Chuck Muth: Election reflections on half-hearted campaigns and Pledge promises

Just a few random primary election observations: As a newly re-registered Republican voter for this primary, I didn't receive a single piece of voter contact mail from a single campaign. Nor did I receive a single get-out-the-vote phone call. I did, however, get a couple of robo-calls urging support for a judicial candidate - but that was it.

And when I went to vote on Election Day, there wasn't a single campaign poll worker out front handing out literature and making a last-minute pitch for any candidates. And some campaigns wonder why they lost?

The illegal immigration issue isn't an intellectual one for most people; it's emotional. And there are probably few things that stir the blood of otherwise level-headed Americans more than seeing every sign, instruction sheet and ballot at an American polling location printed in Spanish.

If the general election is perceived as a referendum on Sen. Harry Reid, Harry Reid loses. If it's perceived as a choice between the lesser of two evils, he's got a chance.

Assemblyman Don Gustavson won the GOP state senate primary in District 2 in Reno, meaning it will become slightly more conservative should he win the general. Meanwhile, Assemblyman Joe Hardy won the GOP state senate primary in District 12 in Las Vegas, meaning it will become slightly more liberal. So a wash.

Republican Assemblyman James Settelmeyer will now likely replace Republican state Sen. Mark Amodei - pretty much a philosophical wash. Ditto in state senate District 4 in Washoe, where moderate Republican Ben Kieckhefer will replace moderate Republican state Sen. Randolph Townsend.

If she holds onto the seat in the general election, conservative Elizabeth Halseth will provide a sharply more limited government voting record in state senate District 9 after ousting liberal Republican state Sen. Dennis Nolan in the primary.

And if conservative Republican Michael Roberson succeeds in picking up the Democrat seat currently held by state Sen. Joyce Woodhouse while conservative Republican state Sen. Barbara Cegavske holds onto her seat, the philosophical makeup of the GOP caucus in the state senate could move slightly to the right.

By the way, name one candidate for the state Legislature who lost because they signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. On the other hand, I can name a number of non-signers who lost races to candidates who did. When will Republicans ever learn?

And finally, I can tell you already that it's likely I'll be supporting a third-party candidate in at least two state legislative races in November ... and if it costs Republicans those seats, well, it serves Republicans right for nominating liberal candidates in those Republican-majority districts.

• Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a limited-government public policy organization.