In the spotlight

Nevada got a lot of national attention in 2008 when it joined the list of early presidential primary and caucus states. But the spotlight could be even brighter a year from now, when candidates for the 2012 Republican nomination begin making their pitch for the right to challenge President Obama.

The economy will likely remain voters’ foremost concern. And New Hampshire and Iowa, still the country’s first measuring sticks of presidential caliber, have nothing on Nevada when it comes to unemployment, foreclosures, declining tax collections and economic suffering.

Nevada is ground zero of the Great Recession. Anyone who hopes to ascend to the White House needs to see first-hand how bad things are here to understand the challenge of turning things around.

During Nevada’s 2008 caucus, Democrats were driving the bus. Their candidates and voters were energized. Republicans mostly blew off their party’s small-stakes caucus.

State GOP leaders changed some rules this month to ensure that doesn’t happen in 2012. Delegates will have to stick with their candidate choices at nominating conventions, giving candidates an incentive to engage their rivals and fight for voter support. Candidates will be ensured a share of delegates that’s proportional to their support in 17 counties.

The tentative national schedule has the Iowa caucus on Feb. 6, 2012, the New Hampshire primary Feb. 14 and the Nevada caucus Feb. 18, a Saturday. As it was in 2008, Nevada will be the candidates’ gateway to the West.

That’s good news for a state in desperate need of it.