As noted in my column yesterday, “sanctuary state” Democrats in Nevada came absolutely unglued over the announcement that Gov. Joe Lobardo will activate the Nevada National Guard to assist ICE in deportation efforts of illegal aliens.
Nevada Rep. Dina Titus (D), a woman weaned on a pickle and suffering from some serious TDS, was late in weighing in but burped up the following on X yesterday…
“Gov. Joe Lombardo announced that the Nevada National Guard will assist ICE in deportations, turning Nevadans against Nevadans. The Nevada National Guard’s mission is to protect us, not sow more fear in our communities by doing Trump’s dirty work.”
To which I replied…
“What a stupid thing to write. Illegal immigrants are NOT Nevadans. They’re not even Americans. They are here illegally. Many are VIOLENT criminals. By assisting in deporting them, the Guard WILL be protecting us.”
Republican candidates, myself included in 1996, have been trying to oust Titus (who bears a striking resemblance to the Wicked Witch of the West) from office for almost four decades.
Could 2026 be the charm?
When opening my campaign training workshops, I start with these three Muth’s Truth’s:
- #1: Campaigns aren’t about politics, they’re about marketing.”
- #2: “It’s not the best candidate that wins, but the best campaign.”
- #3: “There’s more incompetence in the field of political consulting than in any field other than TV psychiatry.”
So let’s look at the current field of GOP candidates who have already announced their campaigns to go up against Mrs. “I’m Not Happy” next year . . .
We’ll start with perennial loser Jim Marchant.
‘Nuff said.
Next, there’s the Republican Party establishment’s pick, State Sen. Carrie Buck.
As I wrote on Wednesday, I was “underwhelmed” by how lame her campaign rollout was.
That wasn’t an indictment of Sen. Buck herself, but of the low-energy, cookie-cutter manner in which the announcement was made by her consulting team – though it’s fair to point out that ultimately . . . the buck stops with Buck.
And while the 1st Congressional District (CD1) has become more competitive since redistricting in 2021, Titus still enjoys a significant Democrat voter registration advantage.
So running the same tired, content-free campaign that establishment consultants historically run won’t be enough to dynamite Titus out of her seat.
Which brings us to Bobby Khan – who Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Victor Joecks has declared “isn’t electable” and some guy in northern Nevada described as a “kook.”
Well, I had lunch with him yesterday (Side note: the prime rib special at the El Cortez downtown was awesome!) and suffice it to say I’m not so sure. Indeed, Bobby’s got some qualities I find compelling in evaluating a candidate.
He has a strong background in sales – owned an exotic car dealership – so he won’t be timid in asking for money and votes.
He has a strong background in marketing and PR and a big social media presence – which many establishment political consultants poo-poo but which played a huge role in Trump’s election last November.
By the way, candidates AND consultants, if you want to learn how to do PR right, pick up a copy of “101 Ways to Promote Yourself: Tricks of the Trade for Taking Charge of Your Own Succes” by Raleigh Pinskey.
Onward . . .
Khan’s a fighter – loud and proud. He’s not afraid to throw a punch. Indeed, he revels in it – unlike many traditional GOP candidates who just want to “stay positive” and play pattycake with their opponent.
And he’s got one helluva story to tell: He was once on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list under Obama.
At the very least, that will command interest and attention for a first-time candidate. How he tells that story and how it’s received by voters will determine whether his campaign gets traction.
In many ways he reminds me of Dennis Hof – “brothel pimp” who the “experts” said couldn’t be elected but nevertheless won his State Assembly race in 2018 with 62 percent of the vote despite dying three weeks before the election.
And let’s not forget Oscar Goodman.
The “experts” said a “mob lawyer” could never be elected mayor of Las Vegas. But Oscar, too, had a larger-than-life personality, understood the importance of marketing, sales, and PR – and went on to win three terms by huge margins.
Politically-speaking, Nevada ain’t Kansas, Toto.
And again, it’s not the best candidate that wins, but the best campaign. So let’s take an early look at the Buck vs. Khan match-up from two marketing perspectives.
While websites don’t win elections, they can be a harbinger of things to come on the campaign trail. And here’s a look at the two campaign websites as they appeared on the ‘net this morning.
First, Sen. Buck’s . . .
Snore.
“Principles Matter”? Seriously? Frankly, this is embarrassing for a state senator, let alone a congressional candidate.
And as for the look-and-feel, it looks and feels like one of her second-grade students designed it. How did any “professional” consultant let Sen. Buck announce her campaign with THIS website?
Now compare that to Khan’s . . .
Let’s face it, the guy’s got style and energy. You may not like what he has to say, but you definitely aren’t going to fall asleep while he’s saying it.
Which brings us to X.
As you probably know, more voters are now getting their political news from Elon’s facelift of Twitter than anywhere else these days. And Khan’s all over it.
By my count, he has tweeted or re-tweeted 57 times since Sen. Buck announced her campaign a few days ago. And he’s been no shrinking violet about it.
Here’s an example . . .
“I’m humbled by all the support and thank you for all that want to join the campaign and help me beat the rust bucket DINA TITUS!! If you want to help please visit http://BobbyKhanforCongress.com.”
And this one from yesterday . . .
“You can’t fix a broken system with the same tired parts and Dina Titus is a rusted bolt in a rigged machine.”
By contrast, Sen. Buck hasn’t posted a single thing on X since her big announcement. It’s almost as if she and her consultants forgot they had even made the announcement.
And until her announcement on Tuesday, Sen. Buck hadn’t posted anything original on X since way back on March 19, 2025. Her X presence since then has consisted of nothing but re-tweets and some replies.
Here’s a sampling of the most recent dating back to July 2nd . . .
- “So happy for Ohio!”
- “As they should.”
- “Such an amazing mission!”
- “So cool!!!!
- “Accident or on purpose?”
- “Thank goodness.”
- “Is it even at 21%?”
Come on, Buck-eroos, even you have to admit this is pretty lame – and isn’t what it’s gonna take to take down Dina Tax Us.
Yes, it’s still very early in the election cycle.
There’s still plenty of time for Sen. Buck to fix her campaign that limped out of the starting gate. And Khan, an untested first-time candidate, still has to prove himself on the campaign trail.
The main point is this: It’s too early to declare that Buck is the most electable Republican candidate in this race, as well as too early to declare that Khan is unelectable.
Which makes this race one of the more interesting to keep your eyes on in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned, Batfans!
