Why Harry Reid hasn't endorsed Hillary Clinton ~ (Clinton Group) [View all]

[Lucinda]

Last edited Mon Feb 15, 2016, 05:13 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/has-harry-reid-endorsed-hillary-clinton-219016

This is interesting, and my apologies if someone posted it before...I checked through the last few pages and didn't see it.

Why Harry Reid hasn't endorsed Hillary Clinton
The Senate minority leader is looking to pad Democratic registration in Nevada.
By Burgess Everett
02/10/16 05:15 AM EST

"Harry Reid clearly wants Hillary Clinton to be the next president. Yet he hasn’t endorsed her, even as she struggles to ward off a resilient Bernie Sanders. The move has befuddled Republicans and Democrats alike. But the canny Senate minority leader has his own logic, naturally.

He believes that a rowdy face-off between Clinton and Sanders supporters could stoke Democratic registration in his booming home state — and give the retiring senator's preferred replacement for his seat, former state Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, a much-needed boost in a tough general-election campaign.
Indeed, Reid’s neutrality isn’t necessarily out of respect for his Senate colleague Sanders or because he has doubts about Clinton. His final order of business as Senate Democratic leader is to mobilize his vaunted political machine back home to keep his seat in Democratic hands. The Nevada Democratic Party allows same-day registration, which, he believes, could pad Democratic voter rolls by the thousands if he plays it right..."

"...
“He is very protective of his early first-in-the-West status. He worked hard to get it,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).
Some Republicans admit Reid’s strategy could put them at a disadvantage. Their caucuses are on a Tuesday, Feb. 23, which could depress turnout among working voters. And the GOP does not allow same-day registration; caucus-goers have only until Saturday to register to be eligible to vote.

Democrats already enjoy a 90,000-voter advantage in Nevada.

“They’ll probably pick up 20- to 25,000 registered voters on that Saturday,” said Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), who’s advocated for same-day registration and faced Reid's machine head-on in 2012. “It’s not a bad strategy if the goal is to get more voters registered. He’s probably making the right decision.”