Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan appeared to grab an insurmountable lead over incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Begich early Wednesday, with all of Alaska's precincts reporting.
With results from all 441 precincts counted, Sullivan led 49 percent to 45 percent. The margin remained essentially the same from the first returns early in the evening.
Speaking just after midnight at his election night party in a packed ballroom at the Hotel Captain Cook, Sullivan praised his supporters and told them: “We are taking back our country!”
“We’re still going to be respectful of the process,” Sullivan said. But he nonetheless touted Republicans’ successes in Senate races across the country Tuesday, and to hearty cheers, he proclaimed that the party had sidelined Harry Reid, the Democratic leader in the Senate.
Look I am as much of an optimist as you could expect from a liberal living in Alaska, but currently Sullivan leads Begich by over 8,000 votes with all precincts having reported in.
Even if EVERY SINGLE uncounted absentee ballot had the circle next to Mark's name colored in it would probably still not be enough to give him the victory.
I understand why Mark does not want to concede yet, and I seriously doubt it has anything to do with his faith that he can still pull this off.
He can't. And as much as I hate to say it out loud, it looks like the Koch brothers bought themselves a Senator from the once great state of Alaska.
I am incredibly disappointed in my state right now. And while many of the election outcomes put a smile on my face, this one was for all the marbles, and the voters just did not make the right call in my opinion.
Now I could bitch about the political strategy of making distance between the candidates and President Obama, I really feel if they had embraced the successes of the last six years and bragged about the accomplishments of the Affordable Care Act and saving the economy that might have made a difference, but this is no time to throw stones or trot out "I told you so's."
No this is the time to learn from our mistakes and move forward.
So that is what I am going to do. But first I want to say that I was proud of having helped elect our first Democratic Senator since Mike Gravel was elected back in 1974. I think Mark did a good job, and the reason he lost had almost nothing to do with him, and everything to do with corporate money and the irrational hatred for our President.
Hold you head up high Senator Begich, ya done good.
I'm contributing to the AIP. Leave already. And if there's TIP for Texas...I'll give to them too.
ReplyDeleteLeave what?
DeleteIs that you Todd? If not, just send your money to the Palins. Bristol needs new shades and her thong dress was soiled. And there is the bill for Todd's 'toof'. Stalwart anti-Americans like you keep the Palins pulling in the moolah. Go for it boy!
DeleteThe United States of Koch.
ReplyDeleteIt's much better for us as a state having booted Parnell. Sad about the Senate but we passed all three important initiatives and got rid of the rot at the heart of our State.
ReplyDeleteExcellent that you booted Parnell but I'd keep an eye on Walker now that $arah has her crusted dirty talons in him. There are no coincidences.
Deleteprogressive liberal ballot initiatives won. they won in the reddest of states. higher minimum wage won. personhood lost. marijuana won except in florida although it did get a majority of votes. environmental funding won. ban fracking won. paid sick leave won. gun control won. environmental protection won. lobbying limits won. alcohol won. reclassification of felonies to misdemeaners won. increased spending on infrastructure won. require birth control coverage in private plans won. raise income tax on rich to provide money for schools won. increase taxes for fire and police won. bonds for natural resources, health, and agriculture, schools, infrastructure won. create independent redistricting commission won. era won.
ReplyDeletethe only state that held onto its conservative cred was tennessee.
after reading all the excusescoughreasons....my only conclusion is....democrats are lazy. they did not vote. that is the bottom line. why they stay home in midterm elections i dont know but its the one thing you can count on. how we change that. i dont know.
now tell me again how this is a conservative country?
Is there $$ to vote go and any and all liberal props OK. Just a conspiracy theory.
DeleteThe results across the board are absurd. I don't believe any of them. I watched the late counting in the AK senate race and it appeared that the more the remote precincts reported, the higher the margin in Ohio Dan's favor. I just don't believe it.
ReplyDeleteBut I doubt it will hurt Mark's future to not be associated with this next congress- it's going to be Pythonesque. The next generation will make a mini series of it.
If the 7% of idiots that voted for the libertarian and the other whacko had voted for Mark then he would have won hands down!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIdiots.
Somehow, I do not feel as if the people spoke. There were too many irregularities with the voting machines, with polling places being locked down or moved at the last minute w/o any notice as to where the new place would be, voter intimidation, voter roll purges, etc to be fair and square.
ReplyDeleteBut we got what we got, and barring any unforeseen happenings, we will have to work with what we got and pull ourselves up and work towards getting Citizens United undone (yeah, right... As if that will happen now...), and helping people register to vote next time around - and even contribute to a fund to help poor people buy a state ID, so they can vote next time.
Deja vue: www.bradblog.com/?p=10917
DeleteFeel so badly for Senator Begich. He's done such a good job for Alaskans and now we'll have the carpetbagger, Sullivan, who knows nothing about Alaskans or Alaska!
ReplyDeleteSending you a big thank you, hugs and love, Senator Begich! This comes from someone that has always supported you since Assembly days in Anchorage!
Us progressive/democratic folks in CO feel the same as you regarding our Senator Mark (Udall). The difference being if the Democrats and especially the Democratic women would have voted there's no way Cory Gardner could have won. I'm just glad we were able to hold on to the governor's seat.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as a progressive Coloradoan, I completely agree.
DeleteI still can't believe "we" elected Cory Gardner, a man who denies climate change, supports "personhood," and is against same sex marriage.
All my fellow democrats who felt miffed at Udall for not doing everything they wanted, thanks a lot. Now we have everything you absolutely did not want.
You are not alone. Our new member of the house (Elise Stefanick) is a 30 year old who was backed by the Koch Brothers, Karl Rove and Ryan. Her district is about half of New York State (the 21st) and her real residence is in Washington, DC. though she claims to be from the North Country. We will probably never see her again and we can say goodbye to any representation in the House.
ReplyDeleteThe math was against us.
ReplyDeleteEvery two years, a third of the Senate seats are up for re-election. In 2012, Democrats had to defend 21 seats and Republicans had to defend 10. There were two independents who caucus with the Dems. This year we had to defend 21 and the Republicans had 15.
So in the past two cycles we have had to defend 42 seats to the Republicans 25. An overwhelming task even in good years. We were doomed.
The good news is that we get the better end of the deal in 2016 - we defend 10 and the Republicans have to defend 24. It's a presidential year. We will have the better candidate no matter who it is. It's entirely possible that the wing nuts will nominate Cruz or Rubio or Paul or someone like that. And maybe for good measure put up Joni Ernst for Vice President
This is a very dark day but things will be getting better soon. Keep the faith and work like hell.
A Fan From Chicago.
I didn't read all the comments, but I am so with you Gryphen about the fact that the damn Democrats that ran for office all distanced themselves from President Obama and ALL he has achieved in the last 6 years.
ReplyDeleteIf they would have embraced him instead of dissing him, maybe, just maybe, it would have gone another way. And even if it wouldn't have ended up any differently, then they could have held their heads high as being Democrats/Progressives through and through and not leaving the leader of their party out to dry.
(Sorry for any grammatical errors, I'm still too peeved to write straight. Especially because I just got done hearing Reince Preibus on NPR this afternoon. OMG...what a smug bastard. Sorry, it had to be said.)
Ugh. What a horrid night last night was. And now to sit through today with the Republicans doing a happy dance and rubbing President Obama's face in it. Scumbags, each and every one. Though I will say he gave an awesome press conference and sounded like he wouldn't go down without a fight. I really, really admire him. I don't care that he hasn't been able to follow through with so much of what he wanted to do. It hasn't been for lack of trying!!!!!!!
I don't get it either. I'm self employed. I enjoy affordable insurance through the ACA. I invest in the market, have some 401k's through previous employers and do the max in IRAs each year to offset tax burdens, plus provide for my future since there may not be Social Security and Medicare. I am not registered Democrat, but Undeclared, but vote for left leaning politicians and liberal ballot initiatives. I can't figure out who in my middle class world would vote Republican, much less those that are even worse off financially. I can only figure that the God, Guns and Babies people will be guaranteed to vote against their best interests, even if they would benefit from a more progressive approach.
DeleteI'll never understand how populist rhetoric holds so much sway with those that will suffer the most under this new regime, but hey, there's no accounting for human nature. Keep in mind that 46% of this country believes that the Earth is only 6000 years old. That sheds some light on where these people are coming from.
I hate to say it but I'm becoming more in the corner of "I've got mine so screw you people". I think I'm gonna hang out here in this mindset for the next two years and grow my future and not think too much about giving back, especially since those people that I tend to give back to either don't vote or vote Republican, against their best interests. I feel like the poster child for how good-intentioned, left-leaning people become unapologetic capitalists.
The media needs to take a lot of responsibility in taking down our POTUS this mid election cycle. They are embarrassing! Chris Matthews especially on MSNBC. The guy is a fucking jerk and needs to retire.
DeleteI am appalled at the Republicans and media throughout our country. We are going to end up being a third world country - mark my words! They could care less about the poor or middle class.
Democrats should have played offense. They should have hammered over and over the Republicans shut this country down. The voter's memory is very short so they need reminding. It's the Republicans that shut this country down. It's the Republicans that have been using filibuster to obstruct congress. The Republicans are responsible for gridlock. The Republicans are responsible for the widening income gap and the deficit, both because the Republicans insist on lowering taxes for the uber wealthy 1%, thus shifting the burden on to the already strained poor, low income and increasingly shrinking middle class, also the fault of Republicans.
DeleteIt should have been hammered loud and repeatedly, with sound bites of current Republican leaders. Especially that one about the promise to make sure Obama didn't accomplish one thing. The promise to obstruct. That was REPUBLICANS.
Democrats are too polite and too nice. They need to learn to fight down and dirty just like Republicans do.
What helped me feel somewhat better about all this was visiting Wonkette. They're as snarky as ever.
ReplyDeleteM from MD
At least Minnesota voted blue....Franken won, Dayton won, Walz, Ellison, Nolan, Peterson, and McCollum all won their US House seats. The Dems lost the state house but kept the senate.
ReplyDeleteI thought the press conference was very much run by our president. He won’t go down and will keep fighting for the Affordable Care Act; thankfully his intelligent responses to questions failed to buy into the lame duck president narrative the GOP hoped for. For the rest of my life I will be ashamed of many Americans who showed themselves as racist, obstinately ignorant citizens during the presidency of one of the finest, most humane and charitable men ever to hold that office. Karma is a harsh mistress and I worry we all will suffer this sad state of affairs.
ReplyDeleteWell said. Thank you
DeleteAlso Gryphen,
ReplyDelete"None so deaf as those that will not hear. None so blind as those that will not see." -Matthew Henry
Keep up the good work and don't get discouraged!
DontHatetheGame
People don't have irrational hatred for the President. They don't trust him because of HIS words, written for him
ReplyDeleteYou ARE an idiot.
DeleteGet a life and educate yourself asshole.
DeleteReally? Skeletor is still Governor of Florida, Walker is gloating in Wisconsin and Wendy Davis lost in Texas.
ReplyDeleteThen allow me. To all the lazy Democrats that sat home on their asses figuring the midterms aren't worth exercising their blood paid for constitutional rights to vote. Piss on you. And when you lose your job because the Republicans have outsourced it, you lose your healthcare and your social security and that right to vote you didn't bother to exercise....then TOLD YOU SO.
Alaska: you deserve Dan Sullivan.
For being too lazy to vote for Begich.
And you have NO right to complain. I voted. I can complain all I want. You? Not at all.
Awwww, well said Gryph and your words are so true.
ReplyDeletehow about making voting day a holiday so the little people can get to the poles during normal daytime hours. I think voter turnout would increase ten-fold at least. Struggling families have no spare time between jobs, picking up/dropping off kids at school/daycare, making meals/ etc. to go into a voting location, wait in line (with tired, hungry kids), and vote. Especially when there's all the extra curricular activities, homework, and all the rest of the hullabaloo that goes along with raising a family. We have holidays for dead people, so why is voting for our future not worthy of making the day a holiday? ...just my two cents. A holiday would incentivize the whole population.
ReplyDeleteSo Alaska ends up with two senators who are rich kids with the barest tie to the state. Nice. Lisa "Clip Clop" Murkowski and Dan "Now I can live at home: Sullivan.
ReplyDeleteLisa will be right where she wants to be six paces behind miss mcconnell, and Dan, well let's hope some news agency will put an ambitious cub on his tail.