Can Lisa Murkowski Win a Write-In?

As we edge ever so closer to the November elections many Alaskan conservatives are being faced with a tough question. If they are or were supporters of Lisa Murkowski before the primary and still believe she can do a better job than Joe Miller. Do they vote for her as a write-in and risk splitting the republican vote and giving the win to the Democratic challenger Scott McAdams, or do they toe the party line and vote for Miller because being far right is better than being far left?

This will be a tough call for many Alaskans. For the most part the reason Senator Murkowski was targeted by the tea parties for replacement was the same qualities that made her appeal to many Alaskans. She was and is not a far right conservative, at least not as far right as Joe Miller. So while some feel that she isn't conservative enough, most Alaskans appreciated having a more center right representative. Although many far right voters will fault Senator Murkowski for working with the democrats and voting on some controversial issues, she was at least willing to work towards a compromise, and at the same time not remain content with just obstructing.

Its hard to back a party who sits and pouts like a child when they don't get their way, who spends so much time and energy demonizing the other side that it makes it political suicide to agree with them on anything, even if that agreement would be on an issue that both sides should support. I think we know I'm talking about the GOP.

While I won't be able to support a democrat in this election its very difficult to support the GOP when they offer almost nothing as far as real solutions. Sure the soundbites and battle cries sound nice. Shrink government! Cut Spending! The GOP is just as guilty as the democrats when it comes to our debt and bloated federal government. Even voting for a tea party candidate at least in this race seems a little pointless. Joe Miller is NOT a tea party champion, he may be running under their banner and with their support but when he last ran for office in 2004 he ran as a republican, and there is more in his past to damage his tea party credentials than it seems there is to support it.

The Joe Miller Saga in Alaska is very similar to whats going on in Delaware with Christine O'Donnel. She has ran before and was not particularly far right, but now that she has tea party support it looks like she might win. This election might actually go down as a huge bust, where unqualified and potentially unstable candidates were elected for no better reason than their ability to mold themselves into the proper platform.

Educated? Never owned a business? government employee? sounds like a list of reasons the for conservatives not to vote for someone. Yet this is some of Joe Miller's background. Personally I'm worried by a group who thinks a lack of experience in politics makes someone more qualified to hold political office. The problem is not that we elected the wrong people in most cases. Its that we didn't hold them accountable and uphold our values as Alaskans and Americans. It wasn't until President Obama was elected that we really saw an outcry for smaller government and cutting spending, yet the excess of the last 2 years has been a hallmark of the federal government for more than the last half century.

I think Lisa Murkowski can win and despite all my misgivings about her I do believe she has represented Alaska faithfully during her time in office. Pursing, what under the circumstances was what she thought Alaskans wanted. We need a change of thinking, senators and congress are not there in Washington to conduct the business of the federal government. They are there to reign in the executive branch and make sure that the states are allowed to thrive. Not receive handouts or bail outs, if the people in a state want welfare, or health care, or something along those lines. Then those states should vote on it, have it, and pay for it. I think if re-elected Lisa will represent to new mood of Alaskans and recognize what necessary to fix the federal government.