We've learned two big lessons thus far this year: 1) Mitt Romney really sucks as a candidate, and 2) Nevada Republicans are (thus far)
the most incompetent in the nation. Democratic pollster Mark Mellman explains just how bad they flubbed it:
[Nevada] Republicans missed a key opportunity to organize and grow their base. In part because of historic turnout in the 2008 Democratic caucus, Democrats transformed what was a nearly 6,000 person registration disadvantage in late 2006 into an advantage of almost 35,000 after the caucus. That momentum carried through to Election Day, by which time Democrats amassed a 100,000 person registration advantage. By comparison, Republicans have actually lost ground in the run up to their Caucus, as GOP registration declined by some 18,000 between November 2010 and January 2012.
Republican turnout in the Nevada caucuses fell from 44,324 in 2008 to 32,894 this year—meaning that John Freakin' McCain was exciting Republicans more than Mitt Romney and field. For a party that claims to be so fired up about beating President Barack Obama, they sure don't seem to be reflecting that sentiment at the polls.
In Nevada, GOP voter registration is down, voter turnout is down and party competence is down—it took Republicans two days to count those votes this year, while they were able to do it in one day in 2008 (with more votes to count).
The Nevada GOP is in trouble. They got a respite in 2010 because of national trends, but whether it's the drop in Latino support, or the drop in, er, everyone else's support, and given demographic trends in the state ... I'll say it now—Nevada will now, or by next election cycle, be as blue as California.