Back in November, as the Democratic presidential candidates assembled for their first Vegas debate, we
imagined
which candidates would be which hotels along the Strip. Now, as they return to Sin City for tonight’s debate, the comparisons are more useful than ever, if slightly outdated:
Hillary Clinton— Wynn Las Vegas . Polished, buffed to a shine, extremely well-financed.
Barack Obama— Luxor . Massive, covered in lights, hugely popular … but still just another hotel.
Mitt Romney— Planet Hollywood . Used to be called Aladdin, changed its name and theme in 2007.
Rudy Giuliani— New York-New York . Uh, New York.
John Edwards— Excalibur . Family-friendly, a little cheesy, looks like something out of King Arthur.
John McCain— Plaza Hotel and Casino . Old, broke (rooms go for $34).
Mike Huckabee— Hard Rock Hotel . Relatively new, musical, surprisingly fun.
Mike Gravel— Treasure Island . Loud, silly, largely ignored.
Joe Biden— The Flamingo . Showy, colorful, still around somehow.
Sam Brownback—Frontier Hotel. Recently imploded .
Dennis Kucinich—
: One of the smaller hotels, stands next to Hooters …
