Murkowski – Will She or Won’t She?
After Republican/Tea Party candidate Joe Miller’s stunning defeat of Lisa Murkowski in the Alaska Senate primary, things have been all a-kilter.
Everyone on the political spectrum from far left to moderate right has been in a panic. The far right turned out in force for the primary, in part because of a ballot initiative about parental notification for abortion, in part because of a half million dollar Miller media blitz, and in part because of the leftover Palin supporters who were still in the mood for a little roguishness. And now we have Joe Miller, who wants to phase out Medicare and Social Security, who thinks that abortion should be illegal even in cases of rape and incest, who thinks that unemployment is unconstitutional, and who thinks that the federal government should quit giving Alaska all that damned money. Federal dollars, like oil, make up one third of Alaska’s economy, but Mr. Miller, with his eyes on the Tea Party prize, doesn’t seem particularly concerned.
Remember that until recently, Lisa Murkowski had an approval rating of more than 70%. She, not Palin (whose approval ratings in Alaska have sagged below 50%), was Alaska’s golden girl. And now she wanders in the political desert, and her supporters mourn.
So, what’s a moderate to do? The answer was becoming clearer – Scott McAdams, the Democratic candidate. With a pro-Alaskan agenda, and a level-headed soft-spoken bipartisan approach, he has been winning the hearts, votes, and donations of the newly converted. And it seemed likely, that there would be a very clear choice come November.
But hard-core Murkowski loyalists have found it difficult to swallow the fact that Joe Miller (who is basically Palin from Kansas with a beard and a law school degree) is going to wrest power from the establishment candidate, and topple the Murkowski dynasty. So, they’ve been scrambling for a way to keep their favored candidate in the race.
There are two ways to do this:
Option #1) For a candidate from another party to step down and give the spot to Murkowski
The party that’s been at the center of all the speculation is the Libertarian Party of Alaska. Their candidate is David Haase. Now, mind you, Lisa’s no Libertarian. She’s been the sort of Republican, establishment, gimme the pork politician that Alaskans keep electing over and over. And it’s not as easy as having Lisa just sweep into Libertarian Party headquarters and place the crown upon her own head like Napoleon. The Executive Committee of the party has to vote to let her, and the candidate has to be willing to step down.
You may remember that there has already been a meeting of the committee to discuss the prospect of letting Murkowski have the spot, which degraded rapidly.
The meeting was contentious at first. Two board members who were clearly on the Tea Party friendly Joe Miller side were combative before they realized that the other three board members agreed with them on the essentials. At a number of points the meeting even digressed into name-calling. The ‘F’ bomb was even tossed around a number of times.
They voted no, unanimously. If there’s one thing you can say about Libertarians it’s that they believe their ideology, and they’re not usually willing to sell it out for politics. They are the hard-core philosophical purists who tend not to blow with the political wind. They never win, but they don’t care. It’s the principle of the thing.
The irony of all this is that Joe Miller is far more Libertarian than is Murkowski. And his bazillion dollar bankroll for advertising came from the Tea Party Express, founded by the bazillionaire Koch brothers, who are… Libertarians.
Option #2) To launch a write-in campaign
To have a valid write-in vote, the full name of the candidate must be spelled correctly to the letter. Merkowsky… Mercowski… Murcowsky… Muhrcouskie…. Merkhowskey… Nuff said.
So, with all of this, you might think that the easiest thing for Murkowski to do is to simply move on to a cushy job for four years and plan her next move. Or, if she really wanted to stick it to Sarah Palin, Joe Miller and the rest of the clan, she could go out on a political limb, endorse Scott McAdams, and practically ensure a win for him and a whole lot of egg on the faces of Miller and Palin.
The Big News to Nowhere
Instead, there have been mutterings. And the mutterings intensified today as rumors of a big article from the Associated Press from the Murkowski campaign swirled around political circles. Then, sure enough, an article was released. Breathless, Alaskans read that Lisa Murkowski says she’s “still in the game.”
She said that if this was “all about Lisa, certainly the easy thing for me to do would be to figure out what my next opportunity would be with my family and just settle in to a nice job.”
“But what I’m looking at is my state and the future of my state for my kids. So, I have not made that determination that I’m going to give up. I’m not a quitter, never have been. And I’m still in this game,” Murkowski said.
Zing! Murkowski – 1, Palin – 0. But despite the use of the “quitter” reference, getting voted out isn’t really quitting. So now the question is, will she run as a Libertarian, or will she run as a write-in? Those are the choices.
She met briefly Tuesday with the Libertarian candidate David Haase after friends of hers, without her direction, she said, approached his party, asking if the Libertarians would consider a Murkowski candidacy.
She said she was prepared to meet with those friends Tuesday but was told that Haase and party Chairman Scott Kohlhaas also were invited. She said she was not “prepared nor interested” in talking with the Libertarian board, which she said Kohlhaas represents. However, she indicated she’d be willing to listen to what Haase had to say “but that’s the extent of my interest at this point in time. So I did.”
One can only imagine Lisa walking into a seemingly innocuous luncheon with friends and having Scott Kohlhass, and David Haase leap from behind the sofa in funny hats, yelling, “Surprise!”
While the Libertarians are welcome to look at her record, during eight years in the Senate and, before that, in the state Legislature, “I will not change who I am for any party,” she said. “You take me or leave me, because I am who I am.”
Remember that last week Joe Miller tweeted:
The link took readers to an article talking about Murkowski’s potential of running as a Libertarian. There was lots of tapdancing, and blaming staffers, and we weren’t quite sure whether he was calling Lisa Murkowski a prostitute, or the Libertarian Party prostitutes, but it appears Murkowski is not willing to compromise to get the slot.
Kohlhaas said the party has tried to stay open to having a dialogue but he described the odds of her appearing on the ballot as seemingly impossible.
So, I guess the Libertarians aren’t prostitutes either. Although presumably, as Libertarians, you would think that they wouldn’t find anything wrong with that.
Besides a third-party run, Murkowski also could seek a write-in candidacy, which she called high risk. Or, she could decide to stay out of the race.
At least Mercoski Murcouski Merkowskey Murkowski recognizes the unlikelihood of the write-in choice.
Murkowski described her options in continuing as “extraordinarily risky,” and said she wouldn’t even be thinking about going on if not for the showing of support and the risk she believes the state faces.
There are a host of issues at play, she said, from losing seniority in the Senate to the direction that both major party candidates are proposing taking the state that she believes are “causing Alaskans to sit up and pay attention and say, ‘What just happened in this election and what are we left with?’ And that’s why they are coming back to me, saying, ‘Is there any other opportunity that you would consider?’ So that’s kind of where I am today.”
And that was that. So we know this:
- She’s not technically in the race right now
- She’s not out of the race
- She’s not a quitter
- She is who she is
- She will likely not run as a Libertarian
- She will likely not run as a write-in
- She doesn’t know what she’s doing
If you feel like you have no idea why this story came out, then you’re not alone. The breathless across the state all said, “What does this mean?” And the answer is that we have no idea.
Adding to the confusion for a potential Murkowski run is that National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn and others have already endorsed Miller, and pledged national support for his general election campaign.
When interviewed by Fox News, Miller, stated that “fractures in the party would heal before November.” The fact that Joe Miller and others actually staged an unsuccessful coup attempt to oust Alaska Republican Party Chair Randy Ruedrich two years ago makes it unlikely that the party will head into the general holding hands and singing kumbaya. Leadership hates Miller as much if not more than they hated Palin. We’ve seen all of this before – Rogue v. Party, Rogue v. Murkowski – it’s all been done. Party unity is impossible because, in reality there are two parties – The Republican Party and the Tea Party.
“I’m certain that we’re going to have a unified front in the fall election,” Miller said Wednesday.
And I’m certain that tomorrow the elves will have done my laundry, and jellybeans will fall from the sky.
What Does This Mean?
So, what would a three-way race between a Republican turned Libertarian, a Republican turned Teapartier, and a Democrat look like?
It certainly adds a few complexities to the political landscape. There will be moderate Republicans who will suddenly find themselves voting Libertarian. There will be Democrats who decide to vote for Murkowski because they’re terrified of Miller. There will be Democrats and moderate Republicans who vote for McAdams thinking that there will be a Republican vote split. There will be Tea Party voters coming out of the woodwork. There will be Murkowski supporters who will just vote Republican because they always do. There will be Murkowski supporters who will be disgusted and vote for McAdams.
But one thing is for sure, it will be a Miller-Murkowski bloodbath. If Murkowski jumps back in, she’ll have to get down in the muck with Miller, because playing nice didn’t work out too well for her the last time. Miller will continue to attack her because it worked. And in the meantime, Democrats can watch the knife fight, and woo reasonable people to the reasonable candidate, while Scott McAdams takes the high road the whole way to November.
Regardless of who ends up in the race, it will be up to McAdams to define his candidacy, up his name recognition, and tell people who he is. He’s got about six weeks to do it.
Contributing to my local candidate wouldn’t do much to ensure her victory — this is one of the most expensive media markets in the world. If, however, I give my spare change to Scott McAdams, he might just be able to afford an ad. Just might do it. Watching Alaska with great interest, from an island off the coast of the other side of the continent.
Thanks Zyxomma and Naomi! You are absolutely right. Think of it this way –
$1 = one bumper sticker or button
$5 = one yard sign
$15 = one radio commercial
Your contributions no matter how small are valuable and will buy real things that are very much needed. Scott is battling name recognition more than anything, so your pocket change is needed and appreciated! <3
I’ll send some spare change to Scott McAdams too. There is one possibility you left out, though. Lisa M could simply change her name! To Lisa M. or perhaps Lisa Em?
I know! I know! She can click her heels together three times while saying “there’s no place like home!”
Murkowski is from the ‘party of no’ and lost the primary. She countered President Obama every step of the way and I don’t want to see her EVER back in Congress.
Yeah, that’s a major reason I donated a couple of times to McAdam already. Digging through the couch cushions to see if I can scrounge up even some more.
http://www.adn.com/2010/09/06/1441595/senate-candidate-miller-cited.html
“Failure to exercise due care.” Big surprise!
Joe is tries to plow through the intersection. Just like he tried with the Alaska Republican Party.
Velly, velly interesting! Any thoughts on the nutjob in Gainsville, FL that will be burning Korans on 9/11? Waiting for comments from $P.
I’m preparing for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, (5771 already!…how time flies…), which begins at sunset tonight. I acknowledge their Constitutional Free Speech rights to burn books, though I find their actions ill-advised, fear-mongering, and hateful.
I Exercise my Free Speech right to denounce and condemn the book burners also. Too. You betcha.
Here’s a place to start: http://www.theshalomcenter.org/
L’Shanah Tovah, a sweet new year.
Tikkun Olam Shalom. Rebuilding/repairing the world in Peace.
L’Chaim! To Life!
thatcrowwoman
L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu
(For mudpuppies general knowlege, the literal Hebrew to English translation: “May you be inscribed (in the Book of Life) for a good year.” )
And I look forward to your much appreciated posts throughout the coming year.
Nancy
So, instead of Murkowski running on the Libertarian ticket, why doesn’t she just run as an Independent? Isn’t that allowed? Or would that have to be the write-in method since it’s after the primary.
Nice to see she’s not a quitter, and I do think that she likes Alaskans more than Miller, who seems to want to sink them. However, I did get really sick of seeing her standing with the republicans every time they gave the “we won’t do anything the President wants us to do, because . . . well, we don’t know why, but we just won’t.”
She can only run in a party that already has a candidate. So just running as an independent is not an option. And there was no Alaska Independence Party candidate in this one.
Something that just occurred to me that no one has even considered–Lisa decides to ask the Democrats to run her, and she pulls an Arlen Specter and runs as a Democrat. Wouldn’t that be crazy?
Scott McAdams would have to agree… and somehow I don’t see that happening.
I would sure hope not.
Joe Miller winning the general election…very scary
Lisa NO Murkowsi out…. very good
Watching the republican party implode About Time.
lol! I’ve been waiting since _Frank_ Murkowski was elected for this. It’s about freaking time.
With Lisa back in, it’s all good. She will either siphon off enough votes for the nutbag to give the win to McAdams, or she wins it herself. Either way, Palin goes down in flames, as does her butt boy, Joey.
Excellent article! The possibilities are almost endless and quite delicious. The Republicans who are not Tea Party folks are faced with a real dilemma: extremist or Democrat. Gee, that’s a tough one! Scott, start packing. The moral of the story is you gotta vote in every election …
For me, this isn’t about Miller and Murkowski. We have an opportunity to support a smart, experienced, Alaskan who works well with people across Alaska, knows this state, and understands national and international issues as well. I’m not voting against anyone. I’m voting for Scott. It that just happens tick off the quitter, well, that’s just icing on the cake.
I think Lisa Murkowski shot herself in the foot this past term by aligning herself with “The Party of ‘NO’” to get votes. I know that I will never vote for her now, I just don’t trust her. And I’m sure there are many other voters she lost credibility with (whose support she might need to count on if she is ever going to win another election).
She is an intelligent woman, and used to be more of a Centrist. But this term she joined the ranks of Republicans to oppose anything the Obama Administration proposed, and any progress that they might hope to make. She voted against the Healthcare Bill, the extension of unemployment benefits, against EPA Air Quality enforcement, and against the nominations of both Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. I can’t really imagine that she thinks these votes were the right thing to do. Too bad. She could have kept both her position and her integrity by doing the right thing instead.
I’m with you Mullet. She abandoned those who put her in office. She dumped the independent and non partisan voters and embraced the crazies and tea baggers. I suppose that was her strategy for winning her party’s closed primary. Don’t let the door hit you in ass Lisa.
I’m getting behind McAdams now. If crazy Joe wins, so what? He’s just another lock step vote like Lisa was. He can’t enact any of his crazy agenda alone anyway.
Me three and well said sdmullet. I’ve been having a hard time reconciling LMurk’s apparent (past)
acumen and integrity with her repeated NO without offering alternative solutions. Any manager
in the workplace will tell you if you’re going to complain about how things are, at least come to me with alternatives.
It has been amazing to watch Lisa anger BOTH the left and right since Obama took office. I’m an undeclared so I could have voted in the republican primary but I didn’t because I couldn’t in good conscience vote FOR either of them. I suspect that there are many like me who voted for Miller as a vote AGAINST Lisa. It will be interested to see what happens in the general.
No matter who is running on the other ticket(s), I’m voting for the only reasonable person running: Scott McAdams!
Scott McAdams has my vote.
Nice article! Very visual
So, I was going to say, “Why not run as a Green, like the homeless folks in AZ that the Republican db has recruited?”, but I think I know the answer, which is, the primaries are over. Lease-A could have run as a Green, or a Libertarian; but she didn’t enter that particular rodeo, and there are no do-overs.
I have mixed feelings about her predicament. On the one hand, if she could find a viable way to remain in the race, it would probably split the R/nutso vote and improve McAdams’s chances. On the other hand, if she can’t, haa haa haa.
I have to be honest: IMO, we in the lower 48 would be better off if it was still the Alaska Territory.
I have a hard time understanding how Alaska remaining a Territory forever, which is in direct opposition to the intent of how incorporated organized territorial law is designed regarding outcome, would benefit the lower 48 beyond having left us with the status of being a resource colony for the contiguous US…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Territory
While the Constitution was held by law surrounding the Insular Cases to extend fully to incorporated organized territories the reality here was that more and more that between the Jones Act and the exploitation of resources (mining and fishing esp) that Alaska was becoming a de facto colony of a country whose very roots rise out of anti-colonization.
While the actual farming colony deal in the valley had long term positive effects here there is an unhappy, seamy history as relates to Alaska Natives associated with it as well…
As the Department of Interior was/would be the administrator of resource issues what gain would the lower 48 see? More of the same blind eye to resource development that have characterized so much of their work in recent years? Work done in the name of all Americans?
If it is the politics of this state which so offend you, please remember that changed and morphed into what it is now when a whole gob of those lower 48ers from Lousiana , etc came here when the pipeline came on board…
I’m not going to insist that Lousiana having stayed a territory would have saved us all from having to deal with their fruitloop politicos . Same with everyone else’s fruitloops…
Fruitloopitis is an equal opportunity position in America and is found, with very little work, in all states in the union.
Aaack! What is this painting Alaska with a broad brush? I don’t find myself putting down other communities, villages, regions, or states, or countries if I have a problem with something going on in that area. It’s just plain snarky and does nothing to further the conversation. I have a problem with this anti-Alaska swiping thanks to Palin the Twit, so I’ll comment on every single one that I see.
“I have to be honest: IMO, we in the lower 48 would be better off if it was still the Alaska Territory.”
Aw, come on. Do you have any clue that you probably just insulted every Alaskan who reads, and writes, this blog?
GO Scott McAdams!!
I hope our local man in this political fight is shappening his knife, loading his mind, and useing fresh bait, to cast out for votes in the Alsakan waters.
I hope are local Alaskan Fisherman, sails across the Gulf of Alaska from his charming town down in the remote South Eastern Outter Coastline of Alaska. Will he demonstrait Renewable Energy in his campaining, Green Alaska jobs, and new hands-on vocational education for a sustainable economy in the 21st century.
Will there be health care? Will there be tax cuts for the controling wealthy? Will there be more roads to nowhere?
I hope to see SM sail into our small coastal town at the end of the road, with a new vessel that units this rather large Polar State. A vessel…….. a Sailing School Ship if you will. Designed to use the wind, water, and solar power. Its time to connect our coastal communities with more thatn just words, high school sports, and a ferry service.
Its time for Alaska to build her own Educational Sailing School Ship! Its time to lead SM! Its time to manafacture in the great state of Alsaka. Its time to be wise, burn less fuel, work with the wind and moving water, be strong and take the adventure of your life SM, lead us into a healthy future!
Trim the sails SM…… stay on course…… and check the ultra clean burning efficent diesel electric regenerating power while sailing with the wind and water engine room.
Look ahead SM……. there is ice in Alaska…… there are log jams and floating trash in our waters.
We know there is oil and gas to bring to market. Be have a cash cow to maitaine and sustaine. But there is no sush thing as cheap energy any more! That is a pipe dream I hope you don’t start smoking. We have to be smarter, we need to recycle, reuse, and renew our hopes and dreams for creating a steady state of balance in Alsaka.
Let the shining North Star be brilliant for the world to see. Let our youth in Alaska sail to distant shores and lean first hand how the world is connected and unitied. Let our youth be free to fly with the wind and the water. Let our youth help make peace in the Pacific Rim and were ever our adventurious youth want to explore…..want to connect with the world……want to be free demostrating a life lived large!
Yes we can Scott Mcadams! Yes we can!
Team Alaska, I’m right there with you on supporting Scott McAdams as the next senator from Alaska.
But something you wrote really got my attention:
“Let the shining North Star be brilliant for the world to see.”
Hey, you may have missed the recent piece on Palin just published in Vanity Fair. I recommend it heartily.
One thing mentioned in it is that the quitter governor has co-opted “the North Star” as her own pseudonym….whenever she needs to be discussed out in public, she has “her people” refer to her in this manner, “North Star”, so as to maintain secrecy. The author who gave some examples of this in the magazine article claims that “Palin is on the way to making North Star a personal brand.”
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2010/10/sarah-palin-201010
The “North Star”, is Alaska in my heart.
Palin to me is a great big fart!
Would be WONDERFUL if Miller went down to double digits. McAdams or Murkowski. does not matter. What matters is that the twitterquitter queen and her court jester will be a footnote in bagger land.
I’m confused. Are you saying that the defeat of Miller is the only important thing, and it doesn’t matter whether McAdams or Murkowski wins the election? If so, I disagree. Alaska has suffered under corruption and bad governance for years. The state DESERVES good representation by an honorable, hard-working senator who will bring his education, work and life experiences with him to the position and diligently represent the needs and desires of the good people of Alaska.
Taking down Palin would just be icing on the cake.
There is an open house at Scott McAdams new headquarters in Anchorage tonight from 5 – 7 pm, 2604 Fairbanks St. Be there or be square! If you can’t donate money, time is good too!
This is great news, about the Open House. I hope Madeline means Wednesday 9/8/10.
Re: “will she or won’t she” I read that the RSCC is behind the GOP primary winner. Where are the endorsements from GOP Gov nominee, Sean Parnell, GOP Congressman for all Alaskans who voted for him, Alaska Legislature GOP leadership, past and present, i.e. the likes of Ralph Samuels, Con Bunde, Ben Stevens, Kevin Meyers, Bert Stedman (a man from Sitka), Gary Stevens, Mike Chenault or John Harris?
I was proud that the Alaska Democratic Party unified the day after the primary. When’s that GOP unity bash? Will they slip it in this weekend while the Beckster and “all sarah all the time” are leading the procession from Wasilla to Anchorage? “Inquiring minds want to know”.
Thank you, AKM. ““I’m certain that we’re going to have a unified front in the fall election,” Miller said Wednesday. And I’m certain that tomorrow the elves will have done my laundry, and jellybeans will fall from the sky.”
What we now know for sure is that Murkowski will not grit her teeth and endorse Miller. Beyond that, I infer that she can’t swallow having been beaten by Miller and isn’t making sense at the moment. My bet is that she will endorse neither McAdams nor Miller, nor will she try for a write-in. In that case, if McAdams wins, she can seek the Republican nomination to run against him and can’t be charged with “disloyalty.” If Miller wins, he will in all likelihood self-destruct, and she can run against him in the primary. Endorsing McAdams would be the right thing to do, but at least here in the lower 48, I’m not getting the impression that this is her principal motivation ….
I think Murkowski’s move is tactical not strategic. With her discussion of third party write-in, she keeps the (media) ball in her court and away from McAdams and Miller who are trying to score state and national recognition and ($) leverage.
The reach out to Libertarians is curious, seeing how Miller could argue he was more Birch Society-esque than Murkowski — too centralist for Libertarian tastes.
Side note: Who did Miller represented when in private practice when he first moved to Anchorage? What job prospects lead to his move to Fairbanks? After leaving his political office as judge, who did he represent in private practice? Was/is he a big oil lawyer? Did he ever represent
“Who did Miller represented when in private practice when he first moved to Anchorage? What job prospects lead to his move to Fairbanks? After leaving his political office as judge, who did he represent in private practice? Was/is he a big oil lawyer?”
There’s plenty to read about Miller’s “career” choices here at
http://www.themudflats.net/2010/09/08/unemployment-benefits-unconstitutional-time-to-divorce-joe-miller/
and
http://www.themudflats.net/2010/09/08/joe-miller-claims-hes-the-victim-of-celebrity-before-he-holds-an-office/
There is a petition up now asking Senator Murkowski to stay in the Race.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Murkow/petition.html