NV-04: A Surprising Turn

Earlier this year, Jim Rogers surprised many with his endorsement of Danny Tarkanian. Many kept asking why someone who's cared so much and done so much for public education would endorse someone who really doesn't care about our schools. Well, I guess this was a relationship that was doomed to fail. Last week, Rogers wrote this.

With one statement, Danny Tarkanian removed himself from the group of politicians I will support in the upcoming election. Tarkanian, in a debate with Horsford, said he didn’t believe higher education should be a right. He said new provisions to subsidize college education would not be wise because of the economic problems facing the country. This is an outrageously ignorant statement. Only higher education has the ability to prepare our citizens to make the American economy recover. Tarkanian’s views would continue to spiral the downward plunge of the American economy.

Indeed, Baby Tark actually did say that. And he's reiterated his support for the "Balanced Budget Amendment", which is less about actually balancing the federal budget and more about defunding public education while also gutting Medicare & Social Security to death. Perhaps this weighed on Rogers' decision (redo) as well.

Oh, and there was also this.

Jim Rogers, the mercurial television station owner and former head of the Nevada System of Higher Education, has changed horses in the Congressional District 4 race.

Once a blistering critic of Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, he now said in an interview he is supporting him over Republican Danny Tarkanian.

“Of the two, he’s the better candidate,” he said. “I still have problems with Steven. But, you know, those are more irritating than substantive.”

He sent a letter to Horsford on Thursday saying he would not support Tarkanian because “my enthusiasm for his candidacy has waned” as he learned about Tarkanian’s “understanding of the critical issues facing Nevada.”

Rogers also said Horsford committed to bringing a “full service medical school” to Southern Nevada.

“I am also pleased by your written commitment to me to bring expanded health and medical services through a new complex to be built in Southern Nevada which will be anchored by a full-service medical school,” Rogers said.

You know, it helps to work with someone who actually wants a working government. Steven Horsford gets that. And it finally dawned on Rogers earlier this month that Horsford gets that... And Tarkanian does not.

That's really the story of this NV-04 race full of crazy twists and turns. One candidate actually understands the office he's now running for, while the other simply does not.