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Palin Bust in Alaska?

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November 06, 2008 2:49 PM

ABC News’ Rick Klein Reports: Election officials in Alaska were preparing for record-breaking turnout on Tuesday, with hyper-competitive House and Senate races -- and, of course, a popular home-state governor having won a spot on Sen. John McCain’s ticket.

But Election Day is looking like it was a turnout bust in Alaska. As of Thursday, voter turnout in the state stood at a measly 45.1 percent -- well below the 69.1 percent turnout clocked in in the 2004 presidential race, according to state election officials.

The 2008 number is certain to rise significantly as additional absentee and provisional ballots are tallied. But turnout specialists say it’s clear that the so-called “Palin effect” Republicans expected to see didn’t drive up voting numbers in Gov. Sarah Palin’s home state.

“It’s just perplexing to me,” said Michael McDonald, a George Mason University professor who specializes in voter turnout. “You can make some inferences, I guess, about Sarah Palin’s future. If this was a referendum on her in the state, perhaps there’s not as much enthusiasm about her as their used to be.”

Shelly Growden, Alaska’s elections systems manager, tells ABC News that the current vote totals don’t tell the full story. At least 70,000 absentee and provisional ballots have yet to be counted, she said.

The state won’t know for several days even how many absentee and provisional ballots were issued, or many of those will be received in time to counted. In Alaska, absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day but can arrive as many as 10 days after the election if mailed domestically, and 15 days if sent from overseas, Growden said.

She said she expects final 2008 turnout to have exceeded the 60.1 percent recorded in the 2000 election, though it still probably won’t approach the numbers reached in 2004.

“We were preparing for it to be higher,” Growden said.

The numbers are particularly surprising not just because of Palin but because, for the first time in recent history in Alaska, two competitive congressional races were being decided.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, was bidding for an eighth term in a race that remains too close for a winner to be declared. And Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, was vying for a 19th term as the state’s sole House member, in another race where no winner has yet been determined.

Alaska was not seriously contested at the presidential level. The McCain-Palin ticket cruised to Alaska’s three electoral votes, winning by a 62-36 margin as of Thursday’s latest count.

And turnout in Alaska may have been impacted by the relatively early resolution of the presidential contest. Polls closed there at 1 am ET, some two hours after the major networks projected that Sen. Barack Obama would win the presidency.

More likely, McDonald said, is that the tattered state of the Republican Party nationally and locally kept GOP voters home. Stevens was convicted on federal felony charges last month, and Young is also under criminal investigation -- and was the proud champion of the much-derided “Bridge to Nowhere” project.

Either explanation for the lower-than-expected turnout probably isn’t good news for Palin, who returns to Alaska with two years left on her gubernatorial term, McDonald said.

“By all accounts, turnout should have been up in Alaska,” he said.

November 6, 2008 in Biden, Joe, McCain, John, Obama, Barack, Palin, Sarah | Permalink | User Comments (311)

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Tina Fey would make a better Vice-President than Sarah "what's her face" Palin. She can now go back home to Alaska and teach her remaining daughters "family values". She failed with the first daughter, Bristol (who instead of opening her school books, opened her panties). She can also shoot moose and stock up for winter.

I am not sure now whether the shotgun wedding of Bristol's "baby daddy" will take place. Perhaps Palin and her daughter can get some more spotlight on the Maury show to check Bristol's baby daddy.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Posted by: Vilma D'Souza | Nov 6, 2008 3:27:42 PM

The race was already called, no one wanted or cared to vote for Stevens, and it was colder than crap up here. Why bother if the race is already lost. Ban calling the race early! Count the votes and announce on Nov. 5th so its fair for ALL voters. And SCREW Dixville Notch!

Posted by: BullMoose | Nov 6, 2008 3:27:48 PM

Sounds like just another piece of trash to try to hurt Sarah Palin to me. I never realize how low Americans have become. We aren't happy unless we are trying to hurt someone. Just another sign that maybe we are getting close to the end of times.

Posted by: Donna | Nov 6, 2008 3:28:09 PM

The formation of impressions is a two-way street, and I don't think Sarah Palin's the only one suffering as a result of the way she's been covered. What flimsy scraps of trust I had in the traditional print and broadcast media are gone.
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Agreed! Look at Newsweek. Now going to a bi-monthly publication, and more of t heir publication will be online.

Just wait. Big media will follow suit. The question is...will they axe the big salaries of big names, or lay off the little guys? Either way, their coverage, and obvious bias, have hurt them irreparably.

No one trusts them anymore, or your trite articles. Of course there are those who revel, and wallow in the filth, and lies the msm's seems so fond of reporting.

Posted by: Jeanie | Nov 6, 2008 3:30:14 PM

It feels good to have a brain coming to the white house

Posted by: american | Nov 6, 2008 3:30:22 PM

I live and vote in Indianapolis and it was changed to BLUE.

And now, get ready to give up more of your GREEN.

Posted by: Jim Treacher | Nov 6, 2008 3:31:29 PM

Obama's 16-year-old keyboard kommandos continue to have nothing better to do than skip school and look for opportunities to trash the kind of woman these pathetic little spawns of Satan will never have the love or respect of. Even their own mothers probably want nothing to do with them.

Posted by: Ryan | Nov 6, 2008 3:32:28 PM

Tina Fey would make a better Vice-President than Sarah "what's her face" Palin. She can now go back home to Alaska and teach her remaining daughters "family values". She failed with the first daughter, Bristol (who instead of opening her school books, opened her panties). She can also shoot moose and stock up for winter.

I am not sure now whether the shotgun wedding of Bristol's "baby daddy" will take place. Perhaps Palin and her daughter can get some more spotlight on the Maury show to check Bristol's baby daddy.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.
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My my my. Such vitriol, and judgement, coming from one who supports a man that supports, and defends infanticide.

We see the bad rubbish honey. ;)

Posted by: Jeanie | Nov 6, 2008 3:34:24 PM

Of course ABC has to some how link up a low turnout with Palin...

Liberals are either blind, retarded or evil...

Libs: Here is your dummy test for the day...

Palin has an approval rating above 80 (true,false)

The race was called for Obama hours before the polls closed in Alaska (true/false)

Conservatives by and large couldn't stand McCain (true/false)

Have at haters...and try to have some class...also why don't you send dear Leader and email telling him to pay his Indian campaign staff instead of stiffing them...

Dow down nearly 1000 points since the race was called for Obama...factory and service sector industries just announced a huge slew of layoffs...

Clueless, brain dead liberals...ya lets tax the productivity of the nation and give it to those who produce little and achieve less...

CW

Posted by: Carson | Nov 6, 2008 3:34:51 PM

Sarah Palin is entertaining, a good debater, attractive... and a BIG mistake for McCain.

Posted by: Rhys | Nov 6, 2008 3:34:56 PM

this may speak volumes of the support for the Republican ticket? Sounds like there was a lack of interest-

Posted by: Sophia | Nov 6, 2008 3:35:36 PM

Calling the election for Obama hours before their polls closed I am sure had no effect on the turnout. I thought the MSM said they would't do that again this time? Oh that's right we have real short memories in the good old USA.

Posted by: Carole | Nov 6, 2008 3:35:55 PM

It's comforting to see the libs are still holding on to their hatred. Some things never change, and liberal intolerance is one of those.

The Democratic Party... Hatred You Can Believe In.

Posted by: malclave | Nov 6, 2008 3:37:53 PM

Calling the election for Obama hours before their polls closed I am sure had no effect on the turnout. I thought the MSM said they would't do that again this time? Oh that's right we have real short memories in the good old USA.
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We couldn't keep the Messiah waiting now, could we? He had miracles to perform. THUD

Posted by: Jeanie | Nov 6, 2008 3:38:03 PM

As the world watched, blatant sexism and unbridled nasty reared it’s ugly head from the Democratic Party. We watched in stunned disbelief as the worst of America attempted to trash and tear down the Palin and McCain families knowing in our hearts that they exemplified the best of America. They won the election, but not honorably. To quote Barak Obama "You can't put lipstick on a pig". Democrats will now act oblivious to the deep fecal puddle they campaigned from.

At age 58 I voted for the Republican ticket for the first time in my life because I was ashamed and disgusted by the behavior of a party that no longer held the qualities and ideals that Scoop Jackson exemplified. Democrats have lost their way and don't know it. After witnessing Barak Obama's assault on the free speech of those who differed with him, it is clear to me that the Democratic Party has now become those they feared.

Lastly, a condition I refer to as "Selective Logic" stands ready to bring our economy to it's knees The voting majority don't get it! Companies and corporations do not pay taxes, consumers do. Those tax hikes that are going to pay for Barak Obama's entitlements will be passed on to consumers. What an unbelievable disconnect of logic and understanding to think that raising taxes on the entrepenuers who produce and manufature goods and services will not get passed on to consumers. That means the cost of services, raw materials, fuel, groceries, electricity, medicine, health care, everything is going up in order to cover increases in tax liability. Get ready Democrats to learn the cost of stupidity, ignorance, and selective logic.

Posted by: Greg | Nov 6, 2008 3:38:07 PM

The race is over. Why can't the media let Gov. Palin go home in peace? Are the media and liberal left so afraid of what may happen four years from now that they have to continue to harass and smear this woman? Use your expensive journialism degrees and try actually objectively reporting on something important!

Posted by: peaches | Nov 6, 2008 3:39:41 PM

We in Louisiana have had to put our heads down in shame because of William Jefferson (D). Now Alaska has Senator Ted “Convicted Felon” Stevens (R) and Rep. Don “Another Crook” Young (R) possibly being re-elected. Whether you’re Democrat, Republican or Independent “We the People” need to have zero tolerance for corruption. Stevens is now a convicted felon and may have won the race. Until the American people wake up and stop voting for criminals we will have criminals representing us in Washington.

Posted by: rickyt1234 | Nov 6, 2008 3:42:07 PM

It's hard to believe the nature of some of these comments that one would think would cover Alaska. Instead, we have some name calling "Obammy" as an excuse for a comment. If people are supposed to dispense with criticism of Sarah Palin--in response to the information now being released--then let's at least give the new president elect a few days before we make those nasty, grudge bearing comments. We're all Americans. Nobody wants to see the government fail, do they, even if it's led by someone they didn't vote for? Oops, maybe they do.

Posted by: judgeinmillvalley | Nov 6, 2008 3:42:08 PM

Libs: Here is your dummy test for the day...

Palin has an approval rating above 80 (true,false)
FALSE-IT WAS BELOW 60 BY ELECTION DAY

The race was called for Obama hours before the polls closed in Alaska (true/false)
FALSE-THEY REFUSE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Conservatives by and large couldn't stand McCain (true/false)
FALSE-HE MOVED RIGHT TO KEEP HIS BASE

Posted by: idiot test | Nov 6, 2008 3:42:11 PM

As an expatriate Alaskan, I take exception to some of these comments. There are reasons for Republican domination in the state; notably, the oil industry and military are the largest employers, and a large number of residents are transient workers, whose primary motivation is to make a quick buck and then go back to the lower 48. These blocs tend to vote for deregulation, weakened environmental protections, military expansion, and anything that lines their own pockets.

They vote for Stevens, felony conviction or no, because there is no other Senator who brings home the bacon like Uncle Ted -- big steaming truckloads of pork.

They used to love Sarah, for the same reasons many Americans fell for Sarah -- she's cute, energetic and personable. Whether they will abandon her because she's a spiteful harpy with the IQ of a ptarmigan remains to be seen.

There are Alaskans who are thoughtful, well-spoken, and informed about state, national and international issues. Some of them are even conservatives. And some of them hail from Wasilla. Regrettably, the Governor is not among their number.

Posted by: Yukon Sam | Nov 6, 2008 3:42:14 PM

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