Comments on: The Stevens Effect

By: 2000

2000 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:17:51 +0000

By: Laura McGann

Laura McGann — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:35:34 +0000

Hi Eric and Ray — The reason I don't think that ballots were tossed is that the exit polls match up with the results so far. The numbers that don't match are the pre-election polls. However, if there is evidence suggesting election tampering, I'd be on it.

By: Laura McGann

Laura McGann — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:35:34 +0000

By: Eric Ferguson

Eric Ferguson — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:24:37 +0000

I have to agree with the other commenters. Really, in a year like this, Alaska's voter turnout was DOWN? With Palin on the ticket? With a substantial Obama grassroots effort? After enormous turnout for the caucuses? Laura, you seem awfully credulous in this article. Don't you admit the chance that the Republicans in charge of the elections are as corrupt as the rest of Alaskan Republicans? The bulk of them seem bound for jail, yet the elections were run cleanly. Right.

By: Ray

Ray — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:15:51 +0000

We like to be critical of polls, but the fact is competent polling is remarkably accurate. Presidential election polls this year were extremely accurate even considering the margin of error.

There is a far more logical explanation when polls are way off. The polls are accurate. Fraud and disenfranchisement of voters accounts for the difference in results. In 1980 exit polls predicted Gore won Florida because GORE WON FLORIDA.

There is a serious problem with the election results in Alaska. I would suggest another poll to determine the percentage of voters who actually voted, who they voted for, and compare that to the reported results.

By: KT

KT — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:02:39 +0000

Thanks for the interesting article, Laura.

There's another explanation...it's called electoral fraud. It's not THAT often that scientifically-stringent polls are that far wrong. Now, with a shift to another Administration, more reports and info will come out about Bush Administration manipulation of the electorate (less than 50% actually vote).

It's pretty obvious to anybody that actually looks into the news reports about Florida in 2000, and Ohio in 2004, that it wasn't a valid election.

Wait, and watch all the dirty laundry that starts flying out of Bush Administration records - that weren't destroyed (and now that the news media won't be intimidated by a sitting Administration).

By: Phil Dirte'

Phil Dirte' — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:50:22 +0000

Stevens can shovel the pork and he has been there forever. Young can shovel pork as well and he has simply broadened out his district to include Wisconsin and Florida. Murkowski is seemingly useless but she is a legacy hire who only got re-elected because she managed to reject the graft before anyone got too sniffy about it-Kenai River lodge, who wouldn't want to buy that for 1/8 market price?
Alaska is as dumb as a pig that knows where the slop comes from. We get five dollars in tax support back for every dollar we send south, so who can complain about that? Why throw out the goose that craps golden eggs?

By: ajm8127

ajm8127 — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:16:27 +0000

It seems like the people of Alaska will accept the prosperity and progress Stevens brings at any cost. It reminds me of how the McCain campaign was run. No matter what they had to do, their focus was on winning. I'm not nearly naive enough to think that everyone's motives are pure, but I just cant help think that if the mindset was different, and people were a little more concerned with keeping thinkings on the straight and narrow, everything might be a little better, however utopian that sounds.