Moment Of Doom Creeps Closer For Stevens As Begich's Lead Grows
It looks more and more like GOP Senator and convicted felon Ted Stevens is finished.
The latest numbers from Alaska: Democratic challenger Mark Begich 146,286 votes, Stevens 143,912 votes, a Begich lead of 2,374 votes. Begich's lead has more than doubled from the 1,022-vote edge this morning, with the vast majority of the remaining ballots expected to be finished tonight.
As a percentage, Begich leads by a margin of 0.77%, above the 0.5% that would entitle a losing candidate to a state-paid recount.
The Anchorage Daily News says that some valid overseas ballots could still come in after tonight, thanks to the sheer logistical difficulties of delivering mail in this remote state. But it's highly unlikely that those remaining votes would be enough to change the result if Begich's lead holds up tonight.
Hallelujah!!!! Another one bites the dust. At least Alaska got it right in the end. What a nail biter. A freaking convicted felon. Unbelievable.
November 18, 2008 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ehh, not that suprising. Good government in Alaska is a near impossible task. Let's face it, Alaska is to the USA what Siberia was to the USSR.
November 18, 2008 6:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Totally. It's easy to forget that its almost half of the size of the continental US
November 18, 2008 7:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you suggesting the size of the state makes it's voters fucking nuts?
November 18, 2008 7:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another Republican criminal bites the dust!
November 18, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
What Republican criminals are left? The glaring Democrat one is William Jefferson (La), the $90k in the freezer guy--his fate will be decided in December when he faces Republican Anh Cao.
It will feel kind of empty without the Ak Senator around to mock. Wait, I forgot about D. Young!
November 18, 2008 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can't believe that jefferson is still in the house. Unbelievable. When is that guy going to go to jail??????? Talk about keeping the cash on ice. Unbelievable.
November 18, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least Mahoney lost.
November 18, 2008 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Michael:
Great minds do think alike. At the same time yet.
November 18, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely. Too funny. I have the song stuck in my head now as well.
November 18, 2008 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, maybe there is hope for Alaska yet. . .
November 18, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe. But still 50% of them voted for a 7x convicted felon who thought the internet is a bunch of tubes, and didn't notice a 2nd story miraculously appearing on his hours for free.
I'm all for benefits of doubt, leeway, and such. But that's just completely idiotic.
November 18, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
house, not hours. doh.
November 18, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I guess that means Sarah is staying home (for now)...
November 18, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
You betcha!
Yer darn tootin'!
November 18, 2008 5:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
It looks like they've counted about 13,000 votes so far today, with 11,000 more to go before the day is done.
November 18, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tell Sarah Palin that GOD HAS SPOKEN through the voters in Alaska and she is NOT NEEDED.
November 18, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sometimes when one door closes, another one closes too.
November 18, 2008 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL
November 18, 2008 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hah! Thanks for the laugh!
November 18, 2008 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Outstanding!
November 18, 2008 7:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Co-sign. My God (pun intended), how I wanted to reach out through teh teevee and choke her when she was putting out that tripe for public consumption.
May she rot in her alaaaska regardless of the ice.
November 18, 2008 8:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's hope the door to the $7 million book deal runs its' course and no one decides her story is worth that much.
November 18, 2008 7:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amen to that. Don't let it hit yer ass on the way out... or perhaps in, in this case.
Although, I gotta say, I hope she sticks around as the fresh young face of the Republican Party for a long, long, long time.
November 19, 2008 12:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yep, I guess that door was slammed in her face. God has spoken and she should stay in Alaska and keep running that glorified mid-level us city flush with oil cash.
November 18, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Go Begich!!!
November 18, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Say "G'night," crook!
You're finished!
November 18, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
To be fair, many Alaskans were voting Stevens knowing that they'd get a special election and a new Republican candidate out of it.
I like this news because it throws a wrench in Palin's plans. It was just working out too perfect for her - she fills Stevens seat until a special election could be held gets back into Washington to start building a resume with National credentials.
Now she's stuck up in Alaska for two more years and then will have a helluva time getting re-elected Governor or stealing Murkowski's Senate seat in 2010 because everybody knows she has eyes on running in 2012 and would need to start campaigning a long way from Alaska in 2010. So Alaskans would have to ask themselves why should the elect somebody who will be largely absent from their duties the first two years of the term, and who's job would be her second choice to begin with and nothing more than a stepping stone.
November 18, 2008 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hate to give her ideas, but there's always Don Young's House seat.
November 18, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Goddamn!
November 18, 2008 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Aww, there goes Sarah's waterslide to the Senate.
November 18, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
This makes me happier than I can adequately express. I wanted Begich to win so badly. Happy days!
Now if only Franken could pull through up there in Minnesota...
November 18, 2008 6:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
As a percentage, Begich leads by a margin of 0.77%, above the 0.5% that would entitle a losing candidate to a state-paid recount.
Yep, that's the big thing. The balance of the ballots will probably push Begich over the 1% mark. Uncle Ted could get some of his cronies to fund the recount. But it really puts the Repubs in a bad light when bitching about Franken getting a recount with a much narrower spread (both numbers and %).
Very good. The big problem is going to be holding the seat. We probably will see a cutback in the pork that Alaska gets per citizen. Young getting re-elected and Uncle Ted coming close when both have this level of stink on them is a sign that Alaska isn't close to turning Blue in a strong way. The Dems need to spend these six years looking for other parts of the map to expand into.
John
November 18, 2008 7:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Holding that seat is an issue we don't need to worry about for another 4+ years before the 2014 cycle gears up.
November 18, 2008 7:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, but when have they cared about that?
November 18, 2008 8:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Regardless of who is elected this round, that $7 million book on Palin's run with McCain will have her sitting pretty on a huge pile of money to run for whatever office she sets her mind to. It pisses me off that ignorance and stupidity has more value than honesty and hard work. Think of the message it sends to children - you don't need to excel in your school work to be a Governor or President. Just say the right words to convince people you're on their side and the doors will open for you.
November 18, 2008 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
New update. Begich by 3,724 now. http://www.elect.alaska.net/data/results.pdf
November 18, 2008 8:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Woo hoo!
November 18, 2008 8:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's a link to the official gummint page. Same data without the PDF:
http://www.elections.alaska.gov/08general/data/results.htm
November 18, 2008 9:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Begich, Mark 150728 47.76%
Stevens, Ted 147004 46.58%
Begich is now up by 1.18 percent, well outside the .50 margin where Stevens can call for a recount.
This one is in the bag. Congratulations, Senator Stevens.
X-posted at MyDD.
November 18, 2008 8:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Correction: Congratulations, Senator Begich.
Hmmm...apparently we can't edit/correct our posts here. Sorry about that.
November 18, 2008 9:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
The AP is calling it for Begich. Dear Palin: It's Me God!
November 18, 2008 8:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hooray!
November 18, 2008 9:01 PM | Reply | Permalink