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“Alaskans Discuss Lisa Murkowski, Sarah Palin, and the Republican Primary.”

September 30, 2010

 Lisa Murkowski has announced in Anchorage that she will mount a write-in campaign to retain the control of her Senate seat after being upset by a slim margin in the Republican Party primary by Joe Miller, an unknown Fairbanks base magistrate judge who received the endorsement of ‘Mama Grizzly’ former governor Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express.

 Lisa Murkowski has announced in Anchorage that she will mount a write-in campaign to retain the control of her Senate seat after being upset by a slim margin in the Republican Party primary by Joe Miller, an unknown Fairbanks base magistrate judge who received the endorsement of ‘Mama Grizzly’ former governor Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express.

She declared that voters need, “One Republican woman who won’t quit on Alaskans.” That statement underscores the bad blood between Sarah Palin and Lisa Murkowski. I am sure at the right time observers of Alaskan politics will debate whether Ms. Palin’s  endorsement of Joe Miller in the GOP primary to challenge Ms. Murkowski was “for the best interest of Alaska” or for enmity and selfish reasons. In November, Senator Murkowski faces an uphill battle as a write-in candidate against Democratic candidate and Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams and Joe Miller.

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But why did Lisa Murkowski, a favorite incumbent, lose the Republican Party primary to a newcomer whose views have come under fire as perilous? Aside from the fact that she ran a poor campaign, according to many Alaskans who voted in the Republican Party Primary, they voted against her because of the unfair perception that she is a “royalty” ( she was appointed to the seat by her dad in 2002, even though she was elected to a full term on her own when she defeated a popular Democratic governor Tony Knowles in a close race). Others voted against her for abortion reasons. Also some registered Democrats voted in the Alaskan Republican primary for different reasons. Below are what some of them told me.

Spoof Gilbert:-(81, Civil Engineer) “I voted against Lisa Murkowski in the Republican Party primary because she was appointed to the seat by her dad. I also voted against her because she voted against President Obama good bank reform bill. I don’t know anything about Joe Miller.”

Julie Sconfer:-(39, Nursing Assistant) “I voted for Lisa Murkowski in the Republican Party primary because I know a lot about her than about him. (Miller). She has more credibility, I knew what she stood for. I like the fact that she is a woman, I would like to see more women in politics. I appreciated that she fought so hard to get the money that helped in putting good road in Kenai peninsula. I think Sarah Palin is a quitter, and she is very disrespectful towards Alaska. I find her behavior very disgraceful. I ignore the fact that she asked me to vote for Miller. When your kid is on Dancing With The Stars, I kind of think you forgot about politics and American values.”

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Steve Guiel:-(55, Retired Army) “I voted for Miller in the Republican Party primary, I don’t like Lisa Murkowski, she got a freebie, her dad put her in office. I won’t vote for her. Murkowski voted more like a Democrat than Republican. I believe eighty percent of her campaign funding came from outside Alaska. Whose allegiance is she representing? Sarah Palin endorsement of Joe Miller is like icing on the cake. She is a quitter, she quit her job to make money. We need like four parties in this country. I believe in less government. I don’t like Democrats because they are for military spending cuts.  I agree with the philosophy of the Tea Party from the way they started like following the Constitution and Bill of Rights. But Glenn Beck is an idiot! He has turned into a circus, he goes on this tirade on his show for poll ratings-not about issues. What have they solved Limbaugh, Palin, Beck nothing?.”

Frankie Edwards:-(52, Veteran) “The reason I voted against Lisa Murkowski in the Republican Party primary-I didn’t like the way she was appointed to the Senate seat by her father to start with. I don’t like what she stands for. We are in a dire economy where we have American citizens unemployed. She watched people losing their jobs while George W Bush was in office due to companies merging and companies shipping jobs overseas. She has never even address the fact that jobs were shipped overseas. She opposed President Obama efforts to prevent outsourcing of jobs.  She opposed health care reforms, Wall Street overhaul, automobile bailout, and she supports shipping jobs overseas. Sarah Palin is a quitter, she grandstands, she is an opportunist. She is for anything to better Sarah Palin agenda in as much it will bring her money. She does not impress me whatsoever, she lacks intelligence and integrity.”

Ellsworth James :-(49, Ph.D Research Scientist) “I voted for Lisa Murkowski in the Republican Party primary because she does a good job. She represents the rural areas and she is very approachable. I think Sarah Palin is an opportunist. She is an undistinguished former governor. She has radical views. It didn’t surprise me that she left her post.”

Michael Huelsman:-(66, Retired Arts Program Administrator) “I voted for Miller because if he won the Democratic candidate would have a better chance of winning. I’m still ticked off Frank Murkowski appointed his daughter as Senator. Third reason, I like shaking things up so that we have a wild election. I can’t stand Sarah Palin, and I’m embarrassed that she comes from Alaska.”

Tyrone Parker:-(61, Military Veteran) “I voted against Lisa Murkowski in the Republican Party primary because of her politics. She talks about issues without substance. She doesn’t have feelings for the people she represent because she sees herself above board. People views doesn’t matter to her, she is not sincerely inclined about the interest of the people she represents. She was appointed as a Senator by her dad who doesn’t have the best interest of Alaskans at heart. I don’t think anyone in the government should appoint someone in their family to their position. Lisa is for special interest group. I think Sarah Palin point of view is immature. The best thing she can do now is to sit down and listen. She wants her daughter to be a spokesperson for abstinence, her daughter doesn’t have the respect, integrity, and morality to speak on the issue. Sarah Palin is a hypocrite, her daughter could possibly become a good role model but she is not at the moment.”

Sheldon Fisher:-(48, Telecommunication Executive) “I think Sarah Palin is doing a great job of raising issues that are great for our country. She is a force for change.”

Brad:-( 63, Gun shop owner) “I voted for Lisa Murkowski in the Republican Party primary because I thought she would do a better job, she got some background that Miller didn’t got. I agree with the philosophy  of the Tea Party but I do not like Sarah Palin.

 

 

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