Brown vs. Rosen: And Now, the End is Near…

(Chuck Muth) – I remember when Steve Wynn opened the Mirage Hotel and Casino on the Strip.  The BIG attraction out front was the volcano.  It immediately grabbed everyone’s attention and raised their curiosity…

“What’s on the other side?”

Now, if they walked past the volcano and into a Motel 6 instead of a luxury resort, few would go back.  They might even think they’d been hoodwinked.

I’ve used this analogy for Sam Brown – Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Nevada – since he ran the first time against Adam Laxalt in 2022.

Brown has an amazing, inspiring story about how he was wounded – and almost died – in Afghanistan.  The story immediately grabbed the public’s attention and raised curiosity.

Alas, the problem is there’s been no “there” there beyond the wounded warrior narrative.

Over and over and over again I get emails from people saying, “We respect his service and sacrifice, but what else is there?  What does he stand for?  What would he do if elected?”

Two U.S. Senate races later and those questions remain unanswered.  And his poll numbers have lagged because of it.

Early voting starts tomorrow.  It’s fourth and 20 from the 50-yard line with 2 minutes to go.  So Sam needed a breakout performance last night in his televised debate with Democrat incumbent Jacky Rosen.

He fumbled.

The performance was sub-par, at best.  He wasn’t prepared.  He didn’t deliver well.  No knockout blow.  In fact, he barely laid a glove on her.

His only repeated jab was that Rosen was an “elitist,” and again brought up something about the “Stock Act.”

When was the last time you ever used the word “elitist” while sitting around the dinner table, or discussed the ins-and-outs of the Stock Act?  They’re simply not issues the average voter cares about or is talking about.

The cost of gas and groceries, the open border, crime, education…THAT’S what voters are talking about.

This is what happens when candidates run for high office without ever successfully winning a down-ballot race.

Scores of people advised Sam to set his sights lower and start off by running for – and WINNING – a local or legislative seat first, get his political sea legs under him, and then run for higher office down the road.

But Sam’s been hellbent on starting at the top – and it showed last night.

During the primary, Sam ducked every opportunity to debate his GOP opponents, or even appear with them at candidate forums.  He also ducked media interviews that would have sharpened him up before going head-to-head with Rosen.

And he did it AGAIN last night after the debate.  From David Charns of 8 News Now…

“The only debate in the Nevada U.S. Senate race is over. Republican Sam Brown has left the station without answering any questions. Sen. Jacky Rosen will answer questions shortly.”

Why would you blow off an opportunity to get more free media?

That’s the fault of his handlers and consultants who have covered him up in bubble wrap and never exposed him to media and public scrutiny.  Well, the chickens came home to roost last night.

Now before you say, “We should have nominated so-and-so instead,” consider this: They all lost to Sam.  So what’s that tell you?  And none of them had any more electoral experience than Sam has.

Except Jim Marchant.

But after winning a state assembly race in 2016, Marchant went on to lose what should have been a slam dunk re-election race, a race for Congress, a race for Secretary of State, and then this year’s loss in the Senate primary.

Not exactly an electoral colossus.

With two weeks to go, Sam has no choice but to throw a Hail Mary.  And maybe – just maybe – Rosen gave him the opportunity last night.

When asked if she supported keeping men out of women’s sports – specifically referencing the ongoing brouhaha over UNR’s women’s volleyball team – she blew it.

And her voting record in the Senate includes opposition to a bill that would have blocked biological men from competing in women’s sports – an idea supported by 70 percent of people across partisan lines.

Sam needs to wrap that issue around her neck and pound her with it every waking minute from now until Election Day.  It’s his only chance – and even then, it’s a longshot.

Ah, what might have been.

As usual, Republicans never blow an opportunity to blow an opportunity.

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