Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Politico considers the long term devastating effects of a Sarah Palin endorsement.

Courtesy of Politico:  

Although Miller narrowly lost his bid for the Senate, he parlayed Palin’s endorsement into national name recognition, what he calls a “top-ranked” Internet news site (“Restoring Liberty” at joemiller.us) and a small but intensely loyal local following—the kinds of people who are “looking for the Ted Cruzes, the Mike Lees, the Rand Pauls.” 

Miller is running again this year in the Republican primary for the right to oppose incumbent Sen. Mark Begich—one of the most endangered Democrats of the 2014 midterms and a key takedown target for Republicans. Yet by an unusual arrangement of events, Miller is actually poised to seal Begich’s re-election, protect the Democrats’ Senate majority and prevent the repeal of Obamacare. And it’s all thanks to Sarah Palin. 

Of coursed if by some miracle Miller were to win the Republican primary, a possibility that I will put in the  "When hell freezes over" category, it would mean that Begich could retain his seat essentially without spending another cent on campaign commercials.

But that scenario is not exactly what Politico finds interesting:

But something else is going on that should delight national Democrats and unnerve national Republicans. 

Until this past year, when new chairman Peter Goldberg established calm, fratricidal bickering between Tea Party-style libertarians and everyone else has bedeviled the Alaskan Republican Party. Several chairmen have been ousted since 2010, and at one point the party leadership resembled the medieval papacy, with multiple claimants and no clear pope. The wounds from those intra-party fights are still fresh, and it’s not hard to imagine Miller launching an independent bid should he lose the primary, taking many of his Tea Party supporters with him. After all, “there’s a reason why the party bosses hate him and Washington fears him,” says the voiceover in one campaign ad. In the same clip, Miller says he is sending a message to “big-taxing, big-spending elites that the party is over.” 

For the GOP, Miller’s run as an independent would likely be a disaster. In February, a Hays poll hypothetically pitted Begich, Sullivan and an independent Miller against each other (omitting Treadwell—a decision his campaign protested for “ignor[ing] the space-time continuum”), and found 45 percent for Begich, 33 percent for Sullivan and 10 percent for Miller—just enough to prevent a Republican victory. 

Miller has been cagey about his plans. When prompted at a University of Alaska speaking event on April 10, he was careful neither to confirm nor deny a possible independent run in November, if he does not win the primary. But he did say that a vote for Treadwell or Sullivan would amount to a vote for Begich, and he did refer to good and “evil” Republicans. 

Politico is right, a run as an Independent by Miller would certainly doom the Republican party candidate. And the party has already been badly damaged by Miller's attempt to hijack it in 2012.

Miller is undoubtedly going to be eviscerated again this time around, especially after some new evidence about illegal campaign donations hits the MSM, but he may also essentially cripple the ARP for the foreseeable future.

And THAT is good news for Senator Mark Begich and the Democratic party moving forward.

So do you think we should send that thank you fruit basket to Wasilla, or the house in Scottsdale?

26 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:06 PM

    The wannabe beauty queen (Joe Miller - not Sarah) turns to the wannabe king maker for life support.

    Popcorn anyone?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:24 PM

      Fruit Basket?

      What's in it for Todd and Sarah this time around? Is Toady still pouting because Miller refused to suck up to the Palin Grifting Machine by dodging the question when a reporter asked him on camera "Is Sarah qualified to be President?" way back when Miller lost the general election against Lisa Murkowski, who was a write-in candidate.

      Miller really proved himself to be a chump and damaged goods by whining and bitching after getting his ass kicked. I'll never forget his stupid tweets about house hunting in Washington, DC and looking for office furniture PRIOR to the election he lost! LOL

      From the 2010 article:
      "... Statements from Miller's Twitter feed late Wednesday, when he was in Washington, D.C,. fundraising, said he thinks he'll "do some house hunting." He also says he figures he should pick out office furniture and expressed appreciation for the welcome he'd received from those he called future colleagues."

      http://m.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/From-the-Wires/2010/1001/Joe-Miller-Alaska-Senate-candidate-deletes-his-tweets

      Delete
    2. We've never seen any of them eat FRUIT. Peeps 'n applesauce, maybe, but fruit?!?

      Delete
  2. Anonymous12:16 PM

    I WILL vote for Mark Begich mainly because Republicans and the Tea Party in Alaska are trying so damned hard to defeat him.

    And, I will encourage others to vote for him. All Republicans need to be voted out of office in Alaska....they are a horrible party and doing nothing to help the State of Alaska!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:12 PM

      I agree but am struggling about how to best go about ensuring Begich wins. I'm registered as "non-declared" so I can vote the closed Republican primary. I've been thinking about doing that and voting for Miller. What do other Alaskans think. Is there a downside to that?

      Also I think the big issue liberals and moderates have in Alaska is getting out the vote. The right wing whackos and fundie nutcases do get out an vote. We need to all be working to get out the vote.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous12:17 PM

    Sarah Palin has aged horribly when you compare the evil woman of today to that younger one w/Miller. She will again be the 'kiss of death' to him!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous12:23 PM

    "Please proceed. Please proceed governor."

    :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:32 PM

      Those beautiful words to Romney, by President Obama during the campaign....just before our POTUS nailed his ass w/the help of the moderator!

      Delete
    2. I am SMILING! What a wonderful memory!

      Delete
  5. Anonymous12:25 PM

    I think that would be worth a fruit basket to Wasilla AND a fruit basket to Scottsdale. Although a basket full of Red Bull is more likely to be actually consumed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Harry Reid ought to be Senator for life, if Politico is right about Sarah Palin:

    "Tea Party activists are kicking off a grand national tour this weekend with an event targeting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in his small home town of Searchlight, Nevada –an event that Tea Party Express describes as a “conservative Woodstock.”

    Tomorrow’s “Showdown In Searchlight” event will feature none other than Sarah Palin, campaigning against the Senate Dem leader. A press release from Tea Party Express boasts of supporters arriving to camp out: “It doesn’t get closer to a ‘Conservative Woodstock’ than this.”"


    http://www.salon.com/2014/04/23/tea_partys_woodstock_fantasy_cliven_bundy_as_the_wingnuts_latest_60s_style_protest_hero

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:19 PM

      The Kochs aren't footing the bill for the hotel and bus rides to Vegas anymore. Brown bags with baloney sammies, moonpies and an apple. Teabaggers must bring their own sleeping bag, Depends, and baby wipes so their asses don't get chapped and flaky like Sarah's flat, bony ass.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous12:29 PM

    Mr. "Unconstitutional."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:01 PM

      Yes, Cliven Bundy the Polygamist land Moocher is very Unconstitutional.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous12:54 PM

    How come Sarah Palin hasn't endorsed this Miller feller? Sarah is crisscrossing America endorsing candidates but hasn't endorsed this Republican candidate Miller from Alaska.

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    1. Anonymous1:26 PM

      She did so last go around and he lost. Miller knows she is the 'kiss of death' w/her endorsements and has probably asked Todd AND Sarah not to publically provide it again.
      Sounds logical to me!!!!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:25 PM

      Once upon a time, Sarah endorse Miller (2012). When asked if Sarah was qualified to be president, Miller didn't respond. Todd Palin, Sarah's tough enforcer, sent a nasty email to Miller.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous12:58 PM

    The Baldwin County Republican Party is still trying to pedal tickets to Friday night's Palin fundraiser. The tickets have been available for purchase since before her November book was released. Six months and still empty seats...

    http://blog.al.com/live/2014/04/tickets_still_available_for_sa.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous1:02 PM

    Off topic but this Raw Story headline for the win today!

    "Prosecutors: Cuckolded husband’s tape proves Dinesh D’Souza knew he broke campaign laws"

    http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/23/prosecutors-cuckolded-husbands-tape-proves-dinesh-dsouza-knew-he-broke-campaign-laws/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous1:43 PM

    Those two make a great couple. I'm hard pressed to guess which one has bathed the most recently since they both look so scuzzy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous3:10 PM

    New Tea Party battle cry: Sarah, do me a favor, don't do me any favors.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Our Lad4:12 PM

    "I saw my candidacy as a rotting, fetid corpse as she entered the room: The Masque Of The Red Death. As she approached, arms akimbo as if to embrace me in her watery grave I heard her whisper "Wasilla, up against the front fender of a '78 Bonneville," and I turned my head as the hot furnace of her chili-breath scorched my eyebrows. It was then that I knew that I would lose, that I had lost this contest years ago when she had first bewitched me.".

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anita Winecooler5:10 PM

    I'd hold back on that basket of fruit. Her claws weren't made as Banana Man explained so eloquently. Perhaps something more useful, like a mirror, brain, lifetime supply of EPT tests?

    The Palin Curse takes generations to wear off.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous5:27 PM

    Does Trig ever get to see his faux birth mother? Sarah's really not even trying to pretend anymore, is she?

    Or is Sarah actually stupid enough to think people have forgotten about her Wild Ride lies?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous5:53 PM

    The majority of voters don't vote for a candidate because of an endorsement. YOU know that. Everyone knows that.

    This must stop.

    ReplyDelete

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