Anchorage Tea Party Embraces Extremes
I decided to pop in and see what was happening over at the Anchorage Tea Party’s candidate forum Monday night, because (believe it or not) that is my idea of a good time. And also so you don’t have to go. You, after all, are a regular person and it is not your idea of a good time. As I worked my way through the drizzly parking lot, I noticed that several candidates were advertising themselves on their cars. They ranged from the “so very Alaskan” duct taped model: To the “OMG I’m a State Senator! Look at ME!” mobile:…
Mitt the Awkward Runs for Office
Have you ever had a chance to save someone from an embarrassing situation? It doesn’t have to be a big one. More than once I’ve seen women leaving the ladies room with toilet paper trailing their fancy shoes. It’s easy; walk up to them, step on the trailing end and they are free. I have the same uneasy feeling watching Mitt Romney campaign for president. I’m embarrassed for him. I get squinchy and want to look away when he speaks. I want to step on something and free him of his awkwardness. Since he’s been running for office longer than…
Recount Team Meets with the Anchorage Assembly
(Tonight at the Anchorage Assembly Meeting, the Members will hear and vote upon a Resolution (9.B.7), submitted by Assemblywoman Gray-Jackson and co-sponsored by Harriet Drummond and Patrick Flynn, that is intended to refund the $1,500.00 the Recount Application Group submitted to the Municipality. The money was required by Title 28 in order to request and generate the hand count of 15 precincts. The Resolution was a result of the report and meeting described in the post below. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, votes against it.) The Election Board Counts Precinct 840, Service High On Friday, June…
Election Recount Worksession With Assembly — Join Us!
The April 3rd Anchorage Municipal Election Recount Group will be meeting with the Anchorage Assembly in a Worksession this Friday to share our findings and recommendations with them. Per the website: ***************************************** Worksession – Election Recount Issues From 06/15/12 1:00 PM To 06/15/12 2:00 PM City Hall 632 W 6th Ave Anchorage Alaska Conference Room 830 ***************************************** This is a public meeting, as are all Assembly Meetings and Worksessions. WE HIGHLY ENCOURAGE ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE FUTURE OF ELECTIONS IN ANCHORAGE TO SHOW UP IF YOU CAN! Our Recount Group now includes the 10 original signers plus some…
Postmortem: Wisconsin, Obama & Elections
Did not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye, ‘Gainst whom the world cannot hold argument, Persuade my heart to this false perjury? —”Love’s Labour’s Lost,” William Shakespeare Madison, WI—Was it the money? Was it a weak candidate? Was it the President’s and DNC’s indifference? With Karl Rove and national Republicans dancing in the end zone, the soul searching and recriminations among Wisconsin progressives are now in full swing. The bulk of national commentary—including from generally sympathetic outlets like MSNBC and the NY Times—has generally been useless. And since we can have for more impact on what we do than on…
UPDATE: Live Blogging The WI Recall
Editor’s Note: Although Shannyn and I are at Netroots in Providence, The Mudflats has boots on the ground in Wisconsin for today’s critical recall election. Our correspondent Thomas Dewar took the redeye to Madison last night and will be posting updates throughout the day and late into the night as results roll in. The importance of this election, and what it portends for America’s democracy and middle class, is hard to overstate. In solidarity with the people of Wisconsin—AKM 9:54pm CDT Your correspondent will now beg your leave and excuse himself to go drink too much Scotch. Departing a somber…
Bipartisanship is Not on the Map
By Shannyn Moore My friends, once again, Alaska is charting new waters. The GOP-heavy redistricting board, in its zeal to break up the bipartisan coalition in charge of the Alaska Senate, has made Joe Hazelwood look like a model seaman. Let’s see how the entire state “fetched up.” Alaska’s Supreme Court, listing like a dinghy in 20-foot seas, decided by a 3-2 vote that we can run this year’s election on an unconstitutional map of election districts. Why? No time to do a constitutional version. The board’s map still has one last hurdle to clear: the Department of Justice, which…
Election Recertified, Muni Clerk Resigns
I know I’ve been silent regarding my participation one of the “Ten Qualified Voters” who triggered the Election (Hand) Recount of 15 precincts. I hope all of you understand that I was writing constantly “for the cause” and wasn’t able to write it on Mudflats. AKM has been doing a magnificent job. My commentary on this post will be short but you can read the letter that we (through Hal Gazaway) submitted to Chairman Hall and the Assembly before yesterday’s meeting. The letter regards our findings as we went through days of the hand count process. When you read it, you will find it unsurprising that the…
The Latest from the Election Hand Count – A Flipped Race & Other Anomalies
Hand Recount Leads To Flipped Race in One Precinct, Other Anomalies. Municipal Clerk’s Office Forced To Count Again Hand Counting Plagued with Rampant Errors, No Clear Procedures, Security Breaches; Still Not Following Municipal Code Anchorage, AK — The Municipal Clerk’s office announced in Media Advisory 15 that the hand count will continue Wednesday at 1:00 pm. The Advisory states that this will be a count of already hand-recounted precincts and that the results need to be “clarified.” In truth, this count is happening because observers from the Election Hand Recount Application Signers discovered that the results for certain races did…