Nev. Caucuses Fascinating Next to SC

Just hours before voting begins in Nevada, its newly bumped-up caucuses are more crucial for Democrats than South Carolina's primary, blogs Sasha Abramsky of Mother Jones. Yes, Nevada has powerful unions, but it's more complex than that: outlying areas are conservative and rural, and the state is a third non-white. "For the Democrats, there’s a lot to play for in Nevada," Abramsky writes.

And Dems are paying attention: Clinton touted a 3-month, FDR-style ban on foreclosures last week, while Edwards stumped for union votes, and Obama courted Republican-friendly miners and ranchers. Interestingly, GOP hopefuls have mostly ignored the libertarian toss-up state that once loved Reagan. "And that could augur badly for the party not just this coming election but for many elections to follow," writes Abramsky. (More Hillary Clinton stories.)