LAS VEGAS — On the surface at least, everything in Vegas seems a cut above. And success, it seems, is almost in reach, just a few cards, cherries or numbers away.
In the Sin City, people eat the finest steaks. They see the best shows. They can visit the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty, replicas from the cities of love and apples a mere 20-minute taxi ride apart.
Everyone is treated like a star, driven around in limousines and often put up in hotel rooms for free. Everything is record-breaking, including the home of the World’s Largest Gift Shop and “display of historic sex toys.”
You can feel like a king or queen walking the Strip, sipping a tall drink, comfortable in shorts, but just behind the curtain, the locals are far from thriving.
In talks with residents throughout the city over two days, a strong sense of economic anxiety emerged.
Many of them said Nevada is struggling.
The Silver State was one of the hardest hit by the 2008 financial and housing crisis, with foreclosures leaving more than 167,000 abandoned houses in the state.
The state’s economy is slowly healing, but household incomes have not yet rebounded from the recession. Nevada’s 6.4 percent unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country, after Alaska’s and New Mexico’s.
As the politics website FiveThirtyEight explained in a recent headline: “The Presidential Race is Finally Moving to States With Economic Problems.”
Nevadans described struggles that both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have promised to alleviate.
Underemployment. Untenable Social Security benefits. A loss of union power.
But while the two Democrats were in town to rally votes for the state’s caucuses, locals said they were weary of political promises, and many said they wouldn’t caucus.
Outside The Mirage Hotel & Casino on Friday — in front of a waterfall surrounded by palm trees — Sonny and Bill were painting the railings brown.
The two gave their first names — the preference of many here wanting to retain relative anonymity.
They said they were struggling to get consistent painting work, and Bill said he stopped paying his union dues because he couldn’t justify the price when it wasn’t getting him any jobs.
“If I’m not working, how can I pay dues?” he asked. “I often have to go somewhere else to work, but then if you work nonunion, there’s problems.”
“I don’t give a damn about them problems,” he added. “I’m going to feed my family whatever it takes. End of story, bottom line.”
Sonny chimed in, saying his union wasn’t as strong as it could be and that he faces long dry spells without work.
“For me right now, it’s all about trying to make ends meet,” he said, a paintbrush in his hand. “No matter how many times they say the economy is doing better, we are still struggling.”
Asked if they were going to caucus, both said no. They expressed skepticism about every candidate — Republican and Democrat — and Bill called them “liars.”
Asked about Sanders, who has promised to strengthen unions and boost the minimum wage, the two said his ideas sounded nice but not viable.
Bill also expressed concerns over Sanders’ age, a worry echoed by a number of Nevadans interviewed.
At Déjà Vu’s Love Boutique on Sammy Davis Jr. Boulevard, Ernie Peña, 64, was arranging adult films on a DVD rack.
His voice was harsh, from years of smoking, and his outlook on politics was equally rough.
“People think these guys get in their office for four years and change the world,” he said. “They don’t.”
Peña said he was an independent and had voted in every election since he was eligible, including for Barack Obama in 2012.
Peña said he wanted better border security and a more business-friendly climate in the country.
Asked whether he supported Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman who has made those issues the cornerstones of his campaign, Peña quickly said no.
He then pointed toward the gold-plated Trump Hotel, located a few yards away from the Love Boutique.
“Mr. Across-the-Street scares … me,” he said. “But I can see that a lot of Americans are looking to someone who is a fighter.”
After about 10 minutes expressing skepticism over every major candidate, Peña frowned. He said he wasn’t going to caucus because nobody excited him.
“I dislike the way I feel right now,” he said.
A few miles off the main drag is the Boulder Station Hotel and Casino, a place where locals go to gamble without having to interact with tourists downtown.
Early Saturday morning, J.R. Smith, 77, was playing a dragon-themed slot machine near the front entrance.
The retiree, who had worked as a secretary for the Internal Revenue Service, said she loses money gambling some days and collects on others.
“We don’t travel much or go to the movies,” she said about her family. “This is our entertainment.”
Smith said she was a registered Republican but added she was not impressed by any of the candidates. She said she might vote for Clinton, because she felt it was time for a female commander in chief.
She called Trump “obnoxious,” adding, “I can’t imagine him representing the U.S. in an international situation.”
She said some of her Republican friends often criticize Sanders’ generous social platform, which would significantly raise taxes.
But she said she learned at the IRS that taxes are necessary in order to assist struggling Americans and keep the government running.
“I can’t say I’m against benefits from the government because I’m on Social Security,” she said. “I’m benefiting.”
Smith said it was clear the Nevada economy was still recovering and that she personally struggles to keep on top of expenses. She said she appreciated the relatively low cost of living in Nevada, citing her low heating bill.
After speaking highly of the casino’s buffet, Smith said she was called by a Sanders staffer asking her to caucus. She said she didn’t plan to go out, doubting that the current slate of presidential candidates would listen to her concerns.
“I don’t like all this garbage that goes on now,” she said.
A few people were more optimistic about the economy and politics. A few even said they supported Sanders.
In front of the Bellagio hotel and casino, Mariah, 20, posed in a showgirl outfit with tourists. She said she can pick up hefty tips on the Strip, sometimes posing for more than 200 photos on a good day.
She said she was a passionate Sanders fan, adding, “It’s not because I’m a millennial, and it’s not about free handouts.”
“Bernie’s a cool guy,” she said in a quick break from photos. “He’s for the people and he’s against big-money interests buying the election.”
Mariah said she was going to caucus for Sanders and would drag her boyfriend along to vote for him.
Sanders didn’t win the state caucuses, and Clinton creamed him in Las Vegas.
The former secretary of state bested the Vermont senator in all six Las Vegas casino caucuses, earning a 10-point lead in Clark County, the southernmost county in Nevada, which includes Sin City.
Clinton gave a confident victory speech in an ornate ballroom in Caesars Palace, declaring that she was running “a campaign to break down every barrier that holds you back.”
“We’re going to build ladders of opportunity in their place so every American can go as far as your hard work can take you,” Clinton continued, her remarks broadcast live on every major news network.
One floor below her, the Palace’s casino floor was buzzing as guests played cards, spun wheels and pulled levers.
Everyone was focused on striking gold, putting money in their pockets. Nobody seemed to realize Clinton was speaking directly above them.
Even the televisions hung throughout the Caesars showroom weren’t focused on politics or her speech. They were instead broadcasting the Golf Channel.
