The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Groan: Murkowski as Write-In?

Posted on | September 8, 2010 | 19 Comments

There’s no chance she could actually win — how many voters can spell “Murkowski”? — so this would be a pure spoiler move:

Sen. Lisa Murkowski is strongly considering mounting a November write-in campaign to keep her seat and could make an announcement as soon as tomorrow, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Running as a write-in candidate appears to be Murkowski’s last remaining option. . . .
Another source familiar with Murkowski’s deliberations contends that she has definitely decided to remain in the race and challenge Miller and Democrat Scott McAdams in the general election. . . .

(Hat-tip: Dan Riehl.) Wow. I’m suddenly giving more credence to Thomas Knapp’s description of Murkowski’s strategy as “hook me up or I hand this seat to the Democrats.”

Murky and her advisers clearly don’t care about anything but themselves and are employing the same selfish scorched-earth approach as Charlie Crist. One of the commenters at AOSHQ had this reaction:

Good Lord, this is like trying to break up with the psycho-bitch of a girlfriend and she keeps calling all of your friends and relatives to beg them to help her make you take her back.

How long before Murky keys somebody’s car in the parking lot?

UPDATE: Murkowski campaign manager (and Palin-hater) John Bitney didn’t help his boss win over the LP with his comment about the Libertarians being “star-struck,” Doug Brady notes at C4P and adds:

The fact that Bitney would be running [Murkowski's write-in] campaign means Joe Miller won’t have to worry about much.

UPDATE II: Allahpundit thinks this is a perfect time to take a cheap shot at Christine O’Donnell. Or maybe it’s a cheap shot at Libertarians. Six of one, half-dozen of the other.

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Category: Alaska, Election, Senate

Comments

  • kansas

    1500 for an 04 Optima? KBB has it at about 7 grand. Plus it looks repairable. Whats the deal?

  • kansas

    1500 for an 04 Optima? KBB has it at about 7 grand. Plus it looks repairable. Whats the deal?

  • jefferson101

    I thought that the Tea Party people were the ones who were being “spoilers” and denying the Republicans rightfully selected by their Primary Voters the win by running as a Third Party Candidate.

    What’s wrong with this picture? Murky and the RNSC don’t want to support the will of the People, or what? Who has she paid off?

    (That’s a rhetorical question. The real one would be “How much has she paid them?”)

    But don’t be “divisive” and support O’Donnell in Delaware, because that might hurt our chances for a Republican Majority, right?

    BOHICA!

  • jefferson101

    I thought that the Tea Party people were the ones who were being “spoilers” and denying the Republicans rightfully selected by their Primary Voters the win by running as a Third Party Candidate.

    What’s wrong with this picture? Murky and the RNSC don’t want to support the will of the People, or what? Who has she paid off?

    (That’s a rhetorical question. The real one would be “How much has she paid them?”)

    But don’t be “divisive” and support O’Donnell in Delaware, because that might hurt our chances for a Republican Majority, right?

    BOHICA!

  • ThomasD

    Is it wrong to hope they’ll find her lifeless corpse wedged in a chimney at Alaska Republican Party HQ?

  • ThomasD

    Is it wrong to hope they’ll find her lifeless corpse wedged in a chimney at Alaska Republican Party HQ?

  • http://threebeerslater.blogspot.com richard mcenroe

    Yes. It’s a serious monoxide hazard to the office staff.

  • http://threebeerslater.blogspot.com richard mcenroe

    Yes. It’s a serious monoxide hazard to the office staff.

  • http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/ LibertyAtStake

    Get ready for Castle as write-in.

    http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
    “Because the Only Good Progressive is a Failed Progressive”

  • http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/ LibertyAtStake

    Get ready for Castle as write-in.

    http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
    “Because the Only Good Progressive is a Failed Progressive”

  • http://thecampofthesaints.wordpress.com Bob Belvedere

    LAS may be right.

  • http://thecampofthesaints.wordpress.com Bob Belvedere

    LAS may be right.

  • http://knappster.blogspot.com Thomas L. Knapp

    I don’t know that Murkowski can win as a write-in candidate, but if there’s any state where a write-in candidate can win a statewide election, it’s Alaska.

    We’re probably talking about an absolute maximum of 350,000 votes (322k in 2008′s US Senate matchup, and that was with a presidential election year and the Stevens scandal driving turnout).

    Early/absentee voters can be reached by mail and Internet, with stickers to affix to their ballots.

    There are only 438 precincts in the state. Murkowski can probably afford to cover them with paid staff handing out stickers to affix to ballots (or cards to use to type in the name correctly if voting is by electronic machine) even if she lacks for volunteers to do that work.

    If she’s got even a couple of million bucks to spend, she can be a major factor in the outcome.

  • http://knappster.blogspot.com Thomas L. Knapp

    I don’t know that Murkowski can win as a write-in candidate, but if there’s any state where a write-in candidate can win a statewide election, it’s Alaska.

    We’re probably talking about an absolute maximum of 350,000 votes (322k in 2008′s US Senate matchup, and that was with a presidential election year and the Stevens scandal driving turnout).

    Early/absentee voters can be reached by mail and Internet, with stickers to affix to their ballots.

    There are only 438 precincts in the state. Murkowski can probably afford to cover them with paid staff handing out stickers to affix to ballots (or cards to use to type in the name correctly if voting is by electronic machine) even if she lacks for volunteers to do that work.

    If she’s got even a couple of million bucks to spend, she can be a major factor in the outcome.

  • Estragon

    The NRSC says they are 100% behind their nominee, Joe Miller.

    It is in fact O’Donnell in Delaware who refuses to rule out an independent run in November if she loses.

    Sorry to interrupt the ranting with the facts, however they mess up the narrative. Not that some people ever seem to let them get in the way . . .

    ~~~~~~~~

    Personally, I doubt Murky could possibly drum up enough write-in votes to upset the applecart – not even to affect the outcome.

    Most of her supporters are older, centrist Alaskan Republicans, a description of a population very unlikely to cast a write-in vote – this is no insurgent grassroots campaign, despite what her handlers wish us to believe. The grassroots gave her the boot, and her supporters are the type of people who will say, “I was for you. You lost. Grow up and get over it!” long before voting for a sore loser.

  • Estragon

    The NRSC says they are 100% behind their nominee, Joe Miller.

    It is in fact O’Donnell in Delaware who refuses to rule out an independent run in November if she loses.

    Sorry to interrupt the ranting with the facts, however they mess up the narrative. Not that some people ever seem to let them get in the way . . .

    ~~~~~~~~

    Personally, I doubt Murky could possibly drum up enough write-in votes to upset the applecart – not even to affect the outcome.

    Most of her supporters are older, centrist Alaskan Republicans, a description of a population very unlikely to cast a write-in vote – this is no insurgent grassroots campaign, despite what her handlers wish us to believe. The grassroots gave her the boot, and her supporters are the type of people who will say, “I was for you. You lost. Grow up and get over it!” long before voting for a sore loser.

  • http://knappster.blogspot.com Thomas L. Knapp

    Estragon,

    You seem to be asssuming some minimal baseline of rational behavior on the part of voters.

    I don’t see that assumption as tenable.

    If you have enough money, and if you use that money to spread a catchy message well, you can apparently fool most of the people most of the time.

    Does “change you can believe in” ring any bells? Or if the liberal version doesn’t resonate with you, how about “WMD in Iraq” or “Scott Brown is a tea party conservative?”

  • http://knappster.blogspot.com Thomas L. Knapp

    Estragon,

    You seem to be asssuming some minimal baseline of rational behavior on the part of voters.

    I don’t see that assumption as tenable.

    If you have enough money, and if you use that money to spread a catchy message well, you can apparently fool most of the people most of the time.

    Does “change you can believe in” ring any bells? Or if the liberal version doesn’t resonate with you, how about “WMD in Iraq” or “Scott Brown is a tea party conservative?”

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