If the Recall Dunleavy Committee puts out a press release, readers can count on the Anchorage Daily News to genuflect — with a front-page story.
Just one month since the Recall Dunleavy Committee won a front-page story about its “reboot” of the recall signature gathering, (which is to say they had lost momentum and needed to regain it), the group has gotten yet another front-page story intended to give the group the added momentum needed to reach the over 71,000 signatures required to put the question to voters.
All it took was a press release.
Back in January, the group had just over 50,000 signatures. Since the group hired signature-gatherers to stand in front of stores in Anchorage and the Mat-Su, the number has increased to what is now reported as 55,613.
Is this the new journalism standard that says every time the Recall Dunleavy group puts out a press release, the ADN will respond with a front-page story? It appears that way.
Keep Dunleavy, a group that formed a year ago, is still a viable entity and is ready to stand up as an active group if it’s needed, according to MRAK sources. The group was ignored by the ADN report.
Another group, called Stand Tall With Mike, is also registered with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, but was a legal team to fight the recall in court. It lost the battle in court to prevent the recall from proceeding and is not active.
Keep Dunleavy, like Recall Dunleavy, is not required to disclose its financial positions with the Alaska Public Offices Commission since there is no active campaign until the recall group files its signatures with the Division of Elections, and after those signatures are certified and a date set for an election.
Dunleavy isn’t the only governor operating under the threat of recall. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has been under even more pressure. The Recall Newsom group has gathered more than 1 million signatures. It only needed 900,000 to get the recall of the governor on a statewide ballot.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York is also facing a growing call for recall, after a coverup of his role in the nursing home deaths of thousands of New Yorkers who were forced to live with Covid-19 patients in proximity. He was a recent recipient of an Emmy Award for his press conferences.
The TV Academy in November presented Cuomo with the International Emmy Founders Award in recognition of “his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his masterful use of TV to inform and calm people around the world.”
DisgustedAlaskan / February 22, 2021
I am so sick of this!! Alaska, nor this nation can ever get back to work with this type of behavior! It is high time to stand up and realize the left will stop at nothing to get their way. They are petchulant children, that apparently have nothing better to do than keeping things stirred up. We put up with this for four years with Trump trying to get things done and at EVERY Corner he was blocked by Pelosi and her ugly minions. Now this “virus” of follow the leader has our own state under attack from these trolls. We have a communist president thats goal is to have no oil or oil production going on or jobs. They are making our Coast Guard be the mask police on the water. The Left are playing with our state like a chess piece and I for one have had enough of it. It is time to stand up to the recall trolls. We have allowed this Liberal virus to infect our state, and something must be done. Somehow the idea that you can just recall anyone you don’t like for anything. Recalls are meant for real serious infractions by an elected official. Not people with an emotionally charged agenda just because they do not agree with the person. The whole thing is childish at best!
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The Masked Avenger / February 22, 2021
Show of hands, who’s surprised?
Best guess: they (ADN) think the legislature is gonna pass an income tax. Pressure on the Cowardly Lion of Alaska to not veto it.
As far as I’m concerned, recall him. He’s been as bad for Alaska as Bill Walker.
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chris nyman / February 22, 2021
This is interesting. The success or failure of obtaining the necessary signatures before the 2022 ballot deadline should be predictable.
The signature accumulation rate can be predicted by a natural parabolic curve:
Scientifically for example the last 5% of signatures will be harder to obtain than the prior 5%.
And the first 5% will be the easiest to obtain, etc. etc.
As of this report, they still have 21.5% to go and they are running out of potential signers at an increasing rate every day.
Then there is the issue of how many signatures will be disqualified and how many people are such zealots they signed twice because so much time has passed they forgot if they signed the first or second petition. LOL
If you can provide me some dates and milestones, I will be happy to plot the graph.
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Lawrence / February 22, 2021
They are banking on some crazy Reinboldians to help the leftists take over total control of the state. I don’t think even with that fringe they have the votes..
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Greg Forkner / February 22, 2021
You really can’t make this stuff up. The crap coming out of Alaska politically and from the media just has people shaking their heads down here.
This is why Alaska isn’t taken serious. You got a Scandinavian pulling the strings of all the liberals and also the rinos.
You got gutless Republicans and I don’t mean to be disrespectful but the governor needs to fight his way out of this corner if he wants to survive politically. The judicial branch is backing the radicals.
The Communists are taking over Anchorage and are now up in the valley. I’m sorry, but it just can’t get any worse than this.
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The Masked Avenger / February 22, 2021
It can get much worse. It will.
Just look down the rest of the Pacific coastline to see what’s coming.
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dalton stokes / February 22, 2021
You establishment Drop shots have had 40 years to make a change. You’re fired. You suck.. we will blow up the whole party.
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JMARK / February 22, 2021
I encounter one of the paid signature-gatherers a week ago. The person did not seem to be having much luck.
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tolnep61 / February 22, 2021
Was met by a guy with a clipboard outside Freddie’s in Wasilla today. He asked me to Recall Dunleavy ,,,, asked him ” Who would you replace him with? ” ” Tell me why you want him recalled ?” He mumbled under his mask “Thank You.” Asked him “Do you truly believe in the recall effort or being paid to gather signatures ? ” ” Thank You ” was his response . Just didn’t want to talk about it I guess. One more thing ,,,,, some people need to stay in their own zip code.
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Naomi / February 22, 2021
Scott Kendall must be stroking the back of John Binkley. ie..slipping him a few bucks from the leftover campaign fund of the disgraced Bill Walker. The price shouldn’t be very high for front-page ads. Tourism dollars are currently dry and will be until about 2023 or 2024.
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ADN is a useless rag. No Anchorage businessman or woman would try to rescue it. So an out-of-towner like Binkley, who has few bucks saved from his parent’s fortune, can afford to dabble in politics without personally running for office.
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Maverick / February 24, 2021
Agree. He couldn’t win any political race anyway, knowing what is known about him.
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Alaskans First / February 23, 2021
It is time for people to cancel
their ADN subscriptions. That is the best way to let the Brinkley’s know what we think. Advertising revenue is based on the size of readership/ circulation. And without enough advertising revenue the paper will fail
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Andy AK / February 23, 2021
Things we can’t trust in Alaska anymore!
#1. The media, Alaska News Source (monopoly) and ADN
#2. The Legislature
#3. Judges
#4. The Republican party
#5. Our unionized education system
#6. Our leaders to protect our state from federal government over reach.
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RG / February 23, 2021
BFD, the ADN marches to the beat of Soros and the Left Coast crowd. I threw that paper out a long time ago and never looked back … though our cockatiels did miss the ADN at the bottom of their cage.
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Andy AK / February 23, 2021
Greg Forkner is right on, the Alaskan GOP is a total wreck. The republican politicians seem to want to destroy their own party, with gusto.
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M. J. D. / February 23, 2021
Can I trouble someone out there to tell me what is meant by” ADN”.
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josephdj / February 23, 2021
ADN = Anchorage Daily News.
I rely on the ADN to guide my political decisions … whomever they’re against is usually who I support.
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Ted / February 24, 2021
Ass & Donkey News. For Democrats. I agree with above mentioned reference to Mr. Binkley. When he came down here with a pile of cash to buy the ADN, we first thought we were getting a real Republican publisher back in town. Not so. Mr. Binkley has a far-reaching reputation of going wherever the buck takes him. He rolled heavy with Tony Knowles in the 90’s and with Bill Sheffield in the 80’s. Ever since Sarah Palin exposed him, then slapped him around in the 2006 governor’s race, Mr. Binkley has resorted back to tourism, the trade his parents taught him. Now he’s down here with his cash hoping to buy the next Democrat governor, or at least try to redistrict in the next one. The ADN’s support for recalling Dunleavy is nothing more than an Ass & Donkey Show.
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Marge / February 24, 2021
Loved your reply. After 40 years of reading the ADN I cancelled and told Binkley he should rename the paper Washington Post/Alaska Edition. In my opinion most people who write articles can’t spell the word Journalist.
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Greg R. / February 24, 2021
My gripe is that they split infinitives. They really shouldn’t slit infinitives, even if NYT and WAPO say it’s alright.
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josephdj / February 26, 2021
You can expect that to get more than worser as time progresses and goes by.
It will continue, irregardless.
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Nancy / February 24, 2021
How true!!! Great post!
👍👍
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Mitch / February 24, 2021
Binkley is also Chairman of the Alaska Redistricting Board. And was President of the Alaska Cruise Ship Industry. And was on the Alaska RailRoad Board. Is Alaska going to be renamed after Mr. Binkley too?
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The Joker / February 24, 2021
……not as long as the Murkowski family calls Alaska their home. btw, we hear that Binkley turns to MRAK first thing in the morning, even before he reads his own paper. LOL…
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Fergie / February 24, 2021
For the first time since last year, there was also a signature gatherer again with a clipboard outside the Palmer Post Office yesterday. While she didn’t seem to be attracting anyone to listen to her story, why are they allowed to do this on Federal property in the first place? Shouldn’t it be illegal to do political activities on government property? Not that it would stop this movement anyway as the “end” justifies the “means” in their playbook.
Just asking!
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Fergie / February 24, 2021
Update: After a little research, it seems the Hatch Act, passed in the 1930’s and modified and contested many times since, only prevents Postal Employees from certain political activities. What is allowed by the public on Post Office property has also had a great deal of litigation in it’s past with lower courts upholding bans and appeals courts reversing these decisions based on so-called “right to protest” and arguments on what is a “public” sidewalk vs. a “private sidewalk! As with much in the legal arena, the rules “depend” on what the meaning of the word “is” is, as a former famous president once said.
Meanwhile, again today the lady with the clipboard was at the Palmer Post Office (We have a mailbox there which I visit daily) and this time she stopped and asked me if I wanted to sign the petition. I asked her if she was paid to do this. She pleasantly said yes, and I asked her who was paying her. She said the name of her company (I can’t remember the exact name so I won’t attempt it here) and that they were hired by the “Recall Dunleavy Committee” to gather signatures. She then asked me if I wished to sign and I replied, “No, and I think the whole concept stinks to high heaven!” She said, “Thank you” and that ended our conversation.
The takeaway from all of this: This is big money in operation. These are not politically motivated volunteers, they are being hired and paid to do this, as with many other “political activities” we see around the country as it turns out certain members of the demonstration in the U.S. Capital last January 6th were also hired and paid by some organization or person.
Time for our citizenry to wake up and realize the attempted “take over” of our country that is going on.
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Common Sense Folks / February 25, 2021
ADN postures with WaPo, Pelosi et al.
I exercise my first amendment by ripping a copy to shreds before I read it.
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Bryan / February 26, 2021
You CAN’T trust the Republican Party?
Judges?
Unionized Education System?
Leaders to protect us from Federal Government?
There is so much to your post, Andy, that I can’t even fathom your thought process. You would benefit from sitting down and understanding what is going on before you make sensationalized claims. If the system doesn’t work for you, leave. You can seek residency in Canada, or further abroad.
But spreading hatred and illogical rhetoric will only make you appear ignorant. You could be a Dustin Darden supporter, and non-the-less a Gen Z pupil – but our democracy has worked (regardless of Democrats or Republicans) for the last couple hundred years, and it will last through this period of non-sense.
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