# Alaska Senate race
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [August 27, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607 "2010-08-27T01:03:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/21 "2010-09-19T20:23:04Z")
> [@gonzomax](#):
>
> As a write in candidate, Murkowski, will spelling count? Could they just write in Lisa?
The Secretary of State is supposed to come up with a list of acceptable aliases so “Liza Merkowsky” will probably be accepted but “L. M.” won’t be. From what I’ve read, Alaska is fairly liberal in accepting intent.
---
### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/22 "2010-09-19T20:43:10Z")
> [@Simplicio](#):
>
> Didn’t say she did, but getting a job as a lobbyist or in a Conservative think-tank after she’s out of the Senate would probably be a lot easier if she wasn’t going up against her party now, regardless of whether they deserve it or not. Especially given that she’s still young enough that immediate retirement probably isn’t an option.
>
> Not that I think she’ll be starving on the streets or anything, I’m sure she’s still well connected enough to find another gig, but still, she’s making life more difficult for herself in whats historically been a pretty quixotic strategy thats unlikely to pay off.
We could probably stand a few more politicians whose primary concern is not how they will take advantage of having been a politician in order to line their pockets.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/23 "2010-09-22T02:57:57Z")
> [@Simplicio](#):
>
> There’s only been one US senator ever elected in a write in campaign (Strom Thurmond in the 50’s), seems like quite a long shot, and she’s going to make herself a pariah amongst the GOP, which ought to limit her post-senate career options.
>
> So points for balls, if nothing else.
If she wins, they will have secretly have been rooting for her all along. If she loses, she’s a hates American and supports Al Queda.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/24 "2010-09-22T17:55:09Z")
Now it has come to light that Joe Miller, the Tea Party darling whose mantra is “no government handouts”, [accepted farm subsidies](http://www.adn.com/2010/09/21/1465626/senate-candidate-confirms-he-received.html)from said government in the 90s. At least he admits doing so, but it kinda weakens his platform I would think.
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### Author:  [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/25 "2010-09-26T17:12:04Z")
> [@Jophiel](#):
>
> > [@gonzomax](#):
> >
> > As a write in candidate, Murkowski, will spelling count? Could they just write in Lisa?
>
> The Secretary of State is supposed to come up with a list of acceptable aliases so “Liza Merkowsky” will probably be accepted but “L. M.” won’t be. From what I’ve read, Alaska is fairly liberal in accepting intent.
On CNN today ,they said the name has to be spelled properly. They showed Murkowsky aides on ads showing the correct way to spell it.
They also said there is pressure being exerted to have the spelling rules relaxed. They may end up doing it.
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### Author:  [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/26 "2010-10-06T16:59:10Z")
It seems the Palins are a little miffed at some of Miller’s debate responses:
[http://gawker.com/5656514/leaked-emails-sarah-palin-doesnt-give-out-endorsements-for-nothing?skyline=true&s=i](http://gawker.com/5656514/leaked-emails-sarah-palin-doesnt-give-out-endorsements-for-nothing?skyline=true&s=i)
> [@](#):
>
> Some testy emails between the camps of Sarah Palin and Alaskan Senate candidate Joe Miller, whom she endorsed, have leaked, and yikes! Basically, when Miller refused to directly answer a televised question regarding Palin’s presidential qualifications, Todd Palin was… unhappy.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/27 "2010-10-08T14:25:15Z")
> [@joebuck20](#):
>
> It seems the Palins are a little miffed at some of Miller’s debate responses:
>
> [http://gawker.com/5656514/leaked-emails-sarah-palin-doesnt-give-out-endorsements-for-nothing?skyline=true&s=i](http://gawker.com/5656514/leaked-emails-sarah-palin-doesnt-give-out-endorsements-for-nothing?skyline=true&s=i)
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > Some testy emails between the camps of Sarah Palin and Alaskan Senate candidate Joe Miller, whom she endorsed, have leaked, and yikes! Basically, when Miller refused to directly answer a televised question regarding Palin’s presidential qualifications, Todd Palin was… unhappy.
I’m wondering if Miller actually asked for Palin’s endorsement, or if she decided that she would just butt into the fray in order to try to take out Murkowski. Miller is from Fairbanks, and people up there don’t react well to what they see as interference in their lives. If he didn’t ask for her endorsement, I’m sure he feels zero obligation to suck her (or Todd’s) political dick.
Also, I find it very amusing that Palin spent an entire morning working on a Facebook entry.
---
### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/28 "2010-10-08T14:39:59Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Also, I find it very amusing that Palin spent an entire morning working on a Facebook entry.
To be fair, she probably gets distracted by Farmville when she makes her Facebook entries.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/29 "2010-10-08T22:42:17Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#):
>
> > [@Chefguy](#):
> >
> > Also, I find it very amusing that Palin spent an entire morning working on a Facebook entry.
>
> To be fair, she probably gets distracted by Farmville when she makes her Facebook entries.
At least she’s making good use of that journalismic degree.
---
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/30 "2010-10-11T23:41:10Z")
An outfit called Alaska Dispatch (.com) is digging into Joe Miller’s employment history and [has sued for release](http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/politics/7111-alaska-dispatch-sues-for-release-of-millers-personnel-records)of information from the Fairbanks Borough. Seems he may have used borough computers to do some of his politicking, which is expressly forbidden by state (and borough) law. This follows on the heels of his accusing the borough of politicking on behalf of Sen. Murkowski. Additionally, while he is demanding full disclosure, he refuses to authorize the borough to release his records, which delineate why he left their employment. This guy is the definition of slippery and slimy.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/31 "2010-10-12T00:04:43Z")
A borough is the equivalent of a county, right?
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/32 "2010-10-12T00:35:03Z")
Not in NY. NYC is divided into boroughs. So there, at least, they’re more akin to city council districts.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/33 "2010-10-12T01:37:41Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> Not in NY. NYC is divided into boroughs. So there, at least, they’re more akin to city council districts.
But, each borough is a county, isn’t it?
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/34 "2010-10-12T01:38:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> A borough is the equivalent of a county, right?
Actually, it’s the equivalent of a rabbit-warren.
Don’t ask me to explain. People grow strange out on America’s Last Frontier, and it seeps into their politics.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/35 "2010-10-12T01:41:11Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> An outfit called Alaska Dispatch (.com) is digging into Joe Miller’s employment history and [has sued for release](http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/politics/7111-alaska-dispatch-sues-for-release-of-millers-personnel-records)of information from the Fairbanks Borough. Seems he may have used borough computers to do some of his politicking, which is expressly forbidden by state (and borough) law. This follows on the heels of his accusing the borough of politicking on behalf of Sen. Murkowski. Additionally, while he is demanding full disclosure, he refuses to authorize the borough to release his records, which delineate why he left their employment. This guy is the definition of slippery and slimy.
The silent refrain that must be on the minds of many Dem candidates this year: “I can’t believe I’m losing to this guy!”
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/36 "2010-10-12T15:07:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> A borough is the equivalent of a county, right?
In Alaska, yes. Fairbanks is in the North Star Borough. Wasilla is in the Matanuska-Susitna (or Mat-Su) Borough, etc. They’re very large, with the Mat-Su Borough covering over 25,000 square miles.
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/37 "2010-10-12T16:04:08Z")
> [@](#):
>
> In a bizarre press conference Monday, Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller announced he will no longer answer questions about his past and blamed the media for focusing on personal attacks instead of the issues.
>
> “We’ve drawn a line in the sand. You can ask me about background, you can ask about personal issues — I’m not going to answer. I’m not,” he said.
[Cite](http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/10/12/joe_miller_personal_background/index.html)
---
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/38 "2010-10-12T16:05:13Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#):
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > In a bizarre press conference Monday, Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller announced he will no longer answer questions about his past and blamed the media for focusing on personal attacks instead of the issues.
> >
> > “We’ve drawn a line in the sand. You can ask me about background, you can ask about personal issues — I’m not going to answer. I’m not,” he said.
>
> [Cite](http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/10/12/joe_miller_personal_background/index.html)
So, he’s conceding the “character” ground entirely?
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/39 "2010-10-12T16:59:37Z")
It’s as though he really doesn’t want the job. This gives an entire arsenal full of ammunition to Murkowski, who would be a fool not to lock and load. Unfortunately, the Dem in this race is getting no help from the national folks and really doesn’t stand a chance.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alaska-senate-race/551607/40 "2010-10-13T01:17:16Z")
I think it means Miller is going to win. Pretty much everybody doesn’t want to have to answer for shitty things they’ve done in the past. And it seems that nobody wants to hold politicians to higher standards anymore.
Plus, not enough people will be able to spell Murkowski’s name right.
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