Thursday, August 26, 2010

Alaska politics

Why is Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski in trouble?
By Rachel Rose Hartman Wed Aug 25, 12:51 pm ET

A candidate who possesses significant advantages in money, name recognition and experience usually can expect to lead an election campaign. So what happened to Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Tuesday night?




I've spent a total of 14 days in Alaska, so I don't pretend to know the heart and soul of Alaskan politics, but when I go someplace I don't sit on tour buses listening to some bozo who reads good telling me what it's like outside. I go out into the place. I talk to people. I stop in small towns and try and get a flavor for what life is like.
In Alaska that's kinda hard to do because you're always walking around with your jaw down around your chest stunned by the incredible scenery that overwhelms you no matter what direction you look and no matter where you are (including Wasilla), but I tried.
I came away from Alaska with the sense that somewhere around 99.99999% of the people who live there are right wing conservatives. They aint real happy about the gentleman in the White House right now for various reason, some of which are not fit for discussion among many folks in "the lower 48." Yea, they refer to those of us in "the lower 48" a lot. See, it's different up there and the people mark their isolated status by isolating themselves socially and, they try, culturally.
But that being said, it's no wonder that the radical extremist right of Alaska came out and voted for some teabagging moron who got the support and endorsement of Alaska's favorite right wing fundamentalist extremist.
The good thing is, a majority of Alaskans disapprove of Sara Palin. Seems they have abandonment issues and a certain amount of good basic down home horse sense.
If I were Murkowski, I'd run as an independent. I suspect that when the greater mass of people come out for the general, they will not be so inclined to vote for a Palin pick.
This race is certainly not any indicator of what is going on in "the lower 48." Maybe the right wing news media would like youto believe that, but believe me, Alaska and true Alaskans really are different from the "lower 48."

2 comments:

Herbert Weaver said...

Man, I'd love to visit Alaska. But I worry that rather than shooting the wildlife like Palin, I'd get an overwhelming urge to start shooting the people who live there. So sad that the most beautiful places in America (Arizona, Utah, Alaska, etc.) are full of very un-beautiful bigoted assholes.

SagaciousHillbilly said...

I dunno Herb. I met a lot of really nice people in Alaska and a bunch of really greedy SOBs. I've been to tourist destinations before and been hit with the business people trying to make it during tourist season, but in Alaska they take it to a whole new level.
Being an Earthy guy, you'd probably get along fine with the ones you chose to associate with. I enjoyed the folks who were nice and ignored the rest.
I'm hoping they will reject this two-bit moron and go with the democrat who seems to be quite credible.
They're not stupid people and a majority of the overall electorate highly disapprove of Palin.