(Karri Bragg) – For the fourth round of First Friday Happy Hour Brew-ha-ha this past Friday, November 6th, 300 fans of limited government packed the VIP section at Stoney’s Rockin’ Country Bar on South Las Vegas Boulevard to enjoy a cold beverage and rub elbows with Clark County’s finest conservatives and libertarians.
When you looked around the room you would have sworn Election Day 2010 was already upon us. Anti-Reid shirts smattered the crowd, as well as buttons and stickers promoting guests’ favorite pick for U.S. Senate. As a matter of fact, the current front-runners in the Republican Senate primary, Sue Lowden and Danny Tarkanian, were both on hand to meet and greet with their fans.
Senate candidates weren’t the only special VIPs in the crowd. Our featured guests – Governor Jim Gibbons and Publisher of the Las Vegas Review Journal Sherm Frederick – were introduced by conservative talk-show host and event emcee Alan Stock of KXNT, then took the stage and gave a few punchy talking points on why 2010 could in fact be the year for a conservative comeback. Both guests were kind enough to work the room and pose for plenty of photos with the crowd.
For the first time, a raffle drawing was held for a special Night Out in Vegas package for two. The governor pulled rookie First Friday guest Jim Moran of North Las Vegas’s name from the bowl. No word yet on whether Jim was given the shake down in the parking lot by any competitive guests who really wanted the dinner and show tickets.
Other notable politicos in the crowd this First Friday were: Congressional District 3 candidate Joe Heck (still in his medical scrubs from the ER!) and his wife Lisa Heck, CD3 candidate Rob Lauer, former Clark County GOP chairman Bernie Zadrowski, CCGOP treasurer Swadeep Nigam, Assembly District 13 candidate Elizabeth Halseth and State Senate District 5 candidate Michael Roberson, to name a few.
Last but certainly not least, we were thrilled to have with us, all the way from Amargosa Valley, Assemblyman Ed Goedhart. If you don’t know his name yet, learn it! He is the new Chairman of the Nevada Republican Study Committee, a stalwart advocate of fiscal conservatism, and a stand-out citizen legislator up in Carson City.
As we look back on another hugely successful event, we’re not sure the lure of First Friday can be pinpointed – is it the cheap drinks? The country music at Stoney’s? The chance to meet like-minded folks or talk with your elected officials or candidates over a cold beer? If given the option, we’d say “all of the above.”
Join us next month at First Friday December as we ring in the holiday season on December 4th at Stoney’s. Our special VIP guest will be Congressman Dean Heller, who will likely have a lot to say about the direction our liberal Congress is taking. If you want to know how we Nevadans can fight back, come visit with Congressman Heller and hear what he has to say.
Just in time for Christmas, Marines will also be on hand at our event to collect new, unwrapped toys for Tots Foundation. So be sure to bring a donation!
We can’t think of a better way to kick off the month of December – so we will see you there. Photos of all First Friday events can be seen on our website, www.firstfridaynevada.com
Cheers!
(Karri Bragg is the Executive Vice President of Citizen Outreach Foundation. COF sponsors First Friday and an endless array of events in Southern Nevada. For more information, contact Karri at karri@citizenoutreach.com)