Murkowski was classy but wrong: She must run: Paul Jenkins | adn.com
When she graciously conceded the race to Miller last week after the GOP primary, Murkowski said it was for the good of Alaska. It was classy, but she was dreadfully wrong.
With Miller in the race, and her on the sidelines, Democrats have a real chance against Miller, who too easily is painted a far-right tea party whack-job and a Sarah Palin clone who channels Joe Vogler and tilts at windmills. Many people find him very scary. Miller’s malarkey plays well to the GOP’s sometimes irrational far right, living in its own fantasy world, but he may be unable to clinch the seat when the rest of Alaska catches on.
The Democrat in the Senate race, Scott McAdams of Sitka, has a real shot against Miller. (Rasmussen has him trailing by only 6 points.) He would not have a prayer against Murkowski.
If Miller’s base showed up last week — and the abortion notification ballot measure should have enticed them to the polls like bees to sugar — the numbers are instructive. In the 2004 general election, Murkowski polled 149,446 votes of 307,371 cast in her first Senate race. Early results last week, showed only 104,346 votes had been cast in the Senate primary contest. There are hordes of voters on the right who did not vote Tuesday despite the notification measure. Did they believe — as many did — that Murkowski was a shoo-in and stayed home?
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The question is: Would they show up in the general election and vote for Murkowski as a write-in. I think they would.