It seems as though everyone who is anybody is calling on Joe Miller to concede the contest because the number of write-in votes counted in favor of the incumbent exceeds the votes counted in favor of Mr. Miller, even if the challenged ballots are excluded.
I strongly disagree for several reasons, most of which would be viewed as being insignificant if considered individually, and not much more significant if viewed collectively.
That is, if two particular and substantially egregious events had not occurred to permantly tarnish the integrity of the electoral process. The first event was an intervention by an official, at the highest administrative level responsible for the integrity of the process, to allow the write-in candidate’s names to be posted at early election polling locations. Subsequently, adding insult to injury, the integrity of the process was damaged even more by the conduct of the Lt. Gov., the elected official with whom rests the ultimate responsibility for free and fair elections, and coincidentally the immediate supervisor of the other administrative official. Not only did he fail to repair the stain, but he compounded the problem by casting an additional cloud of political malfeasance over the already badly damaged integrity of the process.
These two events, when added to assertions made by the Lt. Gov. and his administrator that any write-in votes for Mr. Miller will not be credited to the candidate, while voter intent would be liberally applied when it comes to the Establishment/Incumbent Party’s candidate’s vote tally.
The interference in the election process by the executive branch of state government is only equaled by the injection of the judicial branch into the process. The decision made by the judiciary regarding disclosure of personnel records for political purposes will be a precedent that Alaskans of all stripes will soon learn to regret, since it clearly disregarded any State or Federal Constitutional protections regarding privacy, and in particular that of the state’s which has an explicit guarantee of privacy that is only applicable to the political realm if the Establishment politicos says it applies.
Throngs of Alaskans have now been disabused of the notion that it can’t happen here; that it only happens in the third world. It is for this reason alone that every Tea Partier, and fellow conservatives across the state, should be standing shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Miller to make certain that every possible effort is made to make sure that we are not disenfranchised by a process the integrity of which is in doubt, despite how extremely remote the possibility of success may be, as well as to send a message that we will not just go quietly into the night.
As a result, the Tea Partiers and fellow conservatives should not just be behind Mr. Miller. We should be right beside him. Not only should we be beside Mr. Miller, symbolically protecting his flanks, we should also be attacking those individuals and organizations that now form the base of the Establishment/Incumbent Party whenever, and wherever, the opportunity happens to present itself. If we retreat and accept defeat now, it is almost certain that the Establishment and the Incumbent Party will continue its efforts to make sure we are permanently incapable of mounting any meaningful challenges in the future.
--ric koller
I strongly disagree for several reasons, most of which would be viewed as being insignificant if considered individually, and not much more significant if viewed collectively.
That is, if two particular and substantially egregious events had not occurred to permantly tarnish the integrity of the electoral process. The first event was an intervention by an official, at the highest administrative level responsible for the integrity of the process, to allow the write-in candidate’s names to be posted at early election polling locations. Subsequently, adding insult to injury, the integrity of the process was damaged even more by the conduct of the Lt. Gov., the elected official with whom rests the ultimate responsibility for free and fair elections, and coincidentally the immediate supervisor of the other administrative official. Not only did he fail to repair the stain, but he compounded the problem by casting an additional cloud of political malfeasance over the already badly damaged integrity of the process.
These two events, when added to assertions made by the Lt. Gov. and his administrator that any write-in votes for Mr. Miller will not be credited to the candidate, while voter intent would be liberally applied when it comes to the Establishment/Incumbent Party’s candidate’s vote tally.
The interference in the election process by the executive branch of state government is only equaled by the injection of the judicial branch into the process. The decision made by the judiciary regarding disclosure of personnel records for political purposes will be a precedent that Alaskans of all stripes will soon learn to regret, since it clearly disregarded any State or Federal Constitutional protections regarding privacy, and in particular that of the state’s which has an explicit guarantee of privacy that is only applicable to the political realm if the Establishment politicos says it applies.
Throngs of Alaskans have now been disabused of the notion that it can’t happen here; that it only happens in the third world. It is for this reason alone that every Tea Partier, and fellow conservatives across the state, should be standing shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Miller to make certain that every possible effort is made to make sure that we are not disenfranchised by a process the integrity of which is in doubt, despite how extremely remote the possibility of success may be, as well as to send a message that we will not just go quietly into the night.
As a result, the Tea Partiers and fellow conservatives should not just be behind Mr. Miller. We should be right beside him. Not only should we be beside Mr. Miller, symbolically protecting his flanks, we should also be attacking those individuals and organizations that now form the base of the Establishment/Incumbent Party whenever, and wherever, the opportunity happens to present itself. If we retreat and accept defeat now, it is almost certain that the Establishment and the Incumbent Party will continue its efforts to make sure we are permanently incapable of mounting any meaningful challenges in the future.
--ric koller
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