CAMPAIGNING 101 AS THEY MAKE THE FINAL TURN ON THE RACE TRACK
In Fairbanks today, former gubernatorial candidate Mead Treadwell endorsed Mike Dunleavy for governor.
Treadwell, a former lieutenant governor, ran earlier this year because he felt there needed to be a more well-known name on the Republican ticket than a public school teacher from Koyuk.
But he had only six weeks to make the case to voters and his campaign fell short. Like Scott Hawkins, who also ran for governor as a Republican and withdrew for health reasons, Treadwell endorsed the nominee who has since unified the Republican base.
Meanwhile, incumbent governor Bill Walker is rolling out something nearly every other day in October: So far, he has announced plans to give raises to public safety employees, pledged funding for tourism marketing, and on Thursday he rolled out a plan for lower worker compensation rates for businesses.
By the time Alaska Federation of Natives has its convention later this month, there are likely to be a dozen more lures in the water for Walker’s re-election. There will be something for fishing stakeholders, and something for the construction community, something for health care.
These aren’t current deliverables but they are enticements Walker is making to group after stakeholder group as he tries to gain on Mark Begich, who is now in second place for governor, according to the polls.
It can only mean the election is 32 days away.
Walker was called out at one of his own press conferences by the mainstream media for using the funding promises as a campaign event. He dodged the question.
In 2014, Walker promised he would not cut the dividend, would not raise taxes and would cut the budget by 16 percent.
“I can’t believe that the Governor’s Office puts out this misleading statement of the cause and effect,” reported one business owner who needed to remain anonymous. “Worker compensation rates are down because injuries are down, not because of the so-called ‘reform’ bill.
“NCCI proposed the rate reduction and it’s because claims are down, no other reason. Claims are down because Alaska employers work hard on safety and return to work. One other cause and effect that is fact is that insurers are putting pressure on medical providers by offering out-of-state treatment and medical providers in-state are finally starting to be more reasonable; and the medical fee schedule pushed through a couple of years ago. Commissioner Drygas taking credit for premium trends is concerning. The careful wording keeps it just this side of the truth. Barely.”
Both Walker and Mark Begich have significant radio and digital ads playing that are attacking Mike Dunleavy, while Dunleavy, the former public school teacher from Koyuk and Kotzebue, has remained “standing tall” above the fray, spending his days meeting with everyday Alaskans.
All pollsters agree that he is the likely winner on Nov. 6. The shots on him will keep coming right up to Election Day.
Excellent news from Mead Treadwell. It’s nice to see the right united going into the final 30 days. The three Republican candidates were a class act throughout the campaign.
So he cuts expenses on one hand and raises expenses on the other?
Anyone who still believes Governor Walker has been living remote and enjoying the peace of not knowing the truths. Governor Walker is a man who, like Chicken Little, ran around squawking, “Fiscal Crisis! Fiscal Crisis! Fiscal Crisis!”
Unfortunately, he also raised the budget $1 Billion for each year he was in office.
So.
A radio advertisement by Mark Begich has observed that as there are three candidates for the Alaskan Governorship, and that according to him, one must vote to either go backwards, stay the same, or go forward, stating that he would incorporate both the permanent fund and education into the Alaskan State Constitution, intimating that Dunleavy would take us ‘backwards’, Walker would keep us the ‘same’, and he, Mark Begich, would take us ‘forward’.
Let us look pragmatically at that message, shall we?
As unto the ‘forward’ approach endorsed by Mark Begich, meaning ‘Progressive’, who is of the ideology of those such as Pelosi, Schumer, Booker, Harris, Menendez, Feinstein, etc., and who fully supports Ballot Measure 1 so as to fully dismantle any resource development within this State within support of those that would see this State fail within it’s own attempt to regain it’s own ability to regain it’s own economic course, and self attainment, and one whom so quickly sold Alaska under the bus, so to speak, once he had the chance to do so, and continued to do so through out his, thankfully, brief Senate career.
As unto staying the ‘same’, well, what has Governor Walker really done save plunged this State unto a state of disrepair within the scope of crime, unemployment, and lack of true education, all at the cost of his literal pipedream that shall never occur?
Failure does not even begin to define what he has done to us, his supposed constituents. And the breathtakingly pandering exhibited by the Governor over the past two weeks is something to behold, simply because all of those laws signed by him within that time apparently meant nothing over the last few years.
Which leaves going ‘backward’ with Dunleavy.
I, for one, welcome the return of governance that once existed within this State.
One that celebrated the Libertarian bent of the citizens of this State, when we truly did not hold unto how they did it ‘outside’, and unto a time before those from the west coast of the lower forty eight, such as Berkowitz, brought their leftist ideology into this once great State.
‘Backwards’, according to the Washington Liberal Begich, is EXACTLY where we need to go, so as to attain the economic and constituent strength that we once so proudly held.
A leftist line has been drawn, and we must not only cross that line, but draw a line of our own not to be crossed, and defend that line unto our last breath, because if that line is crossed by them, that is the end of our Nation.
I submitted this to the ADN. Let us see if they print it.
Lest We Forget: Walker’s promises are false. They are made for one reason only – to secure his own re-election. Fortunately for Alaskans and not so good for Walker is that people remember his earlier promises and the fact that none were kept.
I think Walker thinks the electorate is stupid when in fact, it is Walker who is both stupid and a liar.
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