ANCHORAGE — Five things we learned from Tuesday’s Alaska primary:
1. Age matters. Whoever wins the U.S. House race in November won’t be considered a young lion. Democrat Sharon Cissna of Anchorage is 70; incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Young of Fort Yukon is 79, and Libertarian Jim McDermott is 55. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is also 55, leaving U.S. Sen. Mark Begich the baby of Alaska’s congressional delegation at age 50.
2. Otherwise engaged. Alaskans appeared to have better things to do Tuesday than vote. Turnout for the primary was among the lowest in a decade at 21 percent. That will go up a bit after absentee ballots are added to the total, but will still be near or below the 25 percent turnout in 2002. Was it the lack of a top-ticket draw (there’s no U.S. Senate or gubernatorial races this year), or was it the weather? Anchorage had a rare sunny day, and it was rainier and drearier than usual in Juneau. Only residents in the state’s second largest city couldn’t blame the weather for staying home since it was a typical late summer’s day — cool with intermittent drizzle — in Fairbanks.
3. “I’m more conservative than you are.” Two incumbent, conservative Republican state senators lost their primary races in part because they weren’t deemed conservative enough. Linda Menard of Wasilla and Tom Wagoner of Kenai paid a price for joining the ruling bipartisan Senate coalition comprised of Democrats and Republicans. But is conservatism just a hyper-local issue? ....
4. “Go ahead, be more conservative.” Former state Labor Commissioner Click Bishop won a three-person Republican primary for a state Senate seat covering a huge swath of Alaska, stretching from Fairbanks to Valdez, after emerging as the moderate in the field. Conservative radio talk show host Casey Reynolds of KFQD said Wednesday that Bishop’s victory wasn’t a win for the Republican party.
5. The counting of ballots doesn’t end election night. Officials had counted 98 percent of the ballots by Wednesday morning, but much work remains. Ten outstanding districts were to be counted on Wednesday. An unknown number of questioned ballots will be counted on Thursday. On Sept. 4, election officials will release results for absentee ballots. As of Wednesday, there were 6,400 absentee ballots sent through the mail, 2,495 absentee ballots filled out at election offices, and 79 ballots returned by fax. Those numbers are expected to increase since mailed absentee ballots only have to have a postmark of Tuesday or earlier to count. Absentee ballots filled out in person at election offices statewide also may increase as those are returned to the Division of Elections.
Comments (40)
Add commentBO-One, & done!
BO-One, & done!
I can't wait for Paul Ryan to
I can't wait for Paul Ryan to debate Joe Biden. Who's taking bets that Biden will bail?
State Muni Elections are October 2 .
(except Anchorage & Denali Boroughs ).
Can hardly wait for October-November.
Let's see in we can knock off a few more Greenie / Lib candidates.
Vote Conservative and Pro-Development .
Full speed ahead!
I also can't wait! Joe Biden
I also can't wait! Joe Biden is an intelligent guy who says funny, sometimes inappropriate things. Paul Ryan pretends to be an intelligent, serious guy who is less prone to gaffes, but more prone to baldfaced lies and inhumane objectivist views.
One is a character. The other wants to be a character from a fantasy novel.
Paul Ryan
A Center for American Progress Action Fund analysis shows that Ryan voted to add a grand total of $6.8 trillion to the federal debt during his time in Congress, voting for at least 65 bills that either reduced revenue or increased spending.
From 2001 to 2008, Congress passed legislation that increased the national deficit by a total of $4 trillion — the number grows to $6 trillion if you add in how much those policies have cost through 2011. Ryan voted for 90 percent of these deficit increasing bills.
I guarantee that Joe won’t be
I guarantee that Joe won’t be able to handle it and will fly off the handle in some sort of rage. All Paul has to do is talk about the economy and it will be over. However there will be nothing but Cheeesypuff type questions. I can’t wait to see what Sara Fluke has to say at the DNC. That should be a hoot. I bet they hand out free condoms or better yet use them in place of confetti.
At least Mr. Ryan voted, where was BO, I forgot “present”.
wavemkr,
greenie/libs are the only reason Alaska is a tourist destination. Greenie/libs are pro-development... just not at the cost of the environment we all love and enjoy. I wouldn't live in Alaska if sarah palin/conservatives had their way. This place would suck.
So, remember, greenie/libs keep sarah palin/cons in check, and reasonaable conservatives and liberals keep necessary development on the table.
"I guarantee that Joe won’t
"I guarantee that Joe won’t be able to handle it and will fly off the handle in some sort of rage. All Paul has to do is talk about the economy and it will be over. However there will be nothing but Cheeesypuff type questions."
Do I have a secret admirer? milspec, I had no idea you thought about me so much... should I be worried?
And you go ahead and guarantee a miracle. Typical of your posts.
Did somebody say..
Biden is INTELLIGENT?? ah hahaha! now THAT is funny! He can't distinguish his arse from his elbow!! Ryan will DESTROY him and I will be watching w/ popcorn....it will be a heck of a show!!
Biden will be lucky if he can
Biden will be lucky if he can figure out which state the debate is in.
biden's intelligence
if one's education is anything of an indicator, yes, Biden is pretty intelligent. I don't think it's a question, to be honest. Paul Ryan has economics as his education, which will help in debates.
What won't help Ryan is if real questions are asked regarding his budget plan. The debate can circle the current economic environment, but the truth is, Ryan's budget doesn't help. It may cut "entitlements" for the people who would have voted for Romney, but it doesn't help the real issue: slow job growth
Biden can provide legislation that he attributes to a fairly stable economy, compared to three years ago.
The problem for Ryan, is that he consideres himself a fiscal cnservative, but he voted for the following spending items that have contribued to the debt he consideres out of control:
For both Bush tax cuts
For medicare part D
For Tarp and bank bailout
For the Auto bailout
For repeal of Glass-Stegal act, which essentially led to the financial crash in 2007/2008
Agaist Wall Street Reform
The biggest concern I see with Ryan is his budget plan cuts largely from education funding. We need jobs, we need a surplus, but in order to guarantee a successful future, you MUST provide a stronger education than the one now. We MUST work to better our education opportunities, always.
Paul Ryan will have a hard time debating these facts against Biden.
Hopefully they do ask Cheesypoof questions
Hopefully they do ask Cheesypoof questions like those brought up in Cheesypoof's post. It was a great post because it used facts instead of trite sports-like trash talk. (eg. "I guarantee Biden won't be able to handle it") What sort of moron uses talk like that and expects people to not notice that he isn't actually saying anything at all about Biden or Ryan.
Paul Ryan isn't dumb. He is a tool for Koch brothers and a reasonable proficient tool.
Biden will win the debate if he stays focused on the facts that the Republicans have a hyperinflated sense of doom regarding the economy and a deflated sense of the progress we have made since the crash in 2008. The sky is not falling. I do recall that Biden tore Sara Palin a new colon. Biden isn't dumb and neither is Ryan. This debate should be better than the last.
Ryan is practiced at blame tossing. Problems caused by years of mismanagement, mostly by republicans, are placed at Obama's feet.
newlife,
"Oh yeah, Joe Biden is "intelligent".
Joe Biden's supporters will be "in chains" laughing/applauding when told to, bet they will even have cue cards to help the stupid perform properly.
The rest of us will just be laughing!"
I'm sure Biden and his supporters would be highly offended by you and your rants... just kidding.
Your tone is that of an 8 year old with his parents in the check out line at the grocery store.
Your content is that of an 8 year old whose older brother convinced him that liberals kidnapped Santa Clause and ruined christmas.
Your posts are filled with overexagerations and immature rants. Consider the point you had in mind lost due to incompetence.
Republicans want an
Republicans want an individual that refuses to show his own tax returns to be the President.
Romney even keeps his income - hidden - in other countries to avoid paying taxes and still the Republicans want Romney to be the Pres.
newlife,
My point is that whatever age you are physically, mentally it's much lower... If you bothered to read my post regarding Paul Ryan's past actions as congressman, then you might realize that the decisions you make and think are productive are just misinformed reactions to what you perceive to be an ineffective administration. The people you listen to are not trustworthy, because you have been fed spoonfulls of lies.
If you think Paul Ryan is your savior, why don't you bother to research his career decisions in congress? Is it because you fear knowledge or because you have a blind trust in the republican party? Either way, it's not the informed decisions that "you young ones" should be making. And as a side note, we all are in this together, and even though you think you are more American than liberals, you aren't. Just the fact that you think that probably shows you are not aware of America's values. Take a US government class. UAS offers classes that would help you "young ones" better understand the political environment so when you do take care of the rest of us, we can trust that you're doing so with the information available, instead of the information you choose to accept.
Bullcrapshitt - Newlife - The
Bullcrapshitt - Newlife -
The Republicans have blocked everything that Pres. Obama has tried to do to get this country back on track; the Republicans are responsible for the lack of economic recovery in this country. They have stood in Pres. Obama's way regardless of all the people they are hurting in this country.
New Life
I suppose it was Biden's inability to stay focused that helped him tear Palin a new colon. Biden is a bright guy. The upcoming debate should be vastly more interesting than the last VP debates because we will have two candidates that can think.
I wondered if someone would take offense to my colon comment but I figured it would be some uptight colonhole from the religious right. Juneau is full of them.
The title of blametosser doesn't fit Obama like it does Ryan and Romney because Obama doesn't share a belief that the US is wracked in insurmountable problems. Obama blames Bush for the crash we had in 2008 and takes credit for the improvement since. I think placing all the blame at Bush's feet goes too far but not much too far. Clinton shares some of the blame for the crash because he repealed the Glass Stegal Act. Obama doesn't act like the world has sunk into an inescapable pit. He doesn't blametoss to near the extent as Romney and Ryan because to do so would force him to fabricate or inflate problems in the first place.
One of my problems with Ryan/Romney is their love to fabricate or falsely magnify problems and then blame them on someone else. It isn't Obama or Biden that act like the US is in dire straits. It's possible they actually believe our economy is going to crash if we don't cut taxes to the rich and push the tax burden onto the middle class. They might be that delusional. We are doing much better than we were. The Obama/Biden platform is that we had some problems in 2008 and we are dealing with them. No fallen skies in their view. Your comment that Obama hasn't been able to "make things right" indicates you have spent way too much time idly sitting at the feet of economic fearmongers.
@al97ct
you are aware that at this moment in time investment in America is not a sound proposition, arent you? So does it make sense if you are a businessman (ie, your job is to make $$$), that you would put it where the best likely return on your investment may be realized? Of course it does.
now you can guess the next proposition, but I'll say it anyway -- why is America not a sound investment at this moment in time? (and before you gag on the R-word, remember who's Administration this will be recorded as)
Grendel
Grendel. I have more faith in America than you do it seems. Does that make me patriotic or do I need to be full pessimism and rage to fly our flag?
Hiker
Sounds like typical liberal drivel to me.
hiker
I have faith in the resilience of America and Americans. But if I had billions, or even millions, in capital (like, say, some number of banks that received stimulus dollars), I think I'd be looking for a better investment environment than here at home, at the moment.
it's not pessimism or spite; it's business.
some
where in Delaware a village is missing their idiot.
Time to go home joe
grendal you have got to
grendal you have got to be joking!
America is a sound investment and Mitt Romney it just that a "businessman", an un-ethical businessman at best. Romney is not a leader.
hoy smokes!
"the left voted to burn the american flag"... this makes so much sense my head just exploded. I see brain chunks on the walls... too much reasoning here for me. My head can't handle anymore newlife common sense.
Yes, Republicans have been a hindrance to the President's
agenda. They just won't stay seated in the "back of the bus".
Coffee on my screen!
Thanks to hiker! Like it takes a real rocket scientist to rip Sarah Palin! That Joe Biden must be a jeenyuss!
@al97ct
I'm not defending Gov Romney, though since you brought up leadership, let me ask, who is the better proven leader and why? Careful - you may expose a flank.
The elections
Can't wait until we finish up in November, seriously, I am thinking I may have to write in Ron Paul.