Miller Campaign: Absentee Ballots Breaking for Joe

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From the Joe Miller Campaign website:

As of this posting, with about 27,000 absentee ballots counted, voters have added over 2100 net votes to Joe Miller.

That leaves approximately 11,333 votes between Joe Miller and “Write-In” ballots.

There are about 12,400 absentee ballots yet to be counted, as well as more than 12,200 “questioned” ballots to be counted, starting Friday.

Below is the Miller campaign’s predictions for Joe Miller’s “Path to Victory” (click to see full size):

Stay tuned to this website for updates.

- JP

Joe Miller gains over 900 votes in first absentee count

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In the first day of absentee ballot counting in Alaska, Joe Miller has narrowed Sen. Lisa Murkowski's lead by about 900 votes.

The Division of Elections has put out a big statewide update, which includes the districts reported already as well as new ones (will take a little time to figure out just which ones.)

The bottom line in the update is that the state is now reporting that it's counted over 8,000 absentee and early votes today.

The write-ins lead Joe Miller by 12,525 votes. That represents a 914 vote gain for Miller in today's count of absentee and early votes. The write-in lead was 13,439 the start of the day.

[More]

The Miller campaign says there are roughly 37,000 absentee ballots still outstanding.

- JP

Joe MIller: This race is not done

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Joe Miller on 'The Today Show' Friday said the Senate race in Alaska is far from over, and -- yes -- Sarah Palin would be a good presidential candidate:


- JP

Jim DeMint: Joe Miller Needs Our Help

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Via the Senate Conservatives Fund website:

Dear Fellow Conservative:

Joe Miller, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Alaska, needs our help. He's in the race of his life against Senator Lisa Murkowski who ran as a independent write-in candidate after losing the Republican primary.

With the race still too close to call, there are still tens of thousands of ballots that haven't been counted and there will be a recount to verify the integrity of the write-in ballots.

Joe Miller can win this race but he's up against a well-financed legal team that is working for Lisa Murkowski. They will be fighting to bend the law in Alaska, which requires write-in ballots to accurately state the candidate's name.

Joe Miller needs our immediate help.

The costs associated with maintaining the integrity of this election could be very high, especially if the legal battles go on for a while. Joe does not have the support of the special interests in Washington and he cannot rely on national Republicans to do everything that's needed to defend him.

Joe Miller needs the help of freedom-loving Americans who recognize the importance of winning this race. Joe Miller will stand up to the big spenders in both political parties and help stop the massive spending, bailouts, and debt that threaten our future.

Please make a contribution to the Joe Miller Recount Fund today.

This is a separate committee that has separate contribution limits. Individuals may contribute up to $2,400 to the Joe Miller Recount Fund even if they made contributions to his campaign before November 2nd.

Thank you for everything you have done to support the principles of freedom. Thank you in advance for supporting Joe Miller in this critical battle.

Sincerely,


Jim DeMint
United States Senator
Chairman, Senate Conservatives Fund

Donations can be made here.

- JP

Exit Polls: Castle would have probably lost to Coons

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Rebecca Sinderbrand, via CNN's Political Ticker, serves up a morsel of food for thought that Tokyo Rove and other Conservative Lite^® loudmouths who have been slamming Gov. Palin for her endorsement of Christine O'Donnell in the Delaware race for the U.S. Senate should chew on:

"If GOP voters are feeling any buyer's remorse, they may take some solace in one surprising stat: despite pre-election polls that showed longtime Republican Rep. Mike Castle handily beating Coons in a hypothetical matchup, the voters who turned out today said they would still probably have sent Coons to Washington over Castle, backing him 44-43 percent."

- JP

KTVA sacks two producers over 'Phonegate' (Updated)

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Lacey Halpern of Fox News reports that two KTVA producers involved in the "Phonegate" scandal in Alaska have been fired:

The former employees of the CBS affiliate in Anchorage left an accidental voicemail for an aide to GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, in which they joked about the possibility of reporting on the appearance of sex offenders at a Miller rally.

KTVA's General Manager released this statement on the station's web site:

Anchorage, Alaska, (11/02/10) - KTVA today released findings of its internal assessment of allegations that the "news director for CBS Anchorage affiliate KTVA, along with assignment editor Nick McDermott, and other reporters, openly discussed creating, if not fabricating, two stories about Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Joe Miller," as alleged by the Miller campaign. KTVA states that its review included multiple staff interviews, a review of that day's actual news coverage and a forensic transcript of the recorded audio conversation.

General Manager Jerry Bever stated, "As we worked through this fact-finding process we noted that actual story assignments for that day had already been decided before the recorded conversation took place. At no time did any of the elements associated with the recorded comments become part of any coverage or broadcast. The recorded conversation in question specifically involved how that evening's Miller rally might be promoted and the ensuing dialogue went down hill from there. These particular comments were not in line with KTVA standards."

As a result of this incident, the two producers involved in the recorded conversation are no longer with the station. As a matter of policy KTVA did not identify the staff members involved, however KTVA clarified that neither the News Director, Assignment Editor Nick McDermott nor any other KTVA reporters were involved in the recorded conversation as previously reported by the Miller campaign.

KTVA believes that its actual broadcast coverage of Miller has been sound and fair during this election cycle and the history of our coverage speaks for itself. Bever noted that in the coverage of this issue, FOX News correspondent Dan Springer reported that in a review of recent Miller coverage by KTVA, Fox News could not find any articles or stories that showed any obvious bias or hit pieces against Joe Miller.

KTVA has contacted the Miller campaign to set up a meeting to review its findings.

Update: But that's not the whole story, not by a long shot. Ed Morrissey explains.

- JP

Miller up by 7 in new poll; Murkowski throws GOP under the bus (or not)

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Public Policy Polling isn't the most reliable of pollsters, but they're definitely a step or two up from the local polling outfits in Anchorage that we've been hearing from lately. PPP's latest survey taken in Alaska has Joe Miller at 37 percent, with what's-her-name and the Democrat tied at 30 percent:

It appears that Murkowski will lose this race. There are 2 main reasons for that. The first is that she retained little goodwill from Republicans after deciding to make an independent bid. Only 27% of GOP voters are planning to vote for her on Tuesday, down from 31% from a PPP poll earlier in October. The second reason Murkowski's headed for a loss is that she failed to dominate with independents. She is slightly ahead with them, getting 34% to 32% for McAdams and 31% for Miller. But they're not providing her with a strong base of support the way Democrats are for McAdams and Republicans for Miller.

In a cycle that has seen a lot of strange races, this one may well be the strangest. It would be premature to write off anyone at this point but Miller does look to be the favorite headed into the final stretch.

A PDF document of the poll's internals is here.

Also, remember how just nine days ago Sen. Meghan McCain Lisa Murkowski said that if elected, she would caucus with the GOP?

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) confirmed Friday that she will caucus with the Republicans should she win her write-in bid for a second full term on Nov. 2.

“That’s something that Sen. Murkowski has not made secret. Sen. Murkowski has been a Republican her entire life,” her campaign spokesman Steve Wackowski said, confirming a story published earlier by the Associated Press. “There was never intention for her not to be a Republican.”

But now, it seems, Lisa's Republicanism may have reached it's expiration date, according to this tweet from CNN's Dana Bash:

"Woah. Lisa murkowski just made really clear to our drew griffin in alaska republicans can't count on her to be w them."

Not that we didn't expect this, it's just that we didn't expect it before the election.

Update: What follows flip? Why, flop, of course. Who's running her campaign, Mitt Romney?

- JP

Sharron Angle Ad: 'Our Turn'

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Good closing argument by the Angle campaign:


h/t: Jim Hoft

- JP

KTVA: Are you going to believe us or your lying ears?

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KTVA has now confirmed that the voice mail recording left on a Joe Miller campaign phone did indeed come from one of their reporters and did include part of a conversation strategizing their coverage, but station management incredibly denies that the CBS affiliate's reporters wanted to slant their coverage of the race for the US Senate in Alaska. Calling the allegations "untrue" and "absurd," KTVA general manager Jerry Bever says that they were merely "preparing for any eventuality." The full KTVA statement is here.

At Hot Air, Ed Morrissey comments:

KTVA’s explanation is absurd. What possible context can they put around the suggestion that they start looking for child molesters at a political rally in order to exploit that for their television coverage? That’s a “potential what-if scenario”? Is this a suggestion that came up in strategy sessions when discussing a McAdams campaign rally?

The only absolution KTVA could have possibly had was showing that this conversation didn’t take place among their staff, but was left on the voicemail by some other people or organization. Even if KTVA approached coverage of every political event in this manner, it would be an embarrassment. In this case, it shows a strong bias against Miller and gives a window into the editorial direction at KTVA.

Basically, KTVA management is asking, "Are you going to believe us or your lying ears?" Wait a minute... didn't CBS already use the "fake but accurate" excuse?

- JP

Turnout Huge For Raese Rally featuring Gov. Palin and Ted Nugent

HuntingtonNews.net reports that Sarah and Todd Palin made a last-minute "surprise" visit to the Ted Nugent rally for GOP U.S. Senate candidate John Raese in Charleston Saturday afternoon in front of the largest crowd to attend any event held by either Raese or his opponent Gov. Joe Manchin this year. Video courtesy of Freedom's Lighthouse:

An estimated crowd of 2,700 came out on a clear, sunny October day from across West Virginia and sang the "Star Spangled Banner" with Nugent, the rock legend from the late 70s who has emerged as a leading voice for sportsmen and women across America. The event--part political rally, part Mountain State family reunion--was held at Haddad Riverfront Park in downtown Charleston, just a few blocks away from Manchin's residence at the Governor's Mansion.

"The size of this crowd on such short notice should tell us something about the momentum John Raese has going into Tuesday's election," said Jack Ellis, HNN's Senior Political Analyst. "Raese's campaign didn't know that Ted Nugent was going to be able to get here until just a few days ago, and the Sarah Palin visit was added too late for the media to really get ahold of it. Yet nearly three thousand people showed up? Amazing."

"This kind of turnout reminds me a great deal of the kind of crowds George W. Bush had when he visited West Virginia in 2000," said Ellis. "Crowds like this go back home and are great evangelists for their candidate. This single event could put Raese over the top on Tuesday."

According to event organizers, Todd and Sarah Palin took an overnight flight from Alaska to arrive Saturday morning in time for the event.

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After the rally in Charleston, the Palins joined the Raeses at a Tea Party Express campaign event in Wheeling.

"This ranks as one of the most interesting of all political events in the past few years here," said Ellis. "With basically two or three days' notice, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate drew a crowd with concerned Republicans, Democrats, and Independents from across West Virginia. They all agree on one thing--the Obama Administration has got to be reined in. That's their bond, and John Raese is their candidate for U.S. Senate."

- JP

Monmouth U. Poll: O'Donnell cuts Coons lead nearly in half

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From the Monmouth University Polling Institute's news release (PDF) issued Friday morning:

In the past two weeks, Republican Christine O’Donnell has narrowed Democrat Chris Coons’lead in Delaware’s U.S. Senate race from 19 points to 10 points. The latest Monmouth University Poll finds Coons has the support of 51% of likely voters to 41% for O’Donnell. Two weeks ago, this race stood at 57% to 38%.

O’Donnell has actually pulled into a 49% to 43% lead in the southern part of the state (i.e. Kent and Sussex counties). Two weeks ago, this region of the state was divided at 47% for O’Donnell and 46% for Coons. The Democrat continues to hold a sizable advantage in New Castle County, but the current 56% to 36% margin is down from the 63% to 33% edge he held earlier this month.

O’Donnell has also made gains among independent voters, now leading Coons 47% to 42% among this voting bloc. Two weeks ago, she trailed in the independent vote by 51% to 41%.

“While Coons still has the advantage, it has to be uncomfortable knowing that O’Donnell was able to shave 9 points off his lead in just two weeks.

[More]

- JP

Video: Gov. Palin at the Change DC Rally - Anchorage, 10/28/10

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- JP

Neil Stevens: Joe Miller in third? Not so fast.

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Neil Stevens at RedState.com catches the Wyle E. Coyote left and their media sheep trying to pull a fast one:

Continuing Politico’s apparent strategy of linking to obscure polls that say bad things about Republicans for shock and traffic value in this wave year, the site now reports Joe Miller to be in last place.

For several reasons, one has to discount this poll’s predictiveness of the coming election...

[...]

Only Politico could take word that the NRSC is spending a half million dollars on Miller’s behalf, and turn it into bad news for him. Because seriously, after the Orion poll and now this, what’s next for Politico? Some guy in his basement reporting Barbara Boxer 18 points over Carly Fiorina? Brace for it.

[More]

Not everyone on the left is buying into this sham poll. Nate Silver agrees with Neil (which may be a first), tweeting that the Mudflatulence poll is "sketchy" at best.

- JP

Hey, Alaskans! Want to be a write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate?

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If you’re an Alaska resident and qualified to run for Senate, you can have your name added to the list of write-in candidates for U.S. Senate, just like Lisa Murkowski did. It's easy. Dan Riehl shows you how to get 'er done at Big Jounalism. But hurry, "You must act today!"

According to the socialists, if you overload a government system, then it has to be expanded. By Jove, that works for lists of write-in candidates, too. So expand the list with your name today! Cloward-Piven: It's not just for leftists anymore.

- JP

The American Pundit: Now Charlie Crist Flip-Flops on Sarah Palin

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Stephan Tawney at The American Pundit makes the observation that the desperation of worthless weasel "Sorry Charlie" Crist, who trails a surging Marco Rubio in the polls by double digits, is not a pretty sight:

The likes of Sarah Palin are too extreme, we’re told by a guy who said he was “impressed” with her and thought she’d make a great president just two years ago. He also said she is “bright”, “impressive”, and ready to be commander-in-chief should something have happened to McCain. “She’d do a great job,” as vice president, Crist told CNN.

Palin hasn’t changed since 2008 but Charlie Crist’s political ambitions — and his party registration — have.

Conservative Floridians obviously find Rubio much preferable to Crist, the mother of all Vichy Republicans. So he's reaching out to Democrats and left-leaning independents. What else is the governor who lost his spine to do? Other than bash Gov. Palin and other good Reagan conservatives as "too extreme," that is.

- JP

Kill 'em with kindness

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From Elizabeth Crum at National Review's Battle 10 blog, we see that Sharron Angle's team is right on top of things:

In response to Joy Behar’s vicious remarks on The View, the Angle campaign sent a lovely flower arrangement with a note enclosed.

“Joy,

Raised $150,000 online yesterday. Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,
Sharron Angle”

Behar's parents must have had high hopes when she was a baby, naming her "Joy" and all. Too bad that didn't work out. Kind of like naming a daughter "Chastity," and then she takes a job offer from a brothel...

- JP

Joe Miller will host 'Change DC' rally in Anchorage Thursday

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The Republican Party's candidate for the U.S. Senate will host a rally Thursday in Anchorage. Joe Miller's campaign calls it the “Change DC” rally, and Sarah Palin and Todd Palin top the list of special guests that also includes former "Northern Exposure" star Janine Turner.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe radio talker Lars Larson and others are scheduled to appear at the rally via teleconferencing.

The event will be held in the Dena’ina Center at 600 W 7th Ave in Anchorage, and they will open the doors at 6 PM Alaska Time. There is no admission fee, but we doubt the Miller campaign will be refusing any donations.

- JP

Sarah Palin eviscerates 'arrogant' Lisa Murkowski

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Monday on Facebook, Gov. Palin blasted Alaska's nasty Sen. Lisa Murkowski for the Vichy Republican's despicable attack on the honor of Joe Miller, a Gulf War veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star:

Lisa’s Gall vs. Miller’s Honor

I have never seen a candidate stoop as low as was seen last night in Alaska’s senatorial debate.

Alaska’s Joe Miller is facing a tough three-way race for U.S. Senate. Though Joe decisively defeated the incumbent Senator in the primary, and though she conceded the race to him, she reneged on her primary vow to not contest the will of the people. She is now running a write-in campaign bankrolled by Beltway special interests.

I’ve seen some pretty ugly campaigning, and what they’re throwing at Joe right now is nasty. Joe’s opponents can’t run on the issues because they’re wrong on them – whether it’s repealing and de-funding Obamacare, fighting against cap-and-tax, protecting our borders, or pushing hard for responsible resource development. They can’t win in a fair fight on the issues, so they sling mud.

We saw all of this play out in the Alaska senatorial debate yesterday. (Watch the video of the debate here.) Joe took a bold stance for Alaska’s future. He called out the sitting Senator’s involvement in racking up the massive debt burden on our children and grandchildren, as well as her plan to barter over the destructive job-killing cap-and-tax legislation. As Joe said, we should focus on trading “earmarks for ANWR, not cap and trade for ANWR.”

The sitting Senator also came out against Arizona’s right to protect its borders. She called for us to “enforce the laws that are currently on the books,” but didn’t seem to understand that that is precisely what Arizona is trying to do to protect itself because the federal government refuses to enforce our laws. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by her lackadaisical attitude to border security when we consider that she has repeatedly voted against funding a border fence and voted in favor of amnesty.

But perhaps the most shocking part of all in this debate was when the incumbent Senator used Joe Miller’s distinguished military service as a means to attack him. Joe Miller graduated from West Point, fought in Desert Storm, and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service to our country. I find it astonishing that a sitting U.S. Senator from Alaska would challenge the honor of a decorated combat veteran. Is it any wonder the audience later booed her when she again challenged Joe Miller’s honor? Please watch the video of this exchange here.

We need to send a message that we’re not going to stand for this arrogant sense of entitlement and business-as-usual Beltway corruption. Joe needs our help to fight back against the influx of special interest money. Please join me in donating any amount you can spare to Joe’s campaign by clicking here. He can lead once he gets to D.C., but he’ll need our help to get to there.

- Sarah Palin

BTW, what Miller was disciplined for at the North Star Borough was voting in an online poll (Along with the link goes the obligatory AOSHQ language alert for families who surf the Web together).

Drew says "let's not pretend this isn't a bad thing," but it's just not. Miller was an employee (part-time) and it was the employer's policy that computers not be used for political purposes. Okay -- he violated the employer's rules... but what he did can barely even be termed "for political processes." He went to four machines because they had different IPs and voted on them all to Freep a meaningless online poll.

This is what Murcszinski has her hopes pinned on?

- JP

Email from Sarah Palin: Everything to Lose

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A Special Message from Sarah Palin:

Dear Fellow Conservative,

This November, voters in Alaska and throughout the country have a choice to make.

Alaska needs a senator who will fight for fiscal sanity, support the brave men and women serving in our military, and have the courage to protect the natural beauty of the Last Frontier. Joe Miller will fight for Alaska's opportunities to develop our natural resources and put Alaskans TO WORK!

They can vote for the status quo – the career politicians who helped get our country in this economic mess – or they can vote for common sense conservatives like Joe Miller.

Fellow conservatives, join me in rallying around Joe! Please support him by making an online donation today.

Conservatives need to rally around Joe Miller. He is the only true conservative in this race.

While Lisa Murkowski and her special interests have nothing to lose in this race, Alaskans and conservatives across the country have everything to lose.

Please donate anything that you can spare to make sure Joe, the true conservative, wins this race.

Joe Miller will fight for the people of Alaska, and this great country. Public service should be an honor not a family dynasty. Show your support for him today.

With an Alaskan heart,

- JP

RightChange Ad: 'Call Me Senator'

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We don't care who y'are, this is funny:


- JP