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Here's the latest news on the still-too-close-to-call Alaska GOP Senate primary between incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski and challenger Joe Miller. The bottom line is we should have a MUCH clearer picture about the outcome in the next 48 hours.
Here are the numbers:
Currently, Miller leads Murkowski by 1,668 votes, out of more than 92,000 cast.
There are 23,472 ballots still to be counted, and the majority of them (13,740) are absentees. Reportedly, about 16,000 absentee ballots were requested, so it's conceivable another 2,300 ballots could arrive, but it's probably much much lower. The state allows 15 days after the election for absentees to arrive, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.
Another 9,069 are "questioned ballots" -- most often the issue is the voter cast the ballot in a precinct other than where they live. A high percentage of questioned ballots get thrown out generally.
There are also 663 "early" votes that need to be counted.
Tomorrow, a large chunk of the ballots will be counted. The Alaska Division of Elections will count all the early votes, all the absentee ballots received to date, and all the questioned ballots that have been resolved. Bottom line: A good 15,000 or more votes will be counted.
On Sept. 3, they will do another count of resolved "question" ballots, and late absentees.
On Sept. 8, they will have the final count of remaining ballots.
Statisticians say that Republicans made up about 75% of the voters last week, so if that percentage holds up, Murkowski would need the vote of roughly 55% to make up her deficit.
Leave a Comment:
Murkowski may yet come out alive, but she and others that aren't providing what their constituents want are going to have to learn to do things differently.
One thing for sure. Both parties incumbents should be scared to death that the electorate is waking up. And waking up mad!
Is the electorate really waking up? Despite some high profile incumbents losing their primaries, the majority of incumbents have won their races. While there may be a large shift in seats in November, most of the members of both chambers will still be career politicians.
I don't know if this qualifies for FR news, but in Gallup's weekly tracking, there is a 10 pt. gap, 51%-41% for Republicans among registered voters, the largest gap for the generic midterm ballot in Gallup history. I'm sure Nancy is still smiling, but will she be when the Botox relaxes?
Sorry for the interuption. Now back to the regularly scheduled Beck blah-blah, important commercials and coverage of the riveting GOP Primary in Alaska.
The question, Bob, is how does one reconcile that number with other polls out there...like when you ask for the approval rating of Congressional Democrats...
http://www.pollingreport.com/cong_dem.htm
...and compare that to the approval rating of Congressional Republicans...
http://www.pollingreport.com/cong_rep.htm
Keep in mind that candidates still matter. Yes, it's all well and good that you can point to a generic ballot but does that ballot assume that John in Boca Raton, FL has a say as to whether or not Nancy Pelosi is re-elected in San Francisco, CA?
Da Noid
The question, Bob, is how does one reconcile that number with other polls out there...like when you ask for the approval rating of Congressional Democrats...
Probably, because the most important question on those polls might have been, I bet, "Can Congressional Democrats see Russia from their house?" Again the only poll that counts is the one on election day.
I predict that if Murkowski comes back in the absentee count to record a narrow victory, the Democrat National Committee will file suit to contest the vote and demand a hunting camp by hunting camp recount. Al Gore will be appointed overseer of the process. Due to geographic proximity, Christine Gregoire will be considered for an advisory role.
I hope Lisa doesn't pull a "funny" and try to get votes counted twice like Al Franklin!!! I would watch her very closely if I were runing against her!
Besides, it's Al Frankin, not Franklin. Did you know that he was a math major at Harvard?
hopefully we want have accorn out doing fraudulent votes
Oh, please. Your comment is an insult to the state of Minnesota which patiently and thoroughly conducted the recount. I'm going to take a guess here that you watch Fox News?
This is another in the Dem column..lol. Say good night dopes of nope.
Yep, this is what I like about the liberal democrats-the fact that they can't face reality with Al "cheat" Franken or the fact that folks are just fed up with the "Nanny state" that Obama and Pelosi prefer. Keep the voters dumb and entitled. This has been the mantra of the democrats for years. If any one dare comes off the plantation long enough to think for themselves, well they must be bigots or Uncle Toms.
P.S. Franken sure as hell did cheat, the numbers don't lie. The convicted felons were allowed to vote and that put Franken over the top. Go check it for yourselves.
Come November of this year The American Publc will have Decide and they will have Decided to Replace the Corrupt Liberals and Democrats in Congress.. come november of 2012 . We will then Replace Obama..
Steve-505729...yout dreaming....majority of Americans put him in office in 2008 and the majority will reject the part of no ideas and reelect obama in 2012. Your party was a disastrous mess and created the one were in. You actually believe that the majority of Americans will blieve in a party that has no solutions only empty rhetoric. Not help thy unemployed but help thy "rich". Your parties policies crushed the middle class and conservative politicians are masters at deflecting facts and creating distractions and lies. Old politics...that is why Pres Obama is in office and will remain. You sit back and enjoy your fantasy of moving us backwards while I will enjoy the reality of Obama and his Policies. Sux being the minority doesn't it. Get used to it.
Colorado, it has already been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Frankin would not have won without the votes of convicted felons...........good Democrats I'm sure. And how about Mr. Ed's righteous indignation last night about how the mean old Republicans were being just hateful to President Obama..with their racist overtones and death threats...gee, wonder where he was when all this was happening to Bush??
But it has already been established by other right wing posters in another thread that respect has to be earned - so it's perfectly fine to say whatever you want about any of your elected leaders as long as he or she has not met the completely artificial and arbitrary criteria of 'earning your respect.'
That is good to know. It means that you and yours certainly won't have a problem with it when the shoe is on the other foot.
Why is this important to the rest of the country again? Either way, Alaska will send a self serving conservative to the Senate. I kind of hope Miller wins, if only so we can point out his hypocrisy when he continues to take federal money from the "big govinmint" he so loathes.
I have no problem with anyone saying anything they want...I just don't care for the hypocritical liberal media i.e. Mr. Ed, Matthews, Maddow etc. crying how unfair Obama is being treated. Not once did they step up and denounce when the left fringe element was calling for the assasination of Bush...and they know it.
Amy B. Portland, BIG GOVERNMENT cannot give anything it has not first taken away from someone else. The government creates nothing, produces nothing and generates nothing...except massive deficits.
Colorado Crenshaw
Besides, it's Al Frankin, not Franklin. Did you know that he was a math major at Harvard?
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I believe it's Franken...and he's not as funny as most math majors at Harvard so I am surprised.
Poll: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Democrats and Republicans are doing their job?
Approve Disapprove
Democrats 37% 61%
Republicans 30% 67%
Looks like a Republican mandate to me......LOL