How the man has any stomach lining left, I do not know. But Mark Begich, Democratic candidate for the Senate has been in a holding pattern, 3300 votes behind Republican incumbent convicted felon Ted Stevens since Election night.
There may be as many as 80,000 ballots yet to count, including absentee ballots and those early votes that came in between Friday morning and Monday night. Nate Silver, the numbers guru at fivethirtyeight.com has looked over the returns and raises the following point:
Although Ted Stevens currently holds a lead of approximately 3,200 votes in ballots counted to date in Alaska’s senate contest, there is good reason to believe that the ballots yet to be counted — the vast majority of which are early and absentee ballots — will allow Mark Begich to mitigate his disadvantage with Stevens and quite possibly pull ahead of him.
The reasoning behind this is simple: some early ballots have been processed, and among those ballots Begich substantially leads Stevens. A tally of Alaska’s 40 house districts as taken from Alaska’s Division of Elections webpage suggests that Begich has won about 61% of the early ballots counted so far, as compared with 48% of ballots cast on Election Day itself.
So, if this trend continues with the votes still outstanding, Begich may pull this one off. Here are the current numbers:
Mark Begich 103337 46.61%
Ted Stevens 106594 48.08%
…and then Nate Silver does all kinds of statistical, mathematical, wonky magic, and we end up with:
Begich ahead in the final count by 3000 votes. For the man who won his race for mayor of Anchorage by 18 votes, this would be a landslide.
Mudflats 
What good news.
Ooh! Foist!
Thank you, AKM-
I asked on the last thread if anyone knew what was happening with the vote- and here you are:)
I would love to see Begich as our senator. Let’s hope this trend continues through all 80,000 ballots!
Secundo! ( a rare occasion, never to be repeated)
I hope he wins….i also hope after the final count that AK turns blue..i think your voting machines were messed with……….
AKM or anyone-
Any idea when the counting will be finished? Of course, Nebraska just finished the 2nd Cong. district, so maybe a week?
Absentee ballots will be accepted through November 14. Not sure how long it will take after that to release the final numbers. AKM
I forgot: Boulder County is still counting- something about dust from the ballots has messed up the scanners, creating phantom votes. Only in Boulder-
@Scrimshaw aka Sack Panther Hussein (22:10:59) :
Ooh! Foist!
——————–
very cute.. I like that
oh, good
*Big Smile*… maybe I’m just still floating way up high on that pink cloud of YES WE CAN, but it sure looks like there are some down-to-earth numbers saying that change for a better future is indeedy happening in Alaska as well as the rest of the country.
Thanks, AKM. Hey – are your toes all back to normal now?
will abandon palin name… puuuh…
spent the evening trying to convince friends the numbers are hinky… they don’t ‘believe’ blogs.
thanks for keeping this up to date, I’ll do my best to inform!
Loki – formerly Vice Peeper Palin
@CO Almost Native (22:15:17) :
I think the election has to be certified by Nov. 21, so I’m sure they’ll be done counting by then. I think I’d heard that they paln to start working through the early, absentee, and questioned ballots by the middle of this next week.
Thanks, AKM- sounds like it may be Thanksgiving before all the votes are tallied, especially if there are demands for a recount.
OT-
CNN reports on the private confab in VA after the Republicans lost; the battle for the part has begun:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/07/conservatives.election/index.html
ira2 we all need to be on a big pink cloud..we ready for a change..yes we can…I was so scared for the future…
We need to pull this one off! Let’s move the mayor to the light and lift up his votes. Don’t you think it’s odd that we have the three outstanding votes that will take us to the magical 6 0 ??? When we do that then Harry will be forced to throw Joe out.
I know it’s possible. Yippee
AKM, I want to thank you again for my sanity these last two months.
Then I want to mention the Terrell Tribune—they did not have anything about President Obama on the front page the day after: http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa081106_mo_terrell.188ec9cfc.html
GUESS WHAT, neither did my local town’s newspaper. I went down to complain and they ALL told me they cover county news not national news. Well, they have covered the national news before. Just not this one… I argued, I told them they were wrong, and I thought of you all. ommmmm
I want to say that my 80 year old, totally southern mom in law voted for Barack Obama and if that woman can vote for him then my local paper can mention it as news on the front page.
I see that we are not leaving this blog either. Poor AKM–no rest for the weary. HOORAY one more time. And best wishes to Mr. Begich!!! He must win!!!!
I meant to add, I’ve had my fingers crossed all week. Just when will they count those last votes? I need to have my fingers back so I can type faster…
InJuneau-
There you are! Thanks for the info- I’m off in my calculations. Although- could the votes be certified, and then a demand for a recount by either Stevens or Begich?
Anything to keep Palin from going to the U.S. Senate. Now if we can figure out a way to also keep her from getting Don Young’s U.S. House seat after he gets convicted and bounced.
Vice Peeper Palin aka loki (22:21:09) :
will abandon palin name
———————–
YES….palin names arre gone…….thank yu
Not only was this the longest campaign on record —
nice to meet you “steve”
Hey… CO Almost Native (22:23:02) : Isn’t it odd that we have to meet up North? I’m sitting in downtown Denver, Ballpark Neighborhood.
Hello… we did a good job here for the O-man, huh? And we managed to beat Dobson/Perkins at their own game. Finally…
Hey, all. Right here in MN, our own Senate intrigue is going on. Franken has steadily been gaining, and he might actually be ahead when the first count is said and down. If he is, then we shall see if Normie sticks to his word and declines a recount, for the sake of ‘healing’. Whatever, Normie.
Glad to hear that Begich is still in the running.
Rachel has been on a tear the last couple days. I am in love with her all over again. She was getting on my nerves the last couple days before the election with all her hand-wringing (I was doing enough of it on my own), but she’s hitting her groove again.
AKM, I loved the story of Litte Boy (Jet)Blue. Poor, poor plane–but at least he will have tales to tell his family.
Hey, anyone else experiencing a post-election letdown?
kem hussein-
I read the online post: we run a newspaper, not a memory book service?! Oh please…that is the lamest excuse I’ve heard since I quit teaching ninth grade boys.
Sheesh.
kem hussein, I heard about that county paper. I couldn’t believe it–your local paper, either. Really. The most historic election in, oh, ever, and they don’t deign to cover it? What a load of bollocks. Where do you live? Somewhere Southern? Yes, I am making a generalization, but that’s mostly where the red red states are.
@CO Almost Native (22:25:19) :
Just checking in quickly before heading to bed. I suspect that if the tally was close when it got certified someone could still request (and pay for…) a recount. I think if the difference is within some small percentage the State will do it automatically and not charge anyone, but I’d have to confirm that. I think that they’d be able to get all the ballots run through the machines between now and the 21st (or the middle of the week and the 21st). As AKM said, absentee ballots are accepted till Nov. 14 (although I think ones coming from out of state actually have until Nov. 19 to arrive), as long as they were postmarked by Nov. 4. Hope that helps.
victoriad2c-
Hey there- I’m out south, in the burbs (Littleton), but my daughter lives in Capitol Hill and I love downtown…
Colorado, I know, and my paper told me that Washington DC doesn’t know us so why have the Presidential headline. HUH?? They got 25 protesters in Terrell. I hope that our paper gets a protest! I am in a red part of a blue state but that is NO excuse! 35% of us in the county voted Democrat according to the 5 words, on page 3, that my newspaper mentioned.
But I have a shiny stack of beautiful front pages from all around Washington state that I got for my kids and self. What a great thing!!
This is still the best place to find the latest info on AK and the Gov, thanks AKM. I have to say I’m glad she’s back in her Ice Palace. I will be watching to see how Housegate and Hockygate come out, along with all the other floodgates she has left open. She might be surprised to know how many are checking to see what she does next, to actually help the “people” of your good state.
I don’t care what she says or doesn’t say to the media. I want to see what she does for those she has promised to serve. As near as I can tell she doesn’t have much time left to make good on those promises. If she can’t deliver, I’m sure hoping you give her the Yellow boot in 2010. Just don’t boot her down here again, pretty please.
InJuneau-
Thanks again, and good night:)
kem hussein-
Where in Washington state? My sister lives in Seattle, MillCreek specifically.
Enjay in Eastern MT (22:28:35) :
nice to meet you “steve”
————————-
thanks ..but i have been around for ever…some times i read ..some times I post…..where were you guys on the last post…..we all went away for awhile…I have never seen it like that….I hung around the store for awhile………
GJ in ID-
I don’t care what she says or doesn’t say to the media. I want to see what she does for those she has promised to serve. As near as I can tell she doesn’t have much time left to make good on those promises
Way to go! LOL about the floodgates and yellow boots:)
Thanks Enjay, I put you on the “list”.
Enjay in Eastern MT (22:01:09) :
thanks for the info — I am one interested in contributing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Patois (21:50:44) :
Tessa, Dragon Lady, Bea, Whabs, Seattle, WA, asianHusseingrrl, and everyone else interested in the Defenders of Wildlife Wolf pups.
Sorry I couldn’t get on earlier and I have to get back to work now but I wanted to let you know what happened today. Not much. I spoke with one person who sent me to another who said the person I need to speak with was not in but I could leave her a message. Her name is Caroline Kennedy. Can’t be the one. Anyway, I left her a message with a brief description of what we would like to do and how to get in touch with me. I am guessing I will not be able to speak with her until Monday. I will keep you updated.
Cheers!
mhrt oregon”steve”-
I agree; the last post was uncomfortable. I’m not sure why- so I tried to change the direction. I’m glad Denise said what she did- and thanks, AKM, for the new thread.
asiangrrl, my mom in law is in NC. my oldest was born there and we can finally celebrate her birthplace!!! Jesse Helms has made her not mention that until now. NC went blue, voted out Elizabeth Dole, who ran a very ugly ugly ad, and the state went blue for Obama.
This is the first time since 1952, that a Dole or a Bush will not be in office!!!! NC. We need to recognize that one for sure.
I have a picture of me, my sister, and my mom in front of the laundromat with a ‘whites only’ sign over top. Sorry to say that here. THIS is my celebration!
I am in eastern WA, red part of the state, and yet 35% of us in the county went for PRESIDENT OBAMA. Don’t you just love that!!!
I have my fingers crossed for Begich…his winning would certainly foil her immediate plans.
I was wondering, anyone on Mudflats ever drop in at Sarah’s church? I am curious how they are going to explain the “will” God showed us on Tuesday night.
I’m doing the happy dance for you and your county, kem hussein:)
FInally- good night, all you mudpuppies; sleep soundly and peacefully.
Sleep tight, mudpups. I’m off to bed! Discuss whatever amongst yourselves…
OT
I spent all that time writing this stupid thing and posting it, only to find there’s a new thread, so I’m reposting it so everyone has to put up with it here!
Jet Blue–AKA Joe the Blue–is really glad to be back to her previous job. I have it on good authority from my Cessna that after a couple of days at the company spa and a well earned vacation at a Miami airport over Thanksgiving, that Jet Blue is going to get to work planning a huge inauguration celebration for Air Force 1, Air Force 2, and Marine 1. Other special guests will be the Presidential and VP limousines, various motorcade vehicles, as well as First Biter Barney’s bicycle pet rickshaw. The main course will be top grade jet fuel, and the decorations will be done in bunting done in the shape of schematics for hydrogen engine retrofits. The pet rickshaw–everyone’s darling–will be given the Golden Vehicle Medal of Honor for service and bravery above and beyond the call of duty–the highest transportation medal given–in recognition of all the various indignities visited upon her during her tenure in the Barney White House. (The last recipient was Spiro T Agnew’s Limo, for having to bear the indignity of hauling around a guy with a watch designed in his likeness.) Various transportation dignitaries will be in attendance, including a live video streaming attendance by the USS Enterprise, the B52 bomber currently residing at South Korea’s war museum, and FDR’s whistle stop campaign train.
This sounds like a worthy cause to me. AKM, can we set up some way to send donations to the Transportation Inaugural Ball? Rumor has it that the west wing mail-carrying robot can cut quite a rug!
If Mike Begich does pull it off, it will certainly rank up with some of the other big wins this election. If he does not, but is close then Alaskans must step up and give him his chance. If he wins, perhaps he can erase the image of an Alaska ruled by wasila-billies and corrupt old ward-heelers. Good luck!
Can we make a chant circle or something for Begich?? Jeez, I thought it was over on November 4th, 8pm… NOT.
EVERYONE–we have to focus on this. Nate suspects something I think (fivethirtyeight.com) so what can we do? AKM? Mark Begich, you MUST win!!
I cannot take anymore of her!!
@ “steve”
I know –
but you are now “un-palin-ized” — like me
Formerly known as: Turbine Yukon
CO Almost Native (22:44:30) :
mhrt oregon”steve”-
I agree; the last post was uncomfortable. I’m not sure why- so I tried to change the direction. I’m glad Denise said what she did- and thanks, AKM, for the new thread.
———————————
so did I ..I tried to talk about puppies…every one loves puppies..that is why i have always loved this site every one is so up….
Here’s some Kentucky fingers crossed for Mark Begich. That would be great if he beats the felon and puts a stop to whatever plans Palin has in that arena.
Hoping!
kem hussein, I am really proud of NC right now. So WA has a red pocket? Huh. I am finding out more about our geography all the time.
Dr. Patois, thank you for your hard work. I await to hear the response from Caroline Kennedy. It would be a hoot if it were really that one.
I, too, didn’t like the last post, so I just waited for AKM to post another one. I knew I could count on her/him!
I took off my Palin and Hussein as well.
Franken is edging out Coleman…How many Democratic Senators do we have without the AK and MN races in? Is it 56? Gawd, we have to boot Lieberman.
Steph in KS, I would say kick out Lieberman no matter what. He has already threatened to caucus with the Republicans if he didn’t get to retain his chairmanship. I don’t think he can be trusted, no matter what he says. Joe the Lieberman will do what’s best for him. Period.
I’m going to be a copycat, too. Good bye Sarah honey bucket Hussein. I shall now be known as WeCan Hussein.
I teach at risk middle school kids. Most of them are profoundly unmotivated to do anything besides moan and sleep. (Sorry, AK, but a week ago, the only job they looked qualified to hold was AK governor.) We never talked about the election, the subject being just too divisive, and we’re trying to come together as a class. The day after the election, a student put “Yes We Can” in rainbow colors on the board. Others added things we Can do–like learn. They wrote about it in their journals. They listened to the YouTube song every day. AND they’ve been doing work. Every day, they rewrite it on the board. The first day I saw it, I teared up. NOT a good thing. Middle schoolers will go after a teary teacher like Alaskan mosquitoes on a T-shirted tourist. Anyway, I regained control, and we talked about their strengths, how they can help each other, and their plans to make a photo story about Yes We Can.
What in McCain’s campaign could have possibly motivated a racially mixed group of racially wary kids come together like that?!
asiangrrl”Yes we DID”MN, My family spent a whole day celebrating NC and its new blueness!! Truly an AMAZING day.
I did donate to Mr. Tinklenberg and was sad that MB still won with all that bad press. BAH.
But now we want to celebrate Mark Begich and so we will hope!! with energy focused…
I heard they offered Joe Lieberman a new post today – as the new White House pet.
Barack Obama promised his kids a puppy, and well, Lieberman turned traitor and got owned by Obama as we say in the poker world. What else to do with him but put a collar on him and make him the First Family’s dog?
So the one vestige of the Sarah Palin Effect that makes it into the White House will be this – the Obama’s now own a dog named Lieberman, but everyone will just refer to him as “Joe the Dog”.
Update: The Obama family has rejected Joe the Dog because it turns out everyone is allergic to him.
Maybe he can find an empty doghouse in Wasilla.
Asiangrrl=
I say let him go caucus with the Republicans. He will NEVER be re-elected in Connecticut as a Republican, and it will allow for a decent, REAL, HONEST Democrat to win the state. I was surprised he got voted in after he pulled his “Independent” stunt.
I wouldn’t be nearly as angry if he had not been the VP on the Democratic ticket a mere 8 years ago OR if he had not booed along with the crowds and dissed Obama. Obama helped him during his campaign in CT, and then this is the thanks he gets? Obviously, Lieberman took a gamble that McCain would win and of course he was in it for himself. We can’t kick him out of “the tribe”, but we CAN kick him to the Republicans. He can lie with them for a few years and fully realize how nasty they can be…then he will be forced into retirement.
Wow, WeCan Hussein..that was a great story. The old granny teared up, but I feel pretty safe here, not a middle schooler on the block. Thanks for sharing.
CO Almost Native (22:44:30) :
mhrt oregon”steve”-
I agree; the last post was uncomfortable. I’m not sure why- so I tried to change the direction. I’m glad Denise said what she did- and thanks, AKM, for the new thread.
hi steve… Foist, I will say, that early on we noted that SWWNBN is our shadow, and to focus on and speak of her is apt to bring us down.
Soon, snarkiness takes over.
So I will remind myself often that it is time I took my own inventory and not someone else’s. Oh, so much to attend to hereabouts!
And still I may not be able to help coming back at intervals to scroll – refresh – scroll – post.
Sarah “honey bucket” Hussein (23:14:50) :
I’m going to be a copycat, too. Good bye Sarah
——————————–WOW that is a great story and thank you for sharing it with us……..BUT..I think you should share it with the obama staff
Hi everyone,
I have been more of a lurker than a poster here since this all began and I justed wanted to say how greatful I am to everyone. It really helped to find comfort in like minds. I just helped my ten year old daughter respond to an email from her “fundie” cousin who wrote to her and said “how could you support Obama? – he is for child abortion and wants gay people to have the same rights as regular people”. My daughter was livid! We wrote a great email about Obama’s positions and human rights and freedom of religion (she has been pushing her religion on my daughter-big time -who, bye the way, loves to go to church with her best friend but also loves to read about Budhism and Hinduism and all religions) I don’t expect we’ll change her mind but it sure felt good to help my daughter take a stand for her beliefs. Anyway, even though I do have progressive thinking friends here in Alaska, I really felt like I had the whole world behind me as I helped her. Oh wait, you guys are the whole world! THANKS!!
BigSlick THAT ONE Hussein Clamp Noodle Palin (23:18:04) :
I heard they offered Joe Lieberman a new post today – as the new White House pet.
______________________________________
Update from Jet Blue AKA Joe the Blue: The White House Bicycle Pet Rickshaw is so relieved that it won’t be Joe the Dog. What he’s been spewing lately makes Barney the Biter look like Daisy Duck! 🙂
Oh and she started here email with “I chose hope over hate!” I have a great kid!!
Hey now, comparing Lieberman to a dog is a true insult to the beautiful canines of the world. My dogs are both Democrats!
Completely off topic, but I hope the Obamas can find a hypoallergenic dog through a rescue. There are many breed specific rescues that would be thrilled to set them up with a great dog!
mhrt oregon”steve” (23:22:57) :
Sarah “honey bucket” Hussein (23:14:50) :
I’m going to be a copycat, too. Good bye Sarah
——————————–WOW that is a great story and thank you for sharing it with us……..BUT..I think you should share it with the obama staff
_________________________________
I plan on sharing it with Obama staff, but I think I’ll wait and see how things are going so I can add more. And I wanted to share it here first. And, frankly, after how various people suddenly became “famous” for speaking up in the campaign, I have no interest in becoming Joe the Teacher 🙂 Not that the Obama campaign did that, but . . . let’s just say we introverts don’t like to be the center of attention!
Northern Quilter AK (23:25:07) :
Oh and she started here email with “I chose hope over hate!” I have a great kid!!
——————————————-
You do have a great kid.
Northern Quilter AK
Yep, sounds like a great kid!
Yes She Can!
Northern Quilter AK,
I think that the most important thing for our kids is to show them love. In my part of WA, there is a major religious tone and my kids got really slammed by it. I tried not to be too negative, and I still warn them against doing what was done to them, but it is way hard. Religion, race, now politics, seems to be so divisive. It wasn’t this bad before… My son called me up to get his ‘fix’ of info so he could ‘hold off’ the negative blasters too. I was glad to send him lots of info and statistics, many of which I got here. I am going to need a new computer for all your great info and links I have saved!
GJ in ID
Thanks. I love middle schoolers. They’re great. But you do have to have a tough skin. They can say an awful lot of things they don’t mean. The one big advantage is that I’m still taller than they are!
Can we make a chant circle or something for Begich?? Jeez, I thought it was over on November 4th, 8pm… NOT.
EVERYONE–we have to focus on this. Nate suspects something I think (fivethirtyeight.com) so what can we do? AKM? Mark Begich, you MUST win!!
I cannot take anymore of her!!
****************************************
Yes! We need to make a chant circle. What are we chanting?
BTW, someone asked about the numbers: we have 57 now, + Alaska, Minnessota and GA (Saxby Chambliss) the man who STOLE the seat from former Senator Max Clelland, the man Vietnam-era amputee. If we win Uncle Ted’s seat and send McCain to help (/snark) Chambilss and assuming Franken wins, we have our 60 filibuster-free US Senate in our pockets.
Guess that’s why I love the “idea” of a chant circle even though I don’t really know what one is! LOL…
Night all. I’m going to dream about 6 0 and know it will manifest@
We have a wonderful gay teacher at our school. The kids just adore her. But, what with prop 8, there was a lot of gay bashing and support for 8 going around, and even though she didn’t discuss politics in her class. I can’t imagine having to listen to that stuff coming out of the mouths of students you like, spend a great deal of time on and with, and care about spewing this stuff about your life style, all the while, they’re calling you their favorite teacher. I don’t know how she did it.
Northern Quilter AK, you should be proud of your wonderful daughter, and of yourself. You must have done a bang-up job raising her in order for her to be so wise so young.
WeCan Hussein, I love your story. My best friend is the director of a high school for at risk kids (we met when I was a counselor for kids court-ordered to a day treatment facility, and she was the admin assist.), and she said her kids were so fired up to be backing Obama. Kids who never cared about politics went to his acceptance speech in St. Paul and came back with stickers on their folders. She said they were flying high the Wednesday after the election, and it was a beautiful thing.-
Joe The Traitor must go. It’s not about revenge (well, not totally), but about reality. The man did more to denigrate President-Elect Obama than many Republicans did. I have no problem with him supporting his old pal, McCain, but I DO have a problem that he spread many of the same malicious and pernicious smears about President-Elect Obama (I never get tired of typing that) as Sarah Palin did. He should be a party unto himself and made to caucus by himself .
Northern Quilter AK (23:23:24
—————————–
welcome….this is a safe place to come……….there is alot of great people here with alot of thinking going on…kinda like it takes a village ..this has been my warm place when things seemed bad…thanks to AKM it seems you have also found a safe place also
I hope that this comes true. Keep us updated! The last thing that needs to happen is to have Gov. Palin become a United States Senator; Alaska would be worse off.
Re: Michelle the Wingnut Bachmann. She was up by ten to twenty points for most of the race. She was thought to be a shoe-in. After her appearance on Hardball, she dropped like a fly into a virtual tie with Tinklenberg. She only won by four percent, and the third party candidate had ten percent of the vote. So, in other words, she really didn’t win.
The lyin’ hypocrite was chirping about how great it was that ‘we’ elected the first African-American president. Uh huh.
Melissa, I actually think Alaska might be better off if Palin becomes a senator because she won’t BE in Alaska. That said, I really think her best option is to do rightwing radio/television. She does read well from a teleprompter, so she’d be all set.
WeCan Hussein AKA Sarah “honey bucket” Hussein (23:33:04) :
mhrt oregon”steve
I see your point….but it is a great story…you must be proud
Oh, I want Jim Martin to win against Chambliss. VoteVets.org has some tales that I couldn’t believe… How does Chambliss get away with calling a triple amputee veteran unpatriotic???
Sending happy thought donations to M. Begich!
Chambliss linked Max Cleland to Osama Bin Laden somehow, and it was right after 9/11, so the fears were heightened. Chambliss, as with many other Republican hawks, never served. He is pulling out 9/11 again against Martin. I hope President-Elect Obama does some heavy campaigning for Martin.
asiangrrl, I have searched for hours on this subject and I just don’t get it. I really don’t. Did he just not have enough money, ads/counterattacks? But he is a triple amputee from Vietnam!!!
Jim Martin is also a veteran. Chambliss did not serve, Martin and Max C. did. hmmmm
SEE, that is why I needed you all these past two months—I get sooooo confused!!!
Aussie Blue Sky and WeCan Hussein AKA Sarah “honey bucket” Hussein:
THX
kem hussein:
It sounds like you were successful. It is hard, I agree. They are pretty complex topics to explain to kids. whenever I might get frustrated and say something negative in front of her about their views that I don’t agree with it’s always followed by an explanation that there is good religion and bad religion and that life needs to be about love and the good things that the religion can teach. that some people hate just because someone is different is a hard one for her understand. To her were all just “people” and we should all be different.
I’m glad Begich is doing well, but I’m more interested in the tens of thousands of missing ballots, and the thousands of suspicious ballots that were blank, except for McPain being checked. Maybe someone will stumble into a back room somewhere where there are dozens of big bags stuffed with ballots, or accidentally come upon someone making a bonfire with the missing ballots.
Alaska could actually be a blue state, in spite of everything, if only those ballots could be found.
Wow, I can never keep up. That’s why I read mostly.
asiangrrl:
I’m originally from Coon Rapids (and my next door neighbor here is from Blaine – how ironic is that? Move thousands of miles away and end up with a neighbor for a neighbor) I went to college in Wisconsin and they always called us Mud ducks so now when ever I see posts from my fellow Minnesotans I always envision a mallard splashing around in the mud. Mud ducks in the Mudflats! To fun. There are a lot of us up here.
Northern Quilter AK, hooray for that focus. It is hard to stay positive when you are being inundated with the ‘hate’ talk. But we just try, eh.
NMJ, Here is hoping that those big stuffed bags of ballots are found!!
I am going to light my blue candles and blue lights tomorrow just in case it helps!! Will keep them lit until deadlines for all these ‘leftovers’.
Positive thinking…I think the votes will come through and we’ll have some blue!!
g’night all..it’s past my bedtime…
Hey gang! Jamie is back though I have errands to run (in the rain). Wanted to add to what asiangrrl said above – so many people came out to vote who either never cared before, thought that their vote didn’t really matter or who were simply disenfranchised. They came out in force and saw that their votes actually did count! I hope this does get more people – kids, minorities, etc – involved and feeling that they can get ahead and that by working hard they too can succeed! What a fabulous feeling!
Went out and bought 50€ worth of newspapers and magazines with Obama on the cover and today have to go and buy the American news magazines that only come out her once a week! Exciting to sit on my bed with all of the news spread out around me!
Campbell Brown pulled another boner on her Friday night No Bias show. She had some person on where they discussed the Obama Election Night pictures. Their discussion was that the pictures had to have been photoshoped in that there was no way they were drinking water.
This woman has to go. Her defences for Palin on numerous occasions and then she throws this out about the Obamas. Her colors show as to her being married to Dan Senor, a Fox contributor and former Bush Whitehouse RePug even though her father was a Dem State Senator.
No Bias — Bull
I wonder what the Terrell Tribune had on their front page back on July 21, 1969, when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon ?
Oh……it wasn’t LOCAL news, so they probably didn’t cover it 🙂
kem hussein WA (00:12:20) :
They linked him to Jimmy Carter (he was Carter’s administrator of veterans’ affairs) and the failure to resolve the Iranian hostage crisis. He was, like any normal person who has seen combat, opposed to war. Chambliss was able to muddle things and play on the reenacter, parade soldier wannabe vote to get in. Chambliss thoroughly deserves to be booted from the senate.
Mark is such a great guy! There is great hope that he will win this senate seat.
Grandfather Ted is off base, off truth, and out of his mind with denial.
SP is in the same camp as Ted, total denial! Face the facts. Be the leaders that you were elected to be. Step down and own up to your guilt.
What kind of message are you sending to are youth. The American justus system is being white washed with your actions. Are kids need role models not felons.
It was quite interest seeing a news clip of Gov palin back in her “modeling” office in Anchorage. Wow, allot of her staff are young beautiful and blond. Yu betya!
As someone who has worked on campaigns decided by absentee/provisional ballots before, here are some things to consider:
(1) Have the ballots yet to be counted been impounded by law enforcement or a court? If not, what arrangements have been made to prevent tampering?
(2) Is either campaign gearing up for careful review and challenges to invalidly-submitted or improperly-cast ballots? Election law differs from state to state, but where I live a campaign has the right to review all submissions (the exterior info, such as the signature, address, etc.) before opening; and then, once opened and set aside for anonymity, to review the ballots themselves for improper marks, etc. Challenges can be mounted both before and after the ballots are opened.
(3) Since ballots can arrive as late as 10 days after the election, are the campaigns aware of the potential for fraud by means of absentee votes being rounded up post-election day by partisans, then “adjusted” in terms of their postmark or their acceptance date by a corrupt postal clerk or election worker?
In a close race, such matters can decide an election.
As someone who has worked on campaigns decided by absentee/provisional ballots before, here are some things to consider:
(1) Have the ballots yet to be counted been impounded by law enforcement or a court? If not, what arrangements have been made to prevent tampering?
(2) Is either campaign gearing up for careful review and challenges to invalidly-submitted or improperly-cast ballots? Election law differs from state to state, but where I live a campaign has the right to review all submissions (the exterior info, such as the signature, address, etc.) before opening; and then, once opened and set aside for anonymity, to review the ballots themselves for improper marks, etc. Challenges can be mounted both before and after the ballots are opened.
(3) Since ballots can arrive as late as 10 days after the election, are the campaigns aware of the potential for fraud by means of absentee votes being rounded up post-election day by partisans, then “adjusted” in terms of their postmark or their acceptance date by a corrupt postal clerk or election worker?
In a close race, such matters can decide an election.
NEW THREAD!
Dr. Patois (22:47:28) :
I have my fingers crossed for Begich…his winning would certainly foil her immediate plans.
I was wondering, anyone on Mudflats ever drop in at Sarah’s church? I am curious how they are going to explain the “will” God showed us on Tuesday night.
My Evangelical, Palin-loving sister-in-law says is is because God is very angry with us! Yes, HE is a very angry, vengeful man-in-the-sky!
Given that the numbers that have come in thus far are V E R Y suspicious, why should we think the counting of the remaining votes will be accurate?
Have the resolved why the numbers look funny?
No offense Alaska. But what the eff is taking so long to count these ballots? I could have counted them myself in my spare time by now.
94th?
can’t wait until the first person goes up into Palin’s face and tells her, “thanks, but no thanks.”
I spoke with my sister in Anchorage the other day and she explained to me that she voted for Ted because she felt that he didn’t get a fair trial and that Bill Allen is a lying scumball. Granted, Ted is a family friend, but after listening to her, it was obvious to me that even asking her if Ted could be effective for Alaska under the circumstances wouldn’t have changed her mind anyway. She was, however, disgusted with Don still around like a cockroach you can’t kill.
Just my opinion, but I know more Democrats who will vote person than party, but all the Republicans I know would die rather than vote anything other than Republican party no matter who is on their ticket. I have hope about many things now, but I’m willing to make book that Ted is in. Sad.
I congratulated Michael McMahon on his victory for the house seat vacated by disgraced republican Vito Fosella. Vito it seems has been a busy boy, with his wife and fathering a child in his -other- family. His indiscretions unraveled publicly with an arrest and conviction for drunk driving.
So I told McMahon about an Alaskan blogger writing about a local politician; grabbing him by the tie, leaning in, and telling him, forehead on forehead- eyeball to eyeball, ‘now don’t screw it up!’
My congressman said “I get the message!”
I hope so.
Thanks AKM, for the words that created such a vivid image of a powerful way to convey the message.
Thanks, AKM, glad to see it going. After walking my little dogs, I log on to see what’s up in the flats. I still want to know about the baby-to-come, if it does. Certainly staying tuned to read the up-dates on the race. Also want to know when the “wedding” takes place. Did you hear Keith the other night suggests that maybe now Levis will skip town?
Kem, my local weekly also did not print anything about the Presidential election, only local. But, good for me, I have the SF Chronicle, the Oakland Tribune, the San Jose Mercury. The picture on the SF Chronicle is terrific-I’m framing “that one”.
delphia2000, I used to be a Dem that voted the person until the repugs went after Bill Clinton(before I got angry with him for pulling down that zipper in the wrong place). I have voted only for Dems.
Yes, asiangrrrll, there are some post-election blues. I work in a rather political environment (though I’m just a state worker/faceless bureaucrat who works and keeps her head low) and this is a RED state, so there can’t be much overt celebration. Everybody already saw the Obama sticker–and related sorts–on my car, so I was out of the closet. Seemed like a good idea to be discreet, otherwise. But it has been fun to see the very broad smiles on the faces of black co-workers, one of whom gave me a huge thrill by just leaning into my office for a brief second to flash a “thumbs-up” that was hidden from view by any passersby. sometimes, it’s the little things that are the most fun.
And while I’m visiting the subject of race–sort of–can I just say that people are both ridiculous and stupid? There was a letter to the editor in the local paper about how “blacks” may not have gotten what they think in Obama–as if it was, indeed, merely the votes of black people that got him over 300 electoral votes. Last time I looked, most of the states with a BIG AA population were in the Deep South, which remains totally RED. And I don’t know of any state that has a majority AA population–do others? So, RED people, quit whining and realize that it was a LOT MORE than just black people that put “that one” into office (though AAs can rightly claim that they did more than anyone else, turning out 95% of their voters for him!) There are many more people-all races, most ages, both sexes– who clearly consider Barack Obama one of “their own,” physical appearances notwithstanding.
Whew! Glad to get that off my chest. Time for a shower.
See y’all later.
I’m formerly from MN–moved to AZ two years ago–and watch MN politics more closely than AZ. I am on pins and needles over the Franken/Coleman race and the BegichStevens race. The seat that Coleman now occupies belonged to Paul Wellstone. Coleman has been a corrupt disgrace to Wellstone’s seat for six years. When Wellstone and his family were killed just a week before the 2002 election, it really felt like a malign influence had taken over the world. 9/11 and consequent government actions had pulled the rug out from under our security and then the few good guys we had leading us were either retiring or dying. Some things are just wrong and the tragedy that befell the Wellstone family is one of them. Coleman had been hand-picked by Dick Cheney to challenge Wellstone’s seat. There were many of us at the time who believed Wellstone’s accident was no accident. There were early reports in the news of unusual personnel changes in the control tower in the remote area they were headed to. No one thought Cheney was above trying to find a “final solution” to the Wellstone problem.
I remember waking up to the headline and being totally incredulous. Wellstone was ahead in the polls and the timing was simply unbelievable. To add to the tragedy, Wellstone and his wife were both terrified of small commuter plane travel. The evidence ultimately pretty strongly indicated pilot error, so our suspicions were unfounded, but if people wonder about the tone of the memorial service in Mpls, remember that a fair number of MN Dems thought Wellstone, his wife, daughter, staff members and their pilots had been the victim of foul play. We were not ready to make nice.
In any case, this is just a long way of saying that this is Wellstone’s seat. Coleman does not now, nor did he ever belong in it. Franken is a personal friend to the remaining Wellstone sons and they endorse him wholeheartedly. I hope that this time fate will interfere with Coleman’s plans rather than help him.
Well, here’s hoping that the Senate and the state of Alaska are spared having to use valuable time to get Stevens out of the Senate. It just seems to me that there should be something in the job qualifications for a Senator that they can’t be a convicted felon, even if they are still in the appeal process. That’s the weirdest loophole yet.
Pat
Five of my family voted absentee and they all voted Obama, Begich, and Berkowitz. Other friends voted absentee and they voted just that way, so I think Begich and Berkowitz will pick up votes.
yes, i think that’s a good idea , vice peeper, I am going to drop the palin name in a day or two-for now I will take a page from Prince and be formerly known as.
I don’t know how Begich is holding up-this is going to be interesting! I can’t imagine how long it is going to be befor all the votes are counted.