Alaska Primary Day

26 08 2008

Don’t forget to vote today!

If you only fill in one of those little ovals, let it be Yes on 3. Regardless of your political affiliation, this should matter to you.

If you still need convincing, check out the videos on the Clean Elections website. They include famous Alaskans such as Walter Hickel, Vic Fischer and Arlis Sturgulewski, first time voters, political candidates and ordinary voters who understand that a Yes vote on Ballot Measure 3 is the most important vote they will cast in the next 20 years.

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Black Cloud Over Alaska Republicans.

25 08 2008

On Primary Eve in Alaska, and as the Democratic Convention in Denver began, I was at the next best place…the Alaska State Fair. No rain, no crowds, no lines. Gotta love it!

On the way out of town, I spotted a great crowd on Seward and Northern Lights waving signs for YES on 4, YES for Fish. And despite what the zillion dollar ad campaign from the foreign mining interests would have you believe, many in the crowd were Alaska natives and people with fishing jobs. Yes…jobs that aren’t mining. Yes, jobs that will be lost when Pebble toxifies the fishing in Bristol Bay. Losing a fishery to oil wasn’t enough, now we’re going to lose one to gold. Don’t get me started…

Once at the Fair, I found the Begich booth, and the Obama booth, both staffed with cheerful, upbeat campaign workers busily handing out buttons, stickers and information.

Barack Obama himself even made a surprise appearance at Macho Nachos!

OK, it’s a cardboard cutout….

The Democrats booth eluded me. I looked, but I had to rush off for an appointment and never found it.

But I did find the Republican candidates booth.

Lights on, nobody home. And what’s that big black cloud? Sometimes in life, metaphors just present themselves with no effort required.