The View From Nevada: Senate Race Too Close for GOP Comfort
*By J.D. Durkin*
When Dean Heller first entered national politics in his native Nevada, the likelihood of Donald Trump — then a real estate mega personality and TV host — entering the world of politics seemed an impossible joke to many. Trump, after all, was featured in both WWE Raw and WrestleMania 23 in 2007, the first year that Heller first served in Congress as a member of the House of Representatives.
Heller fought for years to establish his conservative credentials in the purple battleground he represents, clinching a U.S. Senate seat four years later. But years of Republican experience mean little when an outsider TV Manhattanite bulldozes longtime party orthodoxy, and now Heller is one of the few forces of Trump antagonism who remain standing.
But soon — he too may fall.
The tensions between Heller and Trump were never on display so clearly as they were on July 20, 2017, at the White House. Heller and other Republican Senators were stalled on healthcare that particular Wednesday; the President used his head-of-the-table bully pulpit to deliver a searing message to Heller seated just inches away:
"This was the one we were worried about. You weren't there. But you're gonna be. You're gonna be. Look, he wants to remain a senator, doesn't he? And I think the people of your state, which I know very well, I think they're gonna appreciate what you hopefully will do. Any senator who votes against starting debate is really telling America that you're fine with Obamacare. But being fine with Obamacare isn't enough for another reason. Because it's gone. It's failed. It's not gonna be around."
The subtext of Trump's quip was clear: Listen pal, I’m gonna be funny about this for the cameras but don’t take this as a joke.
Healthcare last summer sharply divided the two men, though Heller eventually fell in line to vote through the President’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Trump’s choice of rhetoric, at times, was also a factor in Heller’s hesitancy to go full-MAGA. Forty-five percent of Nevada voters supported Trump in 2016, and the state’s ever-shifting demographics threaten Republican influence every year.
Now, in 2018 — with the healthcare fight long in the rearview and the rivalry between Heller and Trump (somewhat?) behind them, the uncertain political terrain could offer a sharp opportunity for Heller’s Democratic challenger, Rep. Jacky Rosen.
Rosen has been in Congress only two weeks longer than Trump has been President; but voters in the Silver State will have the opportunity in just weeks to decide between a household name they’ve known for decades versus a Congresswoman with momentum — and, perhaps most importantly for the moment, a clearly-defined and unequivocally vocal stance on the contentious confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
As President Biden's poll numbers fall with Black voters, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass. 7th District) joined Cheddar to discuss what she feels could help the embattled administration: deliver on policies. Pressley pointed to stalled legislation such as new voting rights laws and Build Back Betters and canceling student loan debt, which would go a long way to improving his standing with Black constituents. "President Biden has the authority and the power to alleviate this burden, which would also help in closing the racial wealth gap, and he can do it by executive action with the stroke of a pen," she said. "And it doesn't require one vote from Congress. So, the Biden administration just needs to deliver to Black America in a tangible and impactful way."
Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, NJ and Ayana Morris, co-director of the documentary 'Why Is We Americans?,' join Cheddar News to discuss the new documentary highlighting the impact of the Baraka family.
Former New York City mayor and lawyer to Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani made his singing debut on a taping of Fox’s The Masked Singer. However, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke, two judges on the competition show, reportedly left in protest when Giuliani was unmasked upon being eliminated.
All Hands celebrates Black History Month by highlighting achievements in inclusivity and paying homage to those who have fought for equal rights. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) joins Cheddar News to discuss voter suppression; Damali Peterman, CEO of Breakthrough ADR, elaborates on the biggest barriers for Black professionals; Andre Perry, senior fellow of Brookings Institution, dives into student loans and the racial wealth divide; and lastly, BET CEO Scott Mills discusses the company's initiatives for 2022.
All month long Cheddar News is celebrating Black History Month.
In our nation’s capital, Black history is being made right now.
cheddar's own Arielle Hixon puts the spotlight on three lawmakers making that happen, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).
Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif. 43rd District) joined Cheddar News to talk about the current political climate in America, including efforts to roll back voting rights in multiple states in light of Black History Month. "Why do we have to deal with those who still believe that somehow this country only belongs to the whites of the country and that somehow they have to do everything that they can to undermine our voting and do voters suppression to keep us from being influential and at the table by which to solve problems?" she asked. Waters chided "two Democrats" who she said were stymying attempts to rectify the issue and also spoke on President Biden’s promise to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.
Wall Street saw another volatile day after the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged for now, with plans to raise rates in March at its next meeting in order to ease inflation. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed has not made decisions on the size of rate increases, adding that the Fed is not trying to get inflation below two-percent. Ken Johnson, CFA and Investment Strategy Analyst explains why Powell thinks that high inflation is a significant threat to the labor market.
