Alaska WTF!? (Not Palin Related)
Tonearm_Robbery
699 Posts
TED STEVENS. How the hell did this happen - SEVEN FELONIES!
ANCHORAGE, Alaska ??? Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was leading challenger Mark Begich with most of the election returns in hand Tuesday night, despite being found guilty of seven felonies and polls showing him in deep trouble.With more than 80 percent of the precincts reporting, Stevens held a 2-percentage point advantage over Democrat Begich. About 4,000 votes separated the candidates. The razor-thin margin means the Senate race might not be decided for two weeks.Still to be counted are roughly 40,000 absentee ballots, with more expected to arrive in the mail, as well as 9,000 uncounted early votes and thousands of questioned ballots. The state Elections Division has up to 15 days after the election to tally all the remaining ballots before finalizing the count.If the lead holds, Stevens will shock the nation and be the first person ever re-elected to the U.S. Senate after being found guilty on criminal charges. Polls had shown the Republican down by at least 8 percentage points on the day before the election.But Stevens was defying the pollsters with Tuesday???s returns.He was holding an election-night party at the Snow Goose Restaurant and Brewery in downtown Anchorage. The mood was subdued before the early returns came in, with Barack Obama???s victory in the presidential race and the dire polling numbers for Stevens dampening spirits. But the room of about 200 people exploded in cheers at news of the election returns. A new energy filled the air and people lined up to give hugs to Stevens.People chanted "six more years, six more years." Stevens was smiling but cautious."It???s too early to tell," he said.Stevens left the party just after 11 p.m., holding up both his arms to the crowd. "Goodnight, goodnight, thank you all," he said, driving away with his daughter, Lily.The Begich campaign party at the Anchor Pub was also packed and didn???t slow down with the returns showing the Democrat trailing. Begich seemed in good spirits. He pointed out that, despite what the pollsters predicted, he???d always insisted it was going to be a close race."Truly an Alaskan race. It will go right down to the wire," he said.Stevens was drawing on an enormous reservoir of loyalty and good will he???s built up in 40 years as a senator. Many Stevens supporters have an unshakeable faith in the 84-year-old, saying if he says he???s not guilty then he???s not. Stevens also tapped into Alaskan distrust of Outsiders, hammering on the fact it was Washington, D.C., jurors who convicted him, and saying Alaskans would never have done so.Stevens was honored as "Alaskan of the Century" in the late 1990s and the state Legislature named the Anchorage airport after him. He steered billions of dollars to the state from his perch on the Appropriations Committee, and he has had a hand in laws that shaped Alaska since statehood.That was before his legal problems but clearly, for many voters, the verdict last week and the possibility he won???t actually be allowed to serve did not trump their loyalty.Jean Weatter, who voted at the Wasilla post office, said she went with Stevens, but it wasn???t easy."It was very hard, because I still want to back Stevens and Young but yet all of these things were going on. I prayed about it ??? I just thought of all the things they???ve done for Alaska," Weatter said.
Comments
People don't like to be told that anyone but them will be deciding who their rep is, especially in Western States. Felon or not.
dude's got an airport named after him.
I remember when I was down in the US Virgin Islands and the locals told me it was NOT advisable to ask people what they did back on the mainland.
Ted may have a lot of sympathizers up there.
The same motto used to apply in Las Vegas when I lived there. It was a culture shock to go from a place where NO ONE asked how you made a living (Vegas), to a place where it is often the first and only question people are interested in (DC). I prefer the Vegas mode, frankly. People in DC sometimes feel entitled to too much info.
Bingo. It's kinda like prison or the marines. Don't ask, don't tell.
you obviously wouldn't like taiwan. taiwanese people are very curious of foreigners and bombard you with a long line of (sometimes personal) questions. it's disconcerting at first. even had someone ask me how much i make. i probably would have told them if it was a lot. it's not nosiness necessarily but just curiosity.
You are right, I wouldn't like that at all. I would have to take the time to learn "None of your goddamn business" in Taiwanese.
Ted Stevens found with a wide stance in a bathroom? = run outta town!