Any chance of passing a school choice measure in the Nevada Legislature would have to be approved in the state Assembly. The teachers union controls the Democrats on education issues. The Democrats control the Assembly. And Speaker Barbara Buckley controls the Democrats who control the Assembly.
Indeed, there was a scholarship bill before the Legislature last year which would have given tuition assistance to parents of children with autism and other learning disabilities to use at a private school in Las Vegas which specializes in educating such children. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate, but was killed in Speaker Buckley’s Assembly without even giving it a hearing.
So clearly the primary objective for those of us who support the notion of giving parents choices in education is to defeat Barbara Buckley at the ballot box in November.
With that in mind, the idea of me (or is it “my”?) moving to Las Vegas and running against Speaker Buckley for her assembly seat this fall has been suggested. And I have to tell you, I believe this issue is so doggone important that I’m actually entertaining the thought.
And it’s not just Buckley’s opposition to school choice that’s a problem. The Speaker is just plain wrong on a host of issues, especially the tax issue. She’ll raise your taxes. I won’t. She won’t tell you. I just did.
But here’s the thing…
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?
Buckley’s district has a HUGE Democrat majority. And she won her re-election race in 2006 with almost 66 percent of the vote.
Compounding the challenge, I’d be running as an Independent since I left the GOP a year ago for a wide variety of reasons, not the least of which was the party’s failure to hold the line on taxes and spending at both the state and federal levels.
Plus, there’s a Republican candidate who has already announced his intention to run for the seat. So he and I would likely split the anti-Buckley vote.
And if that’s not enough, the “word on the street” is already out there that anyone who gives money to a candidate challenging a Democrat assembly incumbent will be dead meat in the Speaker’s office. Speaker Buckley is reportedly taking names and will exact vengeance on folks who even so much as put their names on fundraising invitations for GOP assembly candidates.
You can imagine what she’ll do to anyone who dares give me a dime, which will make fundraising a gigantic problem.
So the question is: Is it worth it?
Would it be worth uprooting my family and moving to Las Vegas to run against Speaker Buckley in a race I’d almost surely lose? Would anything be gained other than elevating a number of campaign issues important to limited-government conservatives and taxpayers? I don’t know.
What do you think?
Sure, it would take a miracle to win in November. But miracles DO happen. Heck, the Americans beat the British in 1776. And how about the ’69 Mets or the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team or the 2007 Giants? For that matter, what about John McCain’s comeback win this year after being written off for dead just six short months ago?
A decision on this has to be made in a matter of days. The law requires that I establish residency in the district by April 1st. That doesn’t leave us much time. So please let me know what you think by sharing your thoughts on this subject below.
And Happy Easter…if that’s not too politically incorrect!
Posted on March 22nd, 2008 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada
Chuck,
I’d love to see it happen, but I’d hate for you to uproot your family for what is a 1 in a thousand chance (maybe 1 in 100 if you can get the Republican to not run).
What you need is a Democrat who is moderate (there are more than a few in this state, regular every day Dems aren’t really reflected by the lefties in the assembly) to challenge her in her primary. It’s a tiny district with a lot of Latinos. Maybe a conservative Latino business owner who is a registered Dem?
You’re an independent so you don’t need to just back Republicans. If you can find moderate Dems to back against some of her incumbents you’ll make them spend a lot of their money in primaries when they need to be saving up for the general. Most districts you can run a viable primary with a fairly small amount of money if your candidate will walk. Some will even win - important when you look at the registration numbers and realize lots of those seats can’t be won by the GOP. Hell, find some moderate Dems to run in the open seats and help them against Buckley’s candidates (5, 21, 23). Then she won’t have as much money for the general for districts that CAN be won. You can use issues like the autism thing to show how out of touch she is.
Anything you (we) can do to reverse the sewer-flow of money into our broken union-controlled education system will be most appreciated by the taxpayers and the kids that are being short-changed by bad teachers. You are biting off a big chunk of work here … think twice, and be sure to consult with your wife and family before you leap into this slime-pot.
Don’t waste your time or money on this windmill. Use both to get this needed issue passed another way.
Bucking the tide all the way is a Quixotic thing to do but I’d welcome you to Southern Nevada with open arms!
Do it Chuck. Do it for every honest soul on the planet.
I think Greg (above) is on the right track and unless you actually join the democratic party…! Running as an independent will not work since the people won’t generally vote for them (e.g., Ron Paul).
Chuck, Nice idea, I know you are a family man, with that in mind you get more done doing what you are doing. Don’t upset the family for a lost cause. You can pretty much say and do what you want at this point. Do you really want to spent the time and money on this office? Hope you make the best choice. Dale Andrus
Chuck,
I’ts not you. You are an advocate, not a politician. You’ll have more influence as an advocate than as a politician.
Don’t do it. Only a Democrat with celebrity status could beat her in her district this year.
With that said, I’d love to see you run for the House or school board in Reno or in a different L.V. district! You’d be great.
Chuck - I say go for it. You have the same passion and dedication that our founding fathers did and if they hesitated we would still be under the yoke of British rule. Nevada desperately needs your leadership and Carson City is pretty much a dead end as far as my experiences go - thus the move to Idaho. Perhaps you will be the saving grace of a good ole boy state that has virtually crushed sanity and conservativism in favor of self-interest and graft. I know for a fact you are one of the only decent leaders left in the state and you would have my support for what little that is worth these days…
Terresa
Chuck, there comes a time when the senseless war against windmills requires a reality check. So let me ask:
Is the GOP candidate one of us? If yes;
Can he/she win? If yes;
Can we raise the money necessary and can anyone dig out enough dirt on Buckley to help throw the race?
If the answers to these questions are “no,” then the suggestion of a moderate is fine with me, the idea is to get buckley out of power. Unless there are some young turks in the democrud party who are willing to overthrow her like Perkins did to Dini, then the fight has to be to get her out of office.
Chuck I believe that you will be giving your children the greatest gift that they will ever receive from any parent. I think that you can get great things accomplished as you are dedicated and sincere in your beliefs. My family is completely involved in political affairs for the first time in my 88+ years and we are Delagates for Nevada at this time and hopefully to the National convention. If your family is for your doing it, “Give Them your best”. Our Prayers are with you.
I will support you if you do make the move. I will pray(GASP) that the decision that you make will be one that your family will support. As a former Conservative Committeeman in New York , I applaud your effort for school choice. Even though her district is heavily democratic, I have the feeling that if one approaches the people correctly they will vote for the people that will do the most good in the long run. We have to point out the negativism of the local democratic party and how they are doing the people of Nevada a great injustice by blocking school choice. I mentioned at the Las Vegas Town Hall meeting I worked in an inner city school and watched people come in every week and pay the tuition with dollar bills they earned waiting tables being maids or anything they could do to make the tuition monies. This was also in the poorest congressional district in the country. School choice would have helped the poorest of the poor but the Democrats blocked any chance the people had to get the best education for thier children.
God Bless and Happy Easter.
Rian
I do not know what is possible, but I know what is necessary. It is necessary for a bold sanity to be represented here, and it is not now present.
Do not bring your family until you are elected. Your wife can volunteer us to keep an eye on you until that eventuality, lest you fall into the bad habits of politicians.
You might ask the democrat voters in your district if they wish to now become like the states they left–and why did they leave?– because that is what is about to happen; or if they prefer the liberty of choosing where they will send their chldren to school, and keeping their own money. Who knows?
And let’s stop fooling around, Governor. One savy governor in a small state can accomplish things and set examples that cannot be dreamed of any other way. The evils we suffer patiently as inevitable suddenly seem insupportable as soon as we conceive the idea of escape from it.
But first things first. Activist my ass. You’re a measured and educated patrioit.
HI Chuck,
I would hate to see your wholesome family have to leave this beautiful area. Why uproot your wonderful life here to take such a long-shot, when you can simply take out the person who made sure that bill never had a hearing right here in town- Bonnie Parnell? It was her education committee that made sure it never saw the light of day, and they need a good candidate here in Carson to take her out.. You’d have a much better chance, and you could practically walk to work! BTW, Happy Easter!
Hugs to you, Gia and the little Muthlings.
MR MUTH,
YOU SHOULD DO IT AND DO IT AS A REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE IN THE UPCOMING AUGUST PRIMARY. YOUR ISSUES WILL THEN BE AIRED BY THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA. FURTHER, YOU NEED NOT UPROOT YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY FOR THIS PHASE OF THE ELECTION CYCLE . JUST MOVE TO LAS VEGAS NOW AND YOU CAN ALWAYS RETURN UP NORTH IF YOU ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL. THIS WAY, AT LEAST THE BUCKLEY’S EVIL INTENTION AGAINST SCHOOL CHOICE LEGISLATION WOULD THEN BE EXPOSED TO ALL THE VOTERS TO SEE. ONLY AN ERUDITE CONSERVATIVE MAN LIKE YOURSELF COULD THRUST THE CONSERVATIVE POSITION AND ISSUES FRONT AND CENTER DURING THE CAMPAIGN. PLEASE DO NOT RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT BECAUSE YOU WILL THEN BE DISMISSED OR IGNORED BY THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA AND YOU WOULD END UP TALKING TO YOURSELF
If it is your intention to seek the Independent American Party nomination for this seat, you need to apply prior to the April 19 IAP Clark county convention. There is a large contingent of conservative republicans who can no longer support the local party structure that is run by NeoCons. These people are moving to the IAP. Contact christopher at IndependentAmerican dot org
I would run as a pure “Independent,” not on the IAP ticket.
GOOD LUCK AND JOIN THE REST OF US CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES ON THE CAMPAIGN STUMP. THE PROBLEM IS YOU WILL BE IGNORED BY THE MEDIA OR MOST CANDIDATE FORUMS AROUND THE LAS VEGAS POLITICAL VENUE BECAUSE YOU WONT HAVE AN OPPONENT DURING THIS PHASE OF THE CONTEST.
People are tired of the same old leaders & want new leaders,new ways,
no more free lunches,etc. I am of no party, I want change ,not by Obama,
you would be a breath of fresh-air needed. If the other person is Porter?
There are many against him even in his own party. Go for It!!!!
I read on one of your other websites that you declare that you and your family live in Maryland. Would you not be a carpetbagger coming to Nevada to run for a State Assembly seat?