Operation Chaos, it seems, may have been a diabolical success. You’ll all recall when Rush Limbaugh urged all his supporters to vote for Hillary Clinton in states with open primaries. The theory was that she’d be easier to defeat than Barack Obama. It’s debatable whether his tactic had any effect locally, but it obviously didn’t work on a national level.
In Alaska, on the other hand, things may have turned out differently. It was no secret in the polling, that Democratic candidate Ethan Berkowitz was much more likely to defeat long-term but desperately corrupt incumbent Don Young, than Republican newcomer (and some would say Palin-bot) rival Lt. Governor Sean Parnell.
So, devious Independants and Non-partisans (who make up well over 50% of the voters in Alaska), chose the Republican ballot and voted for Young in a desperate attempt to swing the general election in favor of a viable Democratic candidate. How do I know this? Because, just in general chit-chatty conversation, I personally came across FIVE people who did it. I didn’t ask. It was almost like people needed to make this guilty, yet gleeful confession. Did one of my earliest posts help plant the idea? Probably not. Not many people read it. But the idea obviously sprang up indepentently in the minds of those hungry to get the old-guard corrupt politicians out of office.
Weeks after Alaska’s primary, the absentee ballots now counted, Don Young can claim victory by the razor-thin margin of 304 votes. I know five of the voters by name, and I’m guessing that Alaskans like them have put him over the top. Alaska politics makes strange bedfellows.
Parnell will probably call for a recount, so keep those champagne bottles corked for now. The recount could take another 10 days. But, things may be looking up in one branch of Alaska politics.
Mudflats 
AKM,
Any recent polls on Ted Stevens and Don Young? I was afraid adding SP to the ticket might doom the Dems chances in those races (even if Young won), but if she’s dropping in the polls, maybe she’ll take them w/ her.
heh – Alaska’s not the only state like that we went through that here in WA too. 😉
A win by a very narrow margin that is only it wasn’t a primary.
Quite interesting. Wonder how far the ripple may reach.
LOL that is just so fab… 🙂
View slideshow from Anti-Palin rally this Sunday in Anchorage, AK
go to:
http://bigshow.bigfolio.com/?s=000011662&t=0e6a8ae03101be65098418ccb735e4a1
Sean Parnell–the guy who brings us deceptive wording in Ballot Initiatives!!! And Palin supports him!!! Better to have the guy who cusses you out straight to your face–at least that’s honest and we know where Don Young stands.
The fun just never ends up there! Are you on the verge of throwing the bums out?! Dang, I’ll be following your state elections more closely than my own!
Off-topic, but I just finished following some of the links posted about Galveston and the aftermath of Ike. Very sobering. There’s not much news getting out, the local gov’t. is in an uproar, communities have been essentially wiped out, as in all the houses are gone. The lesson FEMA seems to have learned from Katrina is block news coverage. Don’t go off script. Hey, wait, that rings a bell…
Stevens’ trial starts in about a week. Odds are that the verdict will be handed down just weeks prior to the election AND that the verdict will be a multiple felony conviction. The moment a guilty verdict is handed down, Stevens is toast.
As for Young, he’s under investigation but hasn’t been indicted. Still, if (when) Stevens earns the honor of being the first sitting Senator to be convicted of a felony in over 100 years, it should make voters think they don’t need ANOTHER sitting nationally elected official from AK convicted while in office. Excepting an own goal from his opponent, Stevens conviction should doom Young’s chances.
Palin may not even help Young all that much. If she keeps letting the McCain campaign run a troopergate stonewall stall, her popularity in AK could start to take a serious hit.
Stevens, Young, Palin, what are they hiding?
Les Gara’s post is on the Huffington post site!
go mudflatters!!!!
p.s. That map is very cool. Looks like there’s someone following this blog from Papua New Guinea! Wonder what their politics are like…
I’d like to see your coffee bill.
Hey All- we asked AKM for a donation button and if you haven’t noticed- one was added for Paypal. Right side bar.. scroll down. I’m just sayin..
And if Palin is V.P. and Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell is Rep., the next Governor of Alaska becomes the Attorney General who is currently making all the rulings where nobody has to show up and testify regarding the Palin abuse of power investigation. Does this have a familiar ring to it? By gosh, maybe she is prepared to be V.P.!!!!
hello mudflatters,
I just got in..On the way home form work I turned on NPR
I was listening to a commentary on election obsession and Meghan Daum, of Los Angeles Times mentioned mudflats as one of the best blogs. She said the blogger will probably have a book deal in the future..and she thinks that AKAMudracker is a he….. LOL!
OK now I have to go catch up on the latest news.
I ask again, AKM, please help us out. WHAT IS SARAH PALIN HIDING?
Your guess is as good as mine. There’s so much bad news already out there, I can’t imagine what else there might be. I’ll let you know what comes up! Always interesting. AKM
That just made my week. Thanks for sharing.
Whichferret aka Trough Gutted Palin
First a Bridge, Now a Road http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/opinion/18thu4.html?ref=opinion
Editorial against AK road to nowhere.
lol…the lt gov was bitching about this in his email to sarah
and what was her response??
“arrrrrrggggggggghhh…” and a buch of shit about how he should be in the congress and all that LIFE crap
young’s going to win on nov. 4th, too. sorry, ethan.
a few people crossing over doesn’t account for 16 percent more republican than democratic voters in the primary. the democratic primary was also hotly contested.
You’re not counting the “anyone but Young” voters – Ind., non-partisan, and republicans that voted for Parnell and will now vote for Berkowitz. Bet it’s more than 16%. AKM
One last quick reminder. I’ll be posting the updated list tomorrow morning. If you want on, email me at stitchergini@yahoo.com with the particulars — Mudflats name, city/state, country if not US, and the ever popular optional Palin baby name.
G’nite, all. AKM, you’re fantastic. Take care of yourself. We need you to be our beacon.
AKM — great people and great site ~~ I thank you everyday.
Would love to read “the book” – autographed copy of course!
Happy for the donation link! Be careful your YAHOO doesn’t get hijacked by “anon”
Night all —
just a thought, but wherever oil is, sumpn funny goin on ain’t far behind.
ROFL!! Ha! What a hoot!
Am I awake? Has Alaska become a reality show? I thought PA could hold its own with political weirdness, having its very own totally corrupt state legislature, with two gigantic legislative houses chock full of crooks on both sides, and a former nutso conservative Republican senator who got worked up about the possibilty of man-on-dog sex. But I take my hat of to Alaska. You can’t make this stuff up.
OK, I can’t wait for your open thread, coz I’m sleepy in AZ, but I had a random thought today…
AK’s previous governor was Male, correct? And there must be a set salary for Governor, correct? Ms. Palin is a female, correct? And Ms. Palin is not in favor of equal pay for equal work, correct? Therefore… Ms. Palin should be OK for AK to reduce her Governor’s pay, since she is a female and females must deal with this on an ongoing basis, correct? This move to reduce Palin’s salary would be a good faith gesture to AK and could save some money for AK in the long run…I’m just sayin’.
(Now, as a feminist, I would never really suggest that she should not get paid the going rate for Governor. BUT, it would be an interesting question for an enterprising journalist to ask, would it not?)
@ clark (21:51:08) :
You might also be forgetting the people who only voted on ballot issues, like myself and my husband. We will be voting for Ethan on Nov. 4. I know a few others who will be doing the same thing.
Take that you icky Palin puppet!
I visited your great state in the mid-80’s – and was astounded at its beauty which left me BREATHLESS (the next time I uttered” breathless” was when I saw the face of my newborn son 4 years later).
Do you sleep? You have told us you do, but I highly doubt it.
How much fun is this ?- but the stakes are so high.
And, in reference to this most current post of yours, dear, dear, AKM, all I can say is a quote from Annie Hall (if somehow, I can get it right) “I luurve you.”
There is more to this than meets the eye. What we are seeing (and sorry for the pun, Alaskans) is just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s hope she has her Spiro Agnew moment before the election. And another thing…
Why isn’t ANYONE in the MSM asking for her TAX RETURNS OR MEDICAL RECORDS? McCain was effusive about his, Obama and Biden were open, and Palin is stonewalling? WHY?
I mentioned this a few weeks ago: I believe she is bi-polar (I am, and it takes one to know one). She manifests a lot of the symptoms, imho Now, it may not be a serious case, but wouldn’t you like to know? As long as you take your meds, you can pretty much function normally; but there are times when you definitely do not. I would hate to have her have an episode during a crisis.
Is THAT why Todd is always around? That might make some sense. Episodes are less likely to happen when you have a loved one with you who can ease you through it. I have no proof and I’m not trying to start a rumor; that is the last thing I want to do. But it’s just something that crossed my mind (no pun intended) when I’ve been watching her.
You guys know her best…am I off base here?
arkangel3 (22:40:49)
She does remind me of my cousin…also bi-polar.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if the state of Alaska was won by the Obama-Biden ticket. I wonder how that would play in the media ? Let’s start the movement. That way, she has to come back and REALLY deal with this mess that she has left for her “transparent” government…
@arkangel3:
There was a comment from some staffer, apparently, that mentioned that the tanning bed was to combat some sort of depression. That is a well-used rationale here — Seasonal Affective Disorder due to the very short daylight hours in the winter. Now, I lived in Scotland for years in a town at similar latitude to Juneau, and never heard a word about SAD there. I live quite a ways higher than Juneau, and I can tell you that the dark here in the winter is quite a trial, but nothing compared to Fairbanks. Juneau complaining about it? Sissies!
I guess I came to this election game too late to know much about the physical (medical) issue. Did everyone provide a clean bill of health but her? Of course perhaps a comprehensive physical would mean that a doc might find that she did not give birth a few months ago? That whole baby thing is just gossip & speculation, of course, and this thread discusses the serious stuff, but still…
Now, the tax thing, that really pisses me off. My husband & I are both oil company workers, so we KNOW that North Slope operators make more than rank & file petroleum engineers in reservoir/drilling. That has been quite the topic of conversation at our house over the years since operators don’t even need a GED! I think that because BP operators are union (note that other companies’ operators on the North Slope are NOT union) that they likely earn over $150,000.00 per year. That is a lot of money for someone only having a high school education!!!!
Add in commercial fishing income, winnings from the Iron Dog (I am so not into that crap so have no idea what the purse is for that race), the evil lady’s salary, and there you go — a WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY THAN THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD.
She could be bi-polar, thereby explaining her ups & downs — people who loathe her say that she occasionally does nice things (cupcakes for birthdays, etc), so it’s not outside the realm of possibility. I’d been thinking that she was just a type-A to the tenth power, control-freaky, venemous bitch, but maybe there’s a legit medical explanation for all that……..
SMR (22:59:12
I don’t think that it is fair to call bi-polar ones in their down turns “bitchy”. They are cynical and hopeless…OK I admit it.
non the less…Biden and Clinton chat anyone?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/18/biden-clinton-chat-it-up_n_127345.html
AKMuckraker, I just wanted to post to let you know what a lifesaver you have been. I have spread the word of your blog as best I can. Please keep up the good word. We owe you a great debt.
Off topic to Wired – yes, very sobering. And something really smells about the lack of news (media blackout)…. The number of residents found doesn’t add up either. A lot of us are watching and very concerned. I’ll post further info when I receive it.
Is anyone doing a fact check on Sarah’s answer to her “big economy / energy question” today. I’ve heard it twice on CNN, but never got it…McLame threw the ball to her when some one asked about ______ and she went off about how much clean, green oil you have up there that needs to be drilled, is that it? Please explain for this lower 48 granny that wonders why we still are paying over $4.18 for gas if there is so much of the stuff just up north. Oh, I forgot the oil guys put the refinaries a zillion miles away, so what are they doing with natural gas? Oh, we have too much of that so don’t put it on the market cause the price would drop. Supply and demand enonomy. Now we have all the refinaries blow away in Ike storm, shut down for six weeks, so we can all pay some more….and some more, and some more. How many billions of oil profits are racking up this year… with millions driven out of their homes by the storm, now trying to get back to see if they have a home or need to go somewhere else to find, another one. So, Insurance companies that insured those millions of homes, are about to go broke the banks that hold the mortgages are folding like the deck of cards smashed by the storm, Fanny and Fredie are getting a pass so at least some money is still able to change hands, but if we are going to stay a float on WallStreet at all we have to hope Russia, China, and De Boys with the oil in which country, I’m losing track, will bail us out tonight. I sure hope M/P can keep up, cause it’s all making my head spin.
Why do I still believe Obama is the wises choice to follow through this mess, because he was a Community Organizer and knows how to get folks on the street to work together to get things done and he’s still talking about what I’m interested in you and me and the people next door.
Ok, I got to go make a paypal donation…I found the link!
Well, now I have another reason to vote Obama…Trump is stumping for M/P
even though he went into double speak when Larry King pressed in on why she was better than Biden on the economy, energy, and experience.
I feel like the proverbial monkeys at the typewriters have gotten in charge of all things political lately.
And… urgh, I’m going to have to steel myself. I have a family friend coming for a visit that thinks I drank the koolaid, while I’m sure she has had a few chugs from the McCainite koolaid.
I’ll let you all know how that goes. We are both extremely stubborn. We don’t share a name for nothing. ;D I just hope that the ceasefire is still in effect and we won’t even get into politics. I’m not a coward, but I don’t want to fight with someone I love.
Good luck Mil,
I received a relations email the other day and I haven’t thought about how to respond yet.
I am hoping for Thanksgiving peace treaty (only if Obama wins)
SMR (22:59:12) :
A tanning bed would be completely useless for Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is all about the light that gets to your eyes. UV light is bad for your eyes, hence you wear those little black goggles when you’re in a tanning bed/coffin apparatus. There are special very strong lighting systems used for SAD Syndrome.
Your governor is not using her tanning bed for any therapeutic purpose involving SAD Syndrome. Since we are all aware that she is not the slightest bit vain, I can’t think for what reason she would have a tanning bed ……
Cal Al, you can do what I did… In response to everything political… send back a picture or ten of your pet and if you don’t have one, raid lolcatz. It works eventually, lol.
Cal Al… as for Thanksgiving… well, you could always catch a convienient flu…. *wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more*
YESS!!! Good ole Don Young wins!! This is hilarious!
Tired…so tired…refresh, must keep reading, got to catch up. Wake up! Re-read last 5 posts, scroll, read, slap own face, tired…
Nice post.
visit me http://trinitylab.wordpress.com/
I think what’s more important here is that Alaska has said “NO!” to the possibility of Palinbot Parnell following Sarah to Washington where they would connive like Pinky and The Brain to “take over the world” every night.
And that rat bastard Talis Colberg will not become the non-elected Governor of Alaska.
Who would have ever thought I’d be cheering a Don Young victory?????
Now, can Parnell and Palin be impeached at the same time?
Momentum Has Shifted Back to Obama
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/18/campaign-momentum-shifts_n_127338.html
@ arkangel3 (22:40:49)
She is exactly like someone I know as well who is bipolar so I wouldn’t be surprised….but best not to speculate….
I think she’s more of a Narcissist than Bi-polar, imho.
As a precedent – taking the ballot of a candidate you do not support to weaken the opposition – this is not a good thing.
Do your high school hoops teams feed the visitor’s best player a meal that will weaken him for the championship game?
I’m a Democrat, would love to see Young put in his place. But not by voters undermining our electoral system.
AKM – where is your indignation now?
Found this song from a foreign band, they dedicated it to Ms. Conde Rice, I think they can pass it on to Palin now.
[audio src="http://64.226.49.227/music/bitch.mp3" /]
I hope this link works, I’ve never tried to do this before,
yepper! I have friends in Texas who do this regularly… whether they make a difference or not, no one can really tell… the group that I know that does this are primarily work as or with personal injury lawyers… the Republiars have really harmed that group and any time they can strike back they do. The down side is you get a heck of a lot of Republican mail… eeewww… have to put lots of bleach in your mail box fer sher.
It’s sad what Alaska has learned from the lower 48.
AKM – would this have happened if all the scandals surrounding Palin had not surfaced?
Hi Bigslick (and Aussie Lipstick Muck Revlon Kookaburra Whatever),
Posting from Australia, but don’t get too excited about those poll results, because:
a) They’re still within 3% or 4% margin of error (plus or minus for each candidate, so they remain lineball).
b) Sample sizes are so notoriously small as to be effectively meaningless (e.g.: CBS 655 Registered Voters in a nation of what? 260 million? Don’t tell me organisation can target demographics that accurately). It’s the equivalent of pulling figures out of your backside.
c) The one big problem with US poll predictability is this: In Australia (we’re a communist dictatorship, apparently), it’s compulsory to vote. So poll outcomes can be relatively predictable.
Otherwise we’re taken to a secret location and devoured by toxic rats and an assortment of tarantulas and various species of South American ants, or cop a $50 fine.
And then again we can always go to a polling booth, have our name marked off the roll (thus fulfilling our legal obligation), and scrawl ‘Screw George Bush’ on the ballot paper.
Believe me, it’s quite satisfying.
(Not the rat tarantuala ant thing I meant to say).
(Not the rat tarantula ant thing I meant to say).
NH democracylover,
I think you need to re-read. The individuals mentioned were independents/non-affiliated types who chose to vote in the Repub primary. The State of AK allows that. So these folks voted as they so fit and within the rules of the State of AK. How is that undermining the voting process?
To clarify – the Democrats and Independents only voted in one primary. They voted in the Republican primary only. It’s their right to do so.
Actually you know six of Young’s voters by name. Those five and you. You did vote for him didn’t you? And what about your spouse? Maybe, seven. Is your dog old enough, in dog years, to vote? No, I guess that would be illegal, even by absentee ballot.
Awesome!
~Hyla
http://earthyfinds.blogspot.com
if they are voting for a candidate they do not support – in an effort to weaken the opposition – they are undermining democracy. In many states this is illegal – I don’t know about Alaska. In NH if you are an undeclared voter and take a Republican ballot – you are implicitly saying that you support the philosophy and platform of the Republican party. That is in the law, though it is not enforced.
Suppose all voters were independents (as they are in 22 states) And everyone chose to vote in the primary of the party they did not favor for the least electable candidate in an effort undermine that party’s chances.
How is democracy working now?
Like the markets, primaries need regulation.
Thanks for asking
Uh, NH democracyLover, it’s the PARTY SYSTEM that’s being ‘undermined’. Not democracy. The gd 2 Party System that limits our choices and makes true democracy out of reach. Yes, Alaskans can be ‘independents’, but there are no viable 3rd or 4th or 5th parties in this country because the 2 big PARTIES have us in a stranglehold. We wouldn’t have to engage in these kinds of strategies if the parties didn’t set it up that way.
And speaking of election strategies, how ’bout that Republican practice of voter caging. Now THAT undermines democracy.
@arkangel…lol…I have bipolar too, but I dont see any of that in Sarah Palin. As you are bipolar as well…then you know that we tend to be on the whole, very intelligent and creative. Not sure why…but its true.
Sarah Palin is seemingly a vindictive…silly woman. Someone infatuated with herself for sure…perhaps a healthy dose of narcissism? Who knows…should she ever become President we may even see some sociopathic tendencies.
She just isnt a nice or very smart person. Her language skills are terrible for someone who is a professional…let alone Governor. She is narrow minded that much is clear. I could go on and on…but we all know what she is. God help us all should they be elected.
@wireddifferently….I agree with you about the 2 party system. As a Canadian I have issues with my own government, however, we always have the ability of having a minority government. This can stop a corrupt politician from doing extreme damage. Currently…this is our status, but we will have a federal election on October 14. I dont doubt that the Conservatives will get in again…however I am hoping for another minority. To me…its just healthy government.
SHe’s A BALD FACED LIAR! listening to CNN Iowa stump speech. Barack is going to RAISE taxes????????? over & over & over. We are going to eform DC???????????????? How kill iff the opposition?
SHe needs a Huge bar of soap applied to her mouth!
WHY does CNN [play every crappy word, and alway cut off Obama?
The party system is what we have. If parties are thwarted from presenting their choice of best candidate in the election, then who will our leaders be?
Go back to that point – what if crossover voters deliver the least qualified candidates to oppose each other in the election? One of them is then elected. That is the real consequence.
An axiom of democracy is that each voter vote for the candidate she believes best for the office.
Try it in a football game. Would it be cool to go into the opponent’s huddle, then line up behind the quarterback and tackle him when he takes the snap?
Winning is not the most important thing – we must have a process that works as well as possible. We need to work steadily to develop and sustain that process and our confidence in it. No one has a monopoly on TRUTH.
yep, I’m an independent, voted for Young, guess what, now I get to vote for Ethan!
I didn’t add this, sorry, my reasoning was, if a republican were elected, I would rather have Young, than Parnell. Reasoning, corrupt or not, he cares about the bush. Now, if I have a choice between a republican or a democrat, or Young and Ethan, I would choose Ethan based on his background and ethics. Each time I vote I’m weeding out the lowest common denominator. I’m choosing who I would not want in office as opposed to who I initially want in office.
NH, As long as both parties continue to squelch any meaningful alternatives (3rd party candidates not being allowed to participate in debates, etc.), they have to expect that the American people will devise ways around their intransigence. This is real, it’s not a football game. The stakes are much higher. And in this election, I fear that winning IS the most important thing.
Wired Differently –
“winning IS the most important thing”
would you…
encourage people to vote multiple times?
lie about your opponent’s positions?
have impostors represent him as a client to a prostitute?
pay people for their votes?
reprogram a voting machine to favor your candidate?
Is there any line?
If we break the process enough, we eventually lose democracy. We’re already a ways down that road with the cynicism we all hear.
“IN THIS CASE” winning is everything (meaning that what McCain and Palin represent is so out of whack with our democratic principles) is what I said.
I’m not cynical. I’m not advocating voter fraud. For heaven’s sake. Please don’t take my words out of context and twist them to make your point. It’s a great debating strategy, but it kills discourse.
PBS poll… is palin qualified to be vp?
currently the yes vote is at 45% and the no vote is at 53%
let’s get that NO VOTE HIGHER!!!
to vote: http://www.pbs.org/cgi-registry/poll/poll.pl
pass it on 🙂
As a registered “Non-Partisan” voter in Alaska, I have used the Repug ballot in several Primary elections. The R’s instituted the closed ballot; we had previously had open primaries prior, and as a voter, I was able to vote a mixed ticket. Since the R’s took away my ability to vote across party lines, I use my vote against them, and choose their weakest candidate. This was especially important this year. I was worried that Parnell ( a do-nothing cut cut cut R) would get a bounce from the Palin effect, and I expect Young will fall easy, and if not, will wind up in the slammer. Ethan Berkowitz is a terrific guy, and we will need him and Begich in DC to work with the Obama administration. The back-lash against us is going to be UGLY, either way.
Would ya believe…Narcissisticly By-Polar? 😀
Chuck Hagel, esteemed Senator from Nebraska, had his very honest say about Alaska’s Governor a few hours ago. Having lived in Nebraska for 6 years myself, I know the folks there are very level-headed and generally think for themselves. He is a very highly respected man, everywhere, not just Nebraska. It does give you hope.
http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/09/18/hagel-questions-palin-experience/
Actually the address for the PBS poll is:
http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html