Nevada ups the ante: First candidate forum to be held 2/21 of THIS YEAR

[crispini]

From The Hotline, emphasis mine:

First, the SC Dems thought they had the first-in-the-campaign debate on 4/26. Then CNN and the NH state parties announced back-to-back debates on Friday for 4/4 and 4/5. Now, NV Dems have chimed in by not just announcing a "first" candidate debate or forum, but they've released an entire 5-event schedule.

-- 2/21 (that's right, NEXT month): AFSCME will be hosting a candidate forum (as opposed to a debate) in Carson City. Is this early to expect both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama? The rest of the Dem field won't miss it, right? This probably won't be televised nationally beyond C-SPAN though if both Clinton and Obama attend, some cable net may change its mind.
-- 3/24: SEIU/Center for American Progress health care forum at UNLV.
-- mid-8/07: apparently piggy-backing off the end of the IA State Fair, NV Dems will sanction their first official "debate" in Reno.
-- 11/2: a one-year out debate sanctioned AND sponsored by the state party.
-- 1/15/08 (one year from tomorrow): the NV Dems are sanctioning a debate for the day after the IA caucuses. Fairly shrewd move as it likely guarantees that all the Dem candidates will fly directly from Des Moines to Vegas, rather than Des Moines to Manchester.

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/01/nevada_ups_the.html

[David Dunham]

1. I think major candidates will skip this. Too early.

[crispini]

3. Yes, I agree. nt

[BlueStater]

2. 21 months before the damn election?!

This is going to be a looooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg two years.

[pocoloco]

4. WTF were they thinking???

[crispini]

5. Eh, this is just Nevada's way of saying, "Look, we're real early now!"

It's an attention getting device IMO.

[Ignacio Upton]

6. When was the earliest candidate forum in 2003?

I think there was one in February or March of that year.