Clout can be fleeting.

Especially in Las Vegas.

Times change quickly in Southern Nevada. During the boom period, gaming ruled as new megaresorts on the Strip fueled a booming economy.

The recession altered the status quo.

Gaming, in some sense, has taken a backseat to other types of development and job creation.

David G. Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said there are two dimensions to clout: overall influence and the "what have you done for me lately" aspect.