The second round of pro-ranked choice voting ads rolled out last week. The ads exhort the listener to vote against the repeal or ranked-choice voting in November. They trot out three arguments in support of their “no” vote:
- RCV outlawed dark money
- Repealing RCV removes the freedom of an open primary
- The repeal effort is entirely the creation of party insiders and political elites
Let’s take a closer look:
The ad is backed by three entities: Unite America, Final Five Fund, and the Action Now Initiative.
A look into the most recent IRS Form 990 submittals for the people funding the ads find that Unite America is located Denver. It had revenues of $8.2 million in 2022. None of the contributors are listed. Final Five Fund is headquartered in Chicago. It had revenues of just over $12 million in 2022. None of its contributors are reported either. Our final participant is the Action Now Institute, also from Chicago. It had $388,000 revenue in 2021. Like the others, no individual contributors were listed.
We see that all three non-profits backing RCV here in Alaska are Outside non-profits. They do not report their contributors, while piously running an ad claiming RCV outlawed dark money.
If RCV outlawed dark money in Alaskan elections, why are these guys able to run their dark-money-funded ads defending RCV?
The second claim is that repealing RCV removes the freedom of an open primary. This is a return to the original pro-RCV campaign in 2020. There have always been a group of our neighbors who believe they have the right to select candidates for other political parties. But do they? A political party is a voluntary group of like-minded people who select their own representation. Once that process is complete, the parties attempt to get their choices approved by the larger electorate on election day (primary, general, run-off).
The original campaign to pass RCV concentrated on this point, and didn’t go so well, so the backers focus-grouped their argument and pivoted to the promised ban on dark money in Alaskan elections, something I just demonstrated is a complete lie.
Finaly, the ad pounds the notion that all of this is something out of party insiders, the political elites. The fact of the matter is that the repeal was entirely a grassroots effort, fought at every turn by Team Lisa Murkowski and her lawfare proxies.
In this case, it is the political elite, Team Lisa that is in full-throated support of RCV. They wrote it. They figured out how to pass it. And they want to retain it at all costs because it benefits their political future.
If RCV is such a good thing, why do its supporters believe they need to continue to lie about it and hide their funding from the general public? We are fast approaching the point with this crowd that the only thing we need to know that proves they are lying is that their lips are moving.
Rather than damaging the repeal effort, every time the pro-RCV side runs an ad like this, they strengthen the case in support of a repeal.
Alex Gimarc lives in Anchorage since retiring from the military in 1997. His interests include science and technology, environment, energy, economics, military affairs, fishing and disabilities policies. His weekly column “Interesting Items” is a summary of news stories with substantive Alaska-themed topics. He was a small business owner and Information Technology professional.
Big surprise… Not!!
Readers, tell your friends.
The ads are running on every commercial break. Also the Mary ads, which are a complete lie. She didn’t do anything for our state. She is 100% democrat.
I was over at someone’s house the other day and they had the tv on and they would point out the ads when they ran. I am shocked at how many ads there out and the blatant – totally blatant lies that those ads spew. Just think of all of the people who are being brainwashed because they don’t know any better. People need to get out with signs and start working against those tv ads. We are the ones that need to make sure that Ballot Measure 2 passes – it is our job to get the word out.
Tell us something we don’t already know. The original RCV campaign was bought and paid for by outside money. Funny thing was, the ads told us that RCV would eliminate the influence of dark outside money. Lies. All lies. Scott Kendall has still not been held accountable for these lies and this rigged system.
End Citizen’s United!
Tell us all you are clueless without actually using the word “clueless.
Is the PM radio host still pushing this mess?
People, we all need to make up signs to vote YES on Ballot Measure 2 to Repeal Ranked Choice Voting and to vote for our different candidates that will help save our state. Get out on the streets with your signs and educate people with TRUTH.
It is up to The People to do this. We cannot count on our legislation or our reps or our sold-out governor and lt. governor. It is the job of We The People to save our state.
HA HA HA.
We, the multi millionaires that don’t live in Alaska are going to outspend you puppets by more than 50 to 1. That means we will destroy your pathetic attempt to repeal RCV.
Poor little Alex doesn’t understand that we are allowed to lie. And because we are going to massively outspend you puppets, our lie counts. The oil companies spent tens of millions telling you that you needed to protect your dividends by keeping SB-21. That was a huge lie, and you know what has happened to your shrinking dividends.
The one who spends the most money, wins. Suck it up puppets.
Lord Voldemort; your master from the Lower 48.
Thank you for morning entertainment. A few random thoughts for your consideration:
– First and most importantly, you forgot the (/sarc) tag to end your comment
– It is exclusively the legislature, led by democrats and following Bill Walker’s lead, responsible for shrinking PFDs
– While the one who spends the most money usually wins, that is not an exclusive outcome. it is our job to make it so this time. Some of us like challenges. Beating a $4 million war chest with $60k will be quite the challenge and quite fun, Cheers –
Lord Moldmutt, the dividend was hijacked by a rapacious anti- oil nut job named Bill Waljer not the oil companies.
Rafal. You forget to address me as “Master”. My daughter, Princess Lolo, thinks just like you. She thinks money grows on trees.
Buried in all the verbiage of the 2020 RCV ballot measure was a sub-clause that specifically exempted initiatives from the Dark Money prohibitions. The height of hypocrisy.
We KNOW all that! But sadly many voters do not and will be fooled by the spinning lies of that ad. The Dems count on those folks and they know just how to word their ads to fool them.
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