Friday, September 19, 2014

Republican Senate candidate Dan Sullivan attacks Mark Begich for "pretending to ride a snowmachine" in campaign ad. Really?

Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal:  

Alaska Democrat Mark Begich drew high praise from fellow Democrats and Republicans for his TV ads that have, among other things, depicted him riding a snowmobile across his state’s frozen tundra, then hopping off to tout his support for oil drilling. 

But Republican challenger Dan Sullivan’s campaign isn’t so sure that it’s actually Mr. Begich. The former state attorney general is out with an advertisement Wednesday that says the Democrat is “pretending” to ride a snow machine, as the vehicles are known in Alaska. 

And it’s not the first shot at Mr. Begich’s authenticity and dedication to Alaska, which the Democrat has made the centerpiece of his re-election bid – his slogan is “True Alaska.” Last month, Americans for Prosperity knocked Mr. Begich for missing votes in the Senate, an effort to undercut the heart of his message.

Here is the ad that inspired this attack on Begich.
Of course Begich took umbrage at the attack to his honesty and had this to say in response:

But Begich said Wednesday that Sullivan, who’s challenging him in one of the most critical Senate battlegrounds of the cycle, should “pull that ad. It’s not factual.” 

In an interview, Begich described the lengths to which he went to shoot the spot. 

“One guy for example, wore an AR-15 around his shoulders because the area we were going to is where polar bears are, and he wanted to make sure we weren’t going to be attacked,” Begich said. “To say that I wasn’t on that snow machine riding it? I rode it for a long time out there and in weather that was very cold that day to the point where I frostbit part of my ear.” 

You know attacking Begich for political points of view is fair game, but the man is a tried and true Alaskan. And he doesn't have to shoot a gun, wrestle a grizzly, OR ride a snowmachine to prove that to any of us. 

I met Mark when he was a pimply faced high school kid, and even then he was involved in politics. There was never any doubt he was going to run for something when he grew up.

Both my daughter and Dennis Zaki have made commercials up here so I am well aware of the tricks of the trade, and it is pretty clear that Begich is indeed out in the elements. And since driving a snowmachine is not that hard I have little doubt that was he was one of the three snowmachiners riding up to the camera as well.

And by the way I find it a little insulting to my intelligence that the same ad where Sullivan  attacks Begich for fake snowmachine riding, ends with footage of Sullivan fake running in a area that I doubt he has ever even visited before.

30 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:51 PM

    Snowmachiners and ATV'rs are the worst offenders when it comes to tearing up delicate habitat here in Alaska so I'm a little offended that Mark Begich even rode a snow machine. Rednecks with little respect for our habitat, that is snowmachiners and ATV'rs. Destroying Alaska both with their emissions and their lack of respect for delicate habitat. If Mark was a true Democrat he'd not even think to get on one of these stinky and loud machines. Many of us left leaning undeclared voters aren't going to vote for anyone that rides a snow machine. Sorry Mark.

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    Replies
    1. Well, if you want to guarantee that the environment and habitats are destroyed, just go ahead and vote for Begich's Republican opponent.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:27 PM

      What bullshit 2:51! You must ride them w/the wrong group of folks!

      Look where Senator Begich was riding the machine in this video for crying out loud! And, I'll betcha you have absolutely zero clue as to where else he has ridden them!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous4:13 PM

      3:27pm

      The whole point of my post is that I don't ride ATV's or snow machines nor hang out with any people that do. I am a self powered recreator, I hike, ski, snowshoe, and do nothing that requires a gas powered motor for recreation. You guys can have your areas where you do your thing, I just wish you'd stay off the bike trails and nicely landscaped areas in the Mat-Su where we don't appreciate motorized morons messing up our landscaping. There's a reason we're trying to get you banned from Wasilla and then the entire Mat-Su, except for on authorized off road trails, you aren't exactly respectful of our property, easements and mother nature. I can't tell you how many times I've called the cops on rogue snowmachiners and ATV'rs tearing up property in our neighborhood and I'm thankful that many of the miscreants were caught by police and made to pay reparations and put up fencing as part of that reparation, fencing that will keep these types of people out of our neighborhoods.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous5:18 PM

      Yes, they cling to their bibles and snowmachines Someone needed to say it! smh

      Delete
    5. Anonymous5:37 PM

      5:18 pm I don't see Senator Mark Begich as a bible thumper even though he has used a snow machine in Alaska!

      3:27 pm I see your point, but that doesn't make ALL snow machine operators the same! I've ridden them w/others and we've always been respectful of property and others!

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    6. Your concerns are valid, 4:13, but you said in your earlier post that "many of us leaning ... voters aren't going to vote for anyone that rides a snow machine. Sorry Mark."--

      And that's when you went off the rails--er, the trail--because not voting for Begich is just crazy considering the alternative.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous6:51 AM

      So you aren't going to vote for Mark because he rode a snowmachine out to a drill site (or whatever it was in his ad) on what I suspect is the Arctic sea ice or the snowy tundra. Really? Because he had to ride out to the site, you assume that means he is some kind of sled-neck zipping around irresponsibly tearing up the environment. That is quite a stretch.

      Delete
  2. " And since driving a snowmachine is not that hard"
    -------------------------------------
    I'll say. A favorite "sport" around here is riding them from bar to bar.

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  3. Anonymous3:07 PM

    G -

    OT

    Many sites are picking up the comments by Bristol and Sarah. It is not going as well as they may have expected. Virtually everyone is ridiculing them and calling them on this nonsense. Perhaps they should have kept their mouths shut.

    Pat Padrnos

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    Replies
    1. Anita Winecooler5:21 PM

      I agree, Pat. They truly stepped in it this time, and there's no way to spin their way out of it. Even local radio stations in the lower 48, who barely mention them, haven't let up.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous3:19 PM

    Dan Sullivan must think Alaskans are idiots! He is the one that probably has never ridden a snow machine! He looks absolutely goofy every time we see him on TV! He is not a relatable character and doesn't come across as warm and welcoming!

    I laugh every time I see his wife speak in that advertisement being run to assure all of us that Sullivan is a 'true Alaskan'! She indicates that her family has been here thousands of years because she is either Native or Eskimo. Do the two of them really think that Alaskans correlate that to actually making her husband, Dan Sullivan, a 'true' Alaskan? What a joke!

    And, I could care less if Ms. Rice endorsed him! It's another bad ad as it directly associates him w/past POTUS George Bush and the fact he worked for him in Washington D.C.

    You don't see where they have ads running of past POTUS Bush endorsing him! They know better than to use him!

    I think Senator Begich will win this important race! He has a carpetbagger running against him who appears to be a very nasty individual!

    I've known Senator Begich for years and find him to be a true Alaskan, hard working, dedicated, smart and an outstanding Senator representing us in Washington D.C.

    VOTE FOR SENATOR MARK BEGICH!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, and my people were German farmers. Should my husband run for Chancellor?

      Delete
  5. Anonymous3:20 PM

    That is Scott Davis's son. Scott is Toad's BFF.

    So L48 Dan is linked to the Quitter. Again...
    Basically L48 Dan is a plant. Sent up here during the Palin Administration.

    And what a freak that Davis kid is. As if his word is worth anything.
    That family needs to pay their child support.

    Take note people, this is how Ohio Dan addresses issues facing Alaskans. Trife eh?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4:07 PM

    Dan Sullivan is running on the Eklutna Lake Trail. Even a non-runner could run the trail, it's flat and very easy running and bike riding.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous4:13 PM

    Excuse me for being slow, but the first time I heard the name Begich was in 1972, when Nick Begich, Alaska's Congressman, disappeared in a plane crash along with Speaker of the House Hale Boggs.

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    1. Anonymous4:47 PM

      That was a very sad time for Alaska!

      It's wonderful how Senator Mark Begich has followed in his father's footsteps! Have loved watching him all of these years while living in Anchorage.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous4:19 PM

    My only complaint with Begich's ad is that he doesn't strap his helmet on before he rides away. But I also understand that within the confines of a 30-second ad that some actions would just take too long.

    The Davis kid just comes across as an arrogant punk. Were I the director of that ad, I would have told him to turn his hat around so he didn't look like a Bubba. But then again, I'm a bit smarter than the simpleton demographic they were trying to reach.

    And I don't know about the rest of you, but Dan Sullivan doesn't look to me like he runs regularly...

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  9. hedgewytch4:24 PM

    I like how Dan pretends to wear a Carhartt jacket.

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    1. I like how his family pretends to go hiking up a rugged trail. They have mountains in Ohio? Who knew!

      And don't those teen girls just look thrilled to be out in the "wilderness"?

      Delete
  10. Anonymous4:47 PM

    I doubt Cory is even registered to vote. Just another paid actor.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anita Winecooler5:27 PM

    There's nothing of substance on Sullivan's side, so now political ads have devolved to calling people out on what they ride, how they ride or what gun they use to hunt with.
    Sad, isn't it? And the lower 48 aren't faring much better. One woman actually ran on her prowess while castrating pigs, and guess who took the bait and endorsed her? LMAO

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    1. Anonymous6:34 PM

      The Republican/Teabaggers bunch are absolutely nuts! Why anyone would cast a vote for ANY one of them is beyond me.

      Vote either Independent or Democratic!

      We need a huge change nationwide!

      Delete
  12. Anonymous6:13 PM

    Sullivan you a poor example of the great name you claim.
    The great John L, Ed, And the Flying Sullivan Brothers of WW 2. And many mor I'm sure.

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  13. Anonymous6:30 PM

    In Sullivan's wife's ad - why doesn't she identify her bloodline? Is she Eskimo or - - - - ?

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  14. Anonymous7:08 PM

    Julie fate Sullivan's mother is Athabaskan

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    Replies
    1. I'm so disappointed in Julie Fate, whom I knew back when she was a law student. Working for Stevens? And now campaigning for Sullivan? (I'll keep quiet about her marrying the guy.) But then I never understood how any Alaska Natives could be Republicans.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous8:18 PM

      Confusing as to why she didn't state that in her ad for her husband being a 'true' Alaskan? Weird!

      Delete
  15. Anonymous7:55 PM

    Yeah, because it's so hard to ride a snowmobile that only a Palin can do it. Here's Piper Palin giving a sycophant a ride.

    http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/files/2010/12/SnowMachine.jpg

    Sullivan's getting some very bad advice.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Raz Lemons4:38 AM

    Notice the difference in the two videos ? Sullivans allows no comments, Begichs is open for discussion, 1st amendment anyone ?

    ReplyDelete

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