Mother Jones: Sorry, Hillary Clinton, Nevada Is Actually a Diverse State

[Depaysement]

In an attempt to lower expectations for the upcoming caucuses, she's misrepresenting the state's demographics.

Stinging from its lopsided defeat in New Hampshire and bracing for a tougher-than-expected primary fight against Bernie Sanders, the Hillary Clinton campaign has sought to lower expectations for the next contest, this Saturday's Nevada caucuses. To do so, the campaign has been subtly pushing a curious line: Don't read too much into the results of the Nevada caucuses, because the state is disproportionately white, just like New Hampshire and Iowa.

As I explained last week, Nevada should be a firewall state for Clinton, and that's how the Clinton campaign long painted it. But last Tuesday, campaign spokesman Brian Fallon tried to dash those impressions during an appearance on MSNBC. As recounted by Buzzfeed's Ruby Cramer, Fallon tried to suggest that Sanders had an edge in the caucuses thanks to the makeup of the state.

"There’s an important Hispanic element to the Democratic caucus in Nevada," Fallon said. "But it’s still a state that is 80 percent white voters. You have a caucus-style format, and he’ll have the momentum coming out of New Hampshire presumably, so there's a lot of reasons he should do well."

Campaign manager Robby Mook, who ran Clinton's 2008 campaign in the state, made a similar argument the next day when talking with congressional Democrats:

Is Nevada as lacking in diversity as Iowa and New Hampshire? Not even close. It's actually one of the more diverse states in the country. The population is 9 percent African American, just a few points below the national average of 13 percent. It's also 9 percent Asian American or Pacific Islander, above the national 5.6 percent average. And Nevada boasts a far larger Latino population than the country writ large: 27.8 percent, versus 17.4 percent nationally.


http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/hillary-clinton-nevada-diverse-latino

[7wo7rees]

1. Maybe Hill should consider Mook needs help....

Or maybe he needs a break to spend time with family.

Just seems as though he may not be serving too well....

[Depaysement]

2. Mook tailors the facts

To fit the meme.

[7wo7rees]

3. Doesn't seem to be working too well..

Mook needs a vacay, ......

Mexican Riviera maybe....

[MADem]

4. It's not the population diversity, it's the VOTING population diversity.

Someone at "Mother Jones" (which sounds counterculture, but seems to lean right every time I read an article from it) may have forgotten to do their homework and/or didn't listen to what Mook said. If that 28 percent number is correct, why is it that only 17 percent of the VOTING population is Hispanic? Answer--they're undocumented, or the Dreamer Children of those undocumented workers.

How many of those API residents are citizens, and how many are here on green cards? We've had an ENORMOUS influx of wealthy people taking up residence coming from China. Many from the Philippines come here for job opportunities as skilled nurses and other work.

I don't think MJ considered these aspects.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/32000.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/11/21/the-undocumented-immigrant-population-explained-in-7-maps/
https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=1484

https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=1484

[Depaysement]

5. Actually it is about whether

The voting population in NV is like NH and IA. It's not, no matter how many undocumented people and ineligible wealthy Chinese voters there are.

Mother Jones leans right? Come on now.

[MADem]

7. I don't think anyone--save you--is making that claim.

Mook was commenting about the demographics of the voting population in Nevada--his numbers are close to those of the census bureau. He wasn't saying they are "the same" as any of the states they've been to thus far.

NH is pretty much white as the snow that covers the ground, and their white population is above 90 percent. IA is pretty white, too. NV is much more colorful, but much of their flavor can't vote or caucus. The trick is to reach the people who can influence the outcome.

MJ is rather libertarian in many of their aspects--and many libertarian views are completely incompatible with the social welfare model--and you know that, so yeah, "come on now." "Progressive" does not equal "liberal" anywhere in the real world--it's only used as a synonym here on DU.

[Depaysement]

8. CNN entrance pools say both Mook and you are wrong

35% of the caucus-goers in the 2008 Nevada Democratic caucuses were minorities. You can find that on page two right here: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls/#NVDEM

John Ralston, probably the state's best known political reporter, mocked Mook's nonsense:

I understand the desire of Team Clinton to lower expectations in Nevada after being crushed by Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire. But both Mook and Fallon know that 80 percent figure is ludicrous, and the attempt to make Nevada seem like Iowa and New Hampshire is a spin too far.

The facts:

Nevada’s Hispanic population is about 27 percent. African-Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders make up almost 10 percent each. That is, nearly half of the state’s population is made up of minorities.

. . .

The Democratic caucus population was 35 percent minority in 2008, according to exit polls, and is expected to be as high as 40 percent in 2016, according to local Democratic sources. This is nothing like the 90 percent white caucus participation in Iowa, for instance.

You can find that here: https://www.ralstonreports.com/blog/team-clinton-tries-lower-nevada-expectations-incredible-ie-false-claims

[left-of-center2012]

6. Clinonistas: Nevada's white, so it doesn't count

[Depaysement]

9. Take a look at what nonsense they are spewing

https://www.ralstonreports.com/blog/team-clinton-tries-lower-nevada-expectations-incredible-ie-false-claims

[left-of-center2012]

13. If they keep that up, people won't trust Hillary.

Oh wait ~ voters already don't trust her.

[bigtree]

10. Clinton repudiated staff for suggesting Nevada is just like Iowa and New Hampshire

In an interview over the weekend and to be broadcast Tuesday on "Ralston Live," Hillary Clinton scoffed at the notion, put out by her staff, that Nevada is just like nearly all-white Iowa and New Hampshire.

See the clip below and watch Tuesday evening for exclusive interviews with Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

watch:

https://www.ralstonreports.com/blog/clinton-repudiates-staff-nevada-being-just-iowa-and-new-hampshire

[Depaysement]

11. Good - she had no choice - it's a ridiculous claim

Someone should tell MAdem this.

[Divernan]

12. 9% black; 28% Latino;9%Asian Amer./Pacific Islander =s 45% non-white

Cue Bill Clinton preaching again how we're all all mixed race: black, Asian, Pacific Islander, AND Latino?
(But also claiming elsewhere that Hillary has the "black" vote.)

Maybe someone can explain to Bill & Hill the difference between race as a biological construct and race as a social construct. It's not your human genome, Bill, it's your physical appearance, i.e., skin shade which determines whether a traffic stop or arrest can turn lethal or not.

Spin it, Bill!
Spin it quick and spin it slick!
Spin it all day and spin it all night!
You da Spinmeister, baby!

huffingtonpost.com/entry/bill-clinton-mixed-race_us_56c1cf6ce4b0c3c55051de41