupled with the fact that during Guinn’s first term he worked with Democrats to gerrymander state Assembly districts — ensuring that Republicans had no chance of taking control of the state house for years to come. This was the recipe Democrats needed to grow state government by 55 percent during Guinn’s tenure. That’s the bad news. 

Here’s the good news: Guinn is a lame duck, and most Republicans have caught on to his game. We have the opportunity to fix the disaster Guinn created by working together to register Republicans. But we must start today. Party members must bypass Guinn cronies within the state party and revitalize the party at the county levels. If we don’t start registering Republicans, taxes will continue to increase along with government. 

We have good things going on. Bob Beers is petitioning his Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR), which looks to limit government spending to growth, population and inflation. His campaign will also feature a Republican registration drive in front of supermarkets. Sharron Angle will be petitioning her Prop 13 to ensure property taxes stay low. Furthermore, Republican groups like the Nevada Republican Liberty Caucus will be registering Republicans in targeted districts. 

But, that’s not enough. Each of us must contribute immediately. The gravest mistake we can make is forgetting to ensure that everyone in our own households is registered — mostly our kids. Next we need to make sure all of our friends are registered. If we just do these two things, Republican registration will increase significantly. I’ll make sure you have all the materials to get the job done. Simply e-mail me and I’ll send a registration packet to you. 

Registration isn’t glamorous, but if we keep ducking this problem, on Election Day we are going to look like quacks. LW