Alaska Update: 9/16


Went to the Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon today where they had McAdams and Miller, the nominees for US Senate.  It was a question and answer format, not a debate, and the questions were pretty good.  Each candidate got a five minute opening statement then each got questions directed at him from the moderator. Then each got to ask the other questions and the other could provide a quick rebuttal.  Worked pretty well.

Short answer: McAdams spent the whole time trying to say he isn’t one of THOSE Democrats, Miller spent the whole time trying to say he isn’t Sarah Palin.  Miller is far, far more glib and facile.  He has a lawyer’s abilty to use words.  He also has a lawyer’s ability to not answer a question and try to make you think he did.  McAdams never expected to be doing anything other than making arguments to Lisa Murkowski about things he thought would be good for Southeast Alaska, so he was pretty much out of his league.

So, do I trust Miller? No, not really.  I think he’s a lot like Palin; he knows what to say to punch the right electoral button.  Is he a good candidate?  Yes, within the limits of his opposition.  I might have fun with the parry and thrust of questioning with him, but McAdams would be bleeding out pretty quickly.

Miller has the simplistic and ideological answer that everybody who has never had their name on the door likes.  The World and the US Senate aren’t that way.  He’ll either learn the “nuanced” answer, or somebody will teach it to him at re-election time.  And, yeah, I know all you purists hate me and office holders over that nuanced answer, but when you’re the one that actually has to do it, nuances become important.

Anyway, I think it is over tomorrow.  There are still lots of people who really can’t accept a Palin/Miller nomnee, but they can’t accept a Democrat either.  The odds of winning a write-in are abysmally small, so MUrkowski most likely will wish Mr. Miller well tomorrow.  But one day, I suspect Lisa Murkowski and Sarah Palin are going to have a very serious disagreement.



RSS feed

7 Comments Leave a comment

Miller not one of THOSE Democrats

bk (Diary) Thursday, September 16th at 11:19PM EST (link)

It cracks me up how all these Democrats are trying to run from being Democrats.

Doesn’t that play right into the GOP’s hands? “If you need someone to fight the Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda, why would you pick someone from the party that enables all the bad stuff they are doing? Vote for me and you KNOW I”ll fight them instead of just give it lip service.”

 

Thanks for the update!

SirGladiator (Diary) Friday, September 17th at 1:24AM EST (link)

That is fantastic news, its good to hear that things are going so well. I also agree with the other comment, that really is a hilarious campaign strategy by the Dems. This is the year that nobody wants to be associated with the Democrats in Washington, and its mighty hard to suggest to the voters that the best way to put a check on the Obama/Reid/Pelosi agenda is by giving them ‘more’ footsoldiers, not less. People tend to be a bit too sane for that to work :) .

Whatever weaknesses the voters might perceive in a given Republican’s candidacy, those weaknesses will be far outweighed by the fact that the voters know that what America needs is a return to fiscal discipline, and also they want to keep Govenment’s hands off their Health Care. They know that the only way to accomplish those objectives is to vote Republican, that’s why this is our year, and we’re going to win and win big. Great to hear the good news out of Alaska, please continue to keep us informed!

 

Recommended

Finrod (Diary) Friday, September 17th at 3:02AM EST (link)

Good on-the-scene reporting, achance.

Let’s get down to brass tacks here. How much for the ape?

 

I like the reporting...

chbroussard (Diary) Friday, September 17th at 7:50AM EST (link)

from on-the-ground Restaters. Gives us an insight from being at an event in person that you can’t get from the TV news. Thanks Achance.

 

Good update. Miller may be lawyer-like...

acat (Diary) Friday, September 17th at 12:08PM EST (link)

but that’s not necessarily a bad thing in D.C. Depends on whether he’s got an internal touchstone of some sort to keep himself aligned, or whether he’s just seeking the next level of power.

Mew

——
self-portrait

Caveat Suffragator

 

Do you think Miller can grow into the position?

Jack_Savage (Diary) Friday, September 17th at 1:43PM EST (link)

And what would be your explanation of the difference between “nuanced” and “lawyerly”?

 

Dan Fagan of The Alaska Standard blog says Sen. Murkowski will run.

Achance (Diary) Friday, September 17th at 2:45PM EST (link)

His story however is completely unsourced and he may just want hits. My sources say she won’t, but I’ll certainly admit I don’t know for sure one way or the other.

I went up to Joe Miller after the event, shook his hand, gave him my card, and told him I was supporting my Party’s nominee. I emaied the Senator and encouraged her to withdraw. She’s having a press conference at 5 PM AST today. I’ll post something here as soon as I know anything for sure.

In Vino Veritas