Local Democrats in the Baranof Hotel cheered Tuesday night when major news organizations projected President Barack Obama had won reelection. Shortly before 9 p.m., before Alaska’s votes even showed up on the state website and in the national count, they heard GOP candidate Mitt Romney congratulate Obama on his win and wish him luck during his next term in the White House.
President Barack Obama took the stage to accept his second term as president a little more than two hours after CNN announced his win. At 7:18 p.m. Obama had won more than 272 electoral votes he needed to earn another four years in the oval office.
By 9:15 p.m. the Romney backers meeting at the Baranof Hotel had mostly disbursed. Obama’s supporters hung out by televisions in the hotel bar and in an Obama gathering near the front desk.
Newly elected Assembly Member Loren Jones said watching an election is more stressful than running for office.
“This is a little more nerve wracking,” Jones said. “I’ve only got one vote and I’m not campaigning. Just stand and watch.”
Jones said he watched the national race from home and came down to the Baranof conference room to watch the state results roll in.
LaRae Vons lives in Juneau and came down to the Baranof to hear Obama’s acceptance speech. “I am a Barack fan,” Vons said. “He’s for the people. There is no way I can think about the other guy.”
Grace Snider said she is traveling from Willow for a brain institute meeting, is staying at the Baranof, and saw the Obama gathering and stopped by.
“It seemed like a good place to be,” Snider said. “I’m glad to be in good company.”
Snider said she had voted absentee before her trip. She wore an Obama shirt and said she’d voted for the incumbent.
Statewide she said she would like to see a change from Rep. Don Young, but she said she doubted that would happen. The tallies would prove her right.
Once the national chapter in the election was over, Alaska voters still had other issues to decide, including who would represent the state in the U.S. Congress. Young won his 21st term, weighing in shortly before 11 p.m. with a 64 percent lead over Sharon Cissna’s 22.8 percent with almost 27 percent of precincts counted. Young climbed to 63 percent with half the voted counted.
U.S. Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski were quick to weigh in on the presidential race.
“I look forward to continuing to build on the important progress we have made not only on Arctic development, but on other critical Alaska issues like supporting our veterans, balancing the budget, permitting mines and improving education,” said Begich, who is a Democrat. “I am also happy to see that voters have sent common-sense moderates from across the country to join me in the Senate. Not only do we share common ground on policies, but we have a like-minded approach of reaching across party lines, rolling up our sleeves, and looking for solutions. Tonight’s results also sent a clear message to those who want to overrun our elections with unlimited secret money and divisive politics. I am hopeful the newly elected group of senators and representatives will join me in pushing for a bipartisan, balanced and swift approach to cutting our federal deficit.”
Murkowski, a Republican, congratulated Obama as well.
“While the presidential race was hard fought on both sides, I think this election process has demonstrated that Americans want us to work together to solve the difficult problems facing our nation,” Murkowski said. “In his second term, I am hopeful that President Obama will see the value of pragmatism over partisanship. Both parties created the challenges we face today, and the solutions can only be found through collaborative efforts - good ideas don’t come with a party label. I encourage President Obama and his administration to work with Congress, represent all of America and make a better tomorrow for our nation.”
Shortly after 9 p.m., results from Alaska’s statewide races trickled in.
Alaska voters in early numbers chose the Romney/Ryan ticket over Obama/Biden, leading by about 56 percent to 39 percent with 63 percent of the vote counted.
State Sen. Hollis French was in a tight race with Republican challenger Bob Bell, trailing by just over two percentage points with about half the precincts counted. French, a Democrat, is part of a bipartisan coalition targeted by some Republican leaders and is an outspoken critic of Gov. Sean Parnell’s oil tax reduction strategy. Bell led by five points with more than 70 percent of precincts counted.
Redistricting forced an election in Senate District Q between incumbents Bert Stedman and Albert Kookesh. With 44 percent of the vote in, Stedman had 50,14 percent and Kookesh 49.64 percent but the tide turned quickly against Kookesh and with 88 percent of precincts in Stedman held more than 65 percent of the vote.
In Anchorage’s Senate District M, a similar situation pitted Anna Fairclough against Bettye Davis, but with almost half the vote counted Davis trailed Fairclough by a large margin, Fairclough gaining 58 percent of the vote by 10:17 p.m.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
• Contact Managing Editor John R. Moses at 523-2265 or at john.moses@juneauempire.com.
Comments (90)
Add commentPolling in Juneau closes at
Polling in Juneau closes at 8:00pm. So the Empire makes a "Breaking News" alert that CNN (haha) says Obama won. Just stop already.
election
Nice to know that our votes don't count...
And Fox News as well.
My daughter just texted me to remind me of the 2000 election's cable news coverage, which had its share of wrong calls. It isn't over until it's over, as they say, and no one should decide not to vote because some cable network makes a guess. We're here hard at work here at the Empire waiting for Alaska's numbers.
The AP seems pretty comfortable with the projected results
Hot off the wire:
As Obama wins re-election, Romney out of sight
By KASIE HUNT and
STEVE PEOPLES
The Associated Press
BOSTON — His reach for the presidency thwarted, Mitt Romney stayed out of sight late Tuesday as news organizations including The Associated Press announced that President Barack Obama had won a second term.
Dejected Romney supporters milled around a hotel ballroom where the Republican hopeful had planned to declare victory and groaned as key battlegrounds moved Obama's way.
Obama's victory in closely fought Ohio narrowed Romney's path to the 270 electoral vote. The Democrat also was declared the winner in other swing states including New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Colorado and Iowa. Michigan and Pennsylvania, which Republicans hoped to put in play, stayed in Obama's camp as well. Florida and Virginia remained too close to call.
And from McClatchy Newspapers:
Obama wins re-election after bruising campaign
By David Lightman
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Tuesday won a second term in the White House, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney in a hard-fought election that served as a referendum on who could better ease Americans’ economic pain and uncertainty.
Obama marched across the nation, scoring victory after victory in battleground states where the economy had mounted just enough of a comeback to convince voters to give him four more years.
He held onto the coalition that led him to victory in 2008: women, Latinos, African-Americans and young people. Romney, seeking to become the first Mormon to win the presidency, was able to win only two states Obama had won last time, Indiana and North Carolina.
The second Democrat to win a second term since World War II, Obama swept the Northeast and West Coast states and won most of the Rust Belt battlegrounds, including Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Romney won dependably Republican states across the South and into Texas and the Great Plains.
Obama took office in January 2009 with a mandate to revive an economy still struggling to recover from the Great Recession of 2007-2009, the worst downturn since the Great Depression. Six of 10 voters Tuesday said the economy was the most important issue, well ahead of health care or foreign policy. Three of four voters said the economy remained poor or not so good.
Keep grasping at straws. And
Keep grasping at straws. And keep making excuses.
Deficit spending
Everyone is speaking economy, bear one thing in mind with this win of a second term by President Obama. We cannot solve the deficit without broadening the tax base. I don't mean the wealthy.
Bring the jobs home. Products made in China will only serve to increase the deficit. Products that say made in Indochina, Vietnam, Mexico also increase the burden we are helping to support by insisting our elected officials do nothing.
We are all at fault by remaining silent to the theft of the American economy. End the free trade agreements. Tariff all products not made in the USA. If the multi-nationals scream let them. Ask their board members where their loyalties to this once great nation reside.
If they tell you they have a responsibility to the shareholders they are passing the buck and so far they are doing a very successful job of it while selling the rest of us out.
Keep our money home let the other countries fend for themselves.
Put that on your entitlement.
Your right. The people want
Your right. The people want cheaper stuff. It's our own fault.
At least the Democrats got
At least the Democrats got stomped in Alaska... as usual.
To my conservative friends
First, let me offer my condolences on your many national losses last night. I'm sure they were a shock for you.
I have some thoughts on the results:
1. I'm not thrilled that Obama won last night. I didn't vote for him. But I am very pleased that Romney, and especially Ryan, won't be in the White House.
2. For those of you who were absolutely sure that Romney was going to win, you should reflect on where you got that idea from. The indications, from reliable and proven sources, were quite clear that Obama was going to win. And yet there were conservative punsters, most notably on Fox, but elsewhere as well, who were declaring a Romney victory was inevitable, even though they certainly knew they were telling a lie.
If they could so mislead you on this issue...what else are they misleading you on?
3. If you're shocked and disappointed that the electorate could make such a decision about retaining Obama, now you know how many of us felt in 2004 when Bush was elected to a second term. Maybe that will be of some solace to you.
4. It looks like the wind is out of the tea party's sails, based on senate and governor's races across the country. A big shift toward moderate consensus builders. 2014 will be an interesting election, with quite a few GOP senate seats in play.
5. Juneau had about a 50% turnout overall, maybe a bit better once absentee ballots are counted. Substantially better than the state as a whole.
6. Interesting that a red state like Alaska could vote to plunge in on the bond measure. All this screaming about debt, and then here we go... Most interesting.
7. Too bad Gary Johnson and Jill Stein didn't do a little better to reach 5%. That would have given those third parties more stature on the national stage in the future, at debates and so forth. It would have changed the narrative of the election a bit. America must be satisfied with the two parties we have...interesting.
i dont look at the news
Until the next day I went to bed not knowing
Lat: You say Fox pundits were projecting an "inevitable" win
for Romney. I listen to Fox. You obviously do not. I do believe you are sharing second-hand (heresay) info here and crediting yourself for being a bipartisan listener. :)
@Ken
Does the name 'Dick Morris' come to mind? Two days ago, on Fox, he was predicting a "Romney landslide".
How about Karl Rove, another Fox talking head, who was predicting a Romney pickup of over 300 electoral college votes.
These aren't hearsay. They're video.
What was Rush saying over the past week? Oh yeah, on Monday he was saying "Romney will win big".
Sorry Ken, I know you're disappointed. Try not to be too bitter.
And no, I'm not trying to be bipartisan here. I didn't vote for a single republican yesterday. Their party is not in alignment with my values. But then, I didn't vote for a single democrat either.
Votes
Well, the people have spoken and the majority wins.
To my liberal friends
1) get ready for higher fuel prices
2) get ready for bigger government
3) get ready for higher taxes and "fees", thus lower paychecks
4) get ready for a steady or increased unemployment rate
5) get ready for more food stamp recipients
6) get ready for more government handouts
7) get ready for more government regulation
8) get ready for more small businesses to close
9) get ready for more of Harry Reid and his do nothing Senate
With a lame duck president, this is what you voted for.
Scary times ahead
Obama had been tempered in his first term knowing he had to please many to have a shot at a second term. Now, its his second term and he can do as he and his cronies see fit. What's in store? $20 per gallon gas and heating oil? Another doubling of the deficit? Greater numbers of people on food stamps and welfare? Open borders? I hope at least I get an Obama phone to go with my Obamacare.
Latitude59
I would rather listen to Fox News than MSNBC:
Chris Mathews: "I'm so glad we had that storm last week because I think the storm was one of those things. No, politically I should say. Not in terms of hurting people. The storm brought in possibilities for good politics."
This is the way liberals think.
Lat: nearly two years of campaigning and you choose statements
made days before an election. Morris was following 2008 polling methodology which was obviously skewed. Even Democratic pundits were predicting a "Squeeky" election. Looks to me like Obama did better than what the most credible pollsters were predicting.
Rove? He has about as much credibility with me as Chris Mathews. Different sides of the same coin.
By the way...I am not disappointed. I went with Obama this year. But I prefer not to align myself with fringe candidates. If one cannot even build a credible campaign organization how can I expect him/her to be taken seriously?
I have not heard Rush say anything of the kind.
My point, Ken...
...is that some commenters here (you weren't one of them) were boldly predicting a big Romney victory. They were obviously getting that impression from somewhere (Fox, RedState, Hot Air...). Some were even offering large wagers.
For those that were led to believe that Romney would win big, time to reassess the credibility of your information sources. They steered you wrong.
I remember Zogby predicting a big Gore victory in 2000. I've never trusted that firm since.
@AV
I wouldn't listen to either source. You offer a good example why.
ELECTION
I am so sorry for all of you that said Obama would not win a second term, called him racist , and bigoted names,now have too see him lead this great country for a second term
I can only hope
that the Republicans don't continue their obstructionist ways for another four years.
The people have spoken.....again.
I see that Banditrider and AuroraVista
are already busy at work, in their attempt to prevent Mr Obama from getting elected to a third term......
Easy Money
As of yesterday morning, you could still wager on Obama to win at moneyline odds anywhere from -425 to -325 throughout the day. In Ireland, the bookies had closed the line and were already paying out the Obama wagers on Monday. I picked up an easy $250 by laying down $1,000 at -400. Not a bad return on investment. Based on the available evidence, like Nate Silver's, how anybody could have thought Romney was going to win is beyond me. Like Lat said, I sure hope this causes them some introspection on other issues where they hold incomprehensible positions (e.g. climate change, health care, gay rights. etc...)
Or... maybe I hope they keep betting their delusions.
The election did not change anything
There is no reason for the House members to change their tune. In the American system it is not winner takes all. The people spoke for president, they also spoke for many very conservative house members. The same house members will be back again in 2014, 2016 etc,
Look at a US election map that identifies rep and dem winners by district. That shows there is no clear mandate to do anything.
Ken...Rush said:
From 11/5/12 transcript:
"My friends, I’ve been looking at all the data that you have been looking at. I’ve been trying to separate feelings from thoughts and come up with some sort of an educated prognostication. You know, common sense tells me this election isn’t gonna be close and shouldn’t be. And yet every poll, every single poll, has this race tied. Obama’s up one, down one, tied, doesn’t matter where you go, ’til you get into the internals, then it gets really confusing or it doesn’t make any sense.
I’m just gonna be honest with you, for the longest time — and you people that have been regular listeners know this. I have said that as we get down to the election, the polls are gonna reflect what’s really gonna happen because the pollsters want to get it right for the future. That has not happened. It has not happened. There’s not one poll that gives either candidate an edge, not one pollster is willing to stick his neck out here. They’re all saying that this is tied, every which way from Sunday, at least in the overall popular vote, national surveys. Now, when you get into the internals it looks a little odd, and we’re gonna do that here at the beginning.
There’s also something that, I guarantee you if a football game had a different outcome yesterday, you would be hearing nothing but this today. But since the Washington Redskins lost at home on a game before the election, it means, what is it,18 of the last 19 elections, that the out-of-power party wins. Honest, it’s called the Redskins Rule, and it’s so well known you can look it up on Wikipedia. In the 18 presidential elections that have taken place since the Redskins moved to Washington in 1937, 17 have been predicted by the team’s performance at its final home game prior to the election.
If the Redskins win at home, the incumbent party wins the presidential race, 17 out of 18 times going back to 1940. If the Redskins lose at home, the challenger prevails. Well, the Redskins lost to the Carolina Panthers. That means Romney wins. I guarantee you, if the Redskins had won the game, that’s all you would be seeing on the media today. I guarantee you. You can’t find it anywhere. It’s only because I know the Redskins Rule that I was looking this up, and I did see a little blurb in one of the pregame shows before the football game started yesterday. I just saw a tail end of the blurb and I wasn’t sure so I went and looked it up, and that is what it is."
See, as Han Solo says, pollsters like Nate Silver had it pretty well pegged a week ago, based on advanced mathematical modeling of the polling data. But Limbaugh was basing his predictions on a football game.
If you're counting on Limbaugh for guidance on anything...let this be a lesson for you.
familiar place
THE FACTS: The greatest percent of the Fed budget is consumed respectively by social security (20%), defense (19%), welfare/unemployment and other non discretionary (16%), Medicare (12%), and children’s med insurance programs (8%). All other Fed budget expenditures combined are nominal in comparison. The single largest discretionary expenditure is defense. Fastest growing expenditures are the other non-discretionary spending (VA, pensions, unemployment) and Medicare. The reasons for the growth in these areas are aging population, medical service to veterans due to two pro-longed wars, and poor economy.
In 2001 and 2003 two major tax cuts were initiated that reduce the treasury by approximately 2.4 trillion over 10 years. The majority of this revenue was retained by those with incomes of 1 million plus on the theory it would stimulate job growth. Since 2010 tax revenues were further reduced by approximately 680 billion. These reductions were spread more proportionally over the income strata in the form of first time home buyer credits, pay-roll tax deductions, work incentive tax cuts. As a result, the marginal tax rates for income, corp tax, and capital gains are the lowest they have been since approximately 1937.
The national debt is over 15 trillion. From 1981 to 2010 the debt went from approximately 3 trillion to 15 trillion. The last budget surplus (annual surplus) was 2001. Sharpest rise in the debt occurred from 2008-2010 primarily due to interest on debt compounding and reduced tax revenues with no corresponding reduction in spending over the past decade.
THE SOLUTION: major budget expenditures must be cut with a corresponding increase in tax revenues over the next decade.
THE PROBLEM: The Republican held House of Rep’s inability to put country first over ideology and party politics.
Lat: I have to give that to you. I make it a rule not to tune
in to anyone days before an election. The hyperbole is just too much for me to take. Thanks for the transcript.
BTW: I do not follow football, so Rush's analogies do not reach my frontal lobes. A lot of what Rush espouses does not pass my 'critical thinking' litmus tests. But much does.
I am using 'frontal lobes' as an analogy. May not be accurate.
Republican party
We need a robust Republican Party divested of the right-wing crazies and invested with practical ideas, as well as a willingness to compromise in order to lead the Nation forward.
But, for now, I will sit back and watch in amusement as the Party of Norquist squabbles and slowly dissolves into obscurity.
Republicans need to divest themselves of the bigotry-fueled nutcases, the religious lunatics, the anti-intellectuals, and the rigid ideologues.
GOP of George Romney Needed
The GOP appears to be in the same situation the Democrats were in during the 80s; a field of lightweights and the inability to to formulate a coherent platform.
The GOP's top-down, "Economic Darwinism" theory that seemed so attractive in 80 & 84 has now been primarily responsible for two crippling recessions. If they don't develop a new fiscal paradigm & divest themselves of the radical right, they'll continue to lose ground.