The Friday Palin was introduced to the “lower 48″ was the day I arrived in Alaska. Weird? You bet.
With all the Palin related posts being posted here on Intelligent Discontent, I thought this would be an appropriate time to jot down some of what I’m hearing up here in The Last Frontier.
No one could argue that Alaskans, in general, aren’t proud of the fact that people are, well, paying attention to them and their state. However, the mood of excitement and enthusiasm for the McCain-Palin ticket is quickly fading. McCain will still probably win the state, but the state does seem to be recovering from Palin fever.
I talk to people on a daily basis – Dems, Republicans, and the huge magority of self-described “Independents” – who are shocked by McCain’s choice. However, very few are vocal about it. It is no exaggeration to say that Palin has ruled this state through fear and intimidation. An obvious example is Troopergate, but their are subtleties that you don’t hear a lot of in the national press.
Some people have told me that they don’t want to be vocal about their dislike of Palin because they fear that if her ticket loses in November she will come back and aggressively respond to those that criticized her. Cronyism is nothing new in politics, but Palin has taken it to a new level in this state.
The Obama staff up here is working hard to spread the message that not everyone loves Palin. It is a goal that seems to become easier by the day. As Palin is vetted by the press (something McCain might have wanted to do) a level of embarrasment has set in. People quitely talk about it, but they talk about it.
When Palin says she has foreign policy experience, people laugh, even her most loyal supporters. When her religious and social views are brought to light, even her most conservative supporters shutter. The most flattering endorsement I have heard of Palin (from a person in Wasilla) was, “well, you can’t say she really messed anything up.”
One conservative woman I spoke with said that she would not vote for Palin because while Palin was mayor of Wasilla, the town went from “the weed capital of Alaska to the meth capital of Alaska.”
There are almost weekly protests against Palin in Anchorage. The last protest had over a thousand people attend (pictures below). On Saturday there will be an “Alaskans for Truth” rally calling for transparency in the Palin administration.
Which brings me to another very important issue I hear a lot about: when an Alaskan wants to get a hold of their governor they are refered to McCain’s people in D.C. This is a major problem for Alaskans, especially when you take into account the fierce sense of independence Alaskans have. More and more letters are being submitted to The Anchorage Daily News expressing disdain for how difficult and murky the Palin administration has become.
The point is this: Alaska is crazy and it just keeps getting crazier, but don’t mistake that craziness as Palin-mania… it’s much more complex than that. Palin is not the Alaskan hero she may have appeared to be.
UPDATE:
I just recieved an email. Here is the text from the body of the email (a flier was attached):
Here is a great way to spend a few hours this Saturday in Anchorage, Alaska! Join the
”Hold Palin Accountable!” rally and show Palin / McCain you believe their “Alaska truth squad” is anything but. Let’s take our State back from the corrosive influence of McCain Campaign Outsiders as they attempt to kill the legislature’s Troopergate investigation.Concerned that you might lose your job should you be seen participating in this rally? Wear a mask and have fun with it. Bring a noisemaker!
Last 5 posts by Bob Funk
- 60, here we come! - April 28th, 2009
- Term Limits? Let's Get Rid of 'em - April 28th, 2009
- Montana: "toss up" state, again - October 20th, 2008
- Quote of the Day - October 1st, 2008
- Food for Thought - September 24th, 2008
Popularity: 14% [?]
