By Steve Sebelius, Las Vegas Review-Journal

As far back as 2006, we all knew the year of real reform would be 2015.

In 2006, Republican Rep. Jim Gibbons survived campaign-trail scandal to stumble his way into a one-term governorship characterized by texting, divorce, vetoes and periods of time where staffers weren’t entirely sure of the governor’s physical location. It was clear 2010 would see a change at the top.

Many of us thought that change would come at the hands of a Democrat: Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid geared up for a run against the politically mortally wounded Gibbons. But we seriously underestimated Republican establishment players, who refused to let Democrats post an easy victory.

Two of their most prominent consultants — Pete Ernaut of R&R Advertising, and Greg Ferraro of the Ferraro Group — visited their childhood friend Brian Sandoval, then serving a lifetime appointment as a U.S. District Court judge in Reno. They coaxed him to leave that job and run for governor against Gibbons in a Republican primary.

This, by the way, is one of the events that make “consultant” an epithet among the tea party/libertarian base of the Republican Party; Gibbons was many things, but he was a conservative. He kept his promise to veto all tax increases. (In fact, he had a party on the front porch of his office, proudly waving copies of rejected bills scarred by his custom-made “veto” stamp.)

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