By CRAIG CAMPBELL | ALASKA REPUBLICAN PARTY NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN
This past Saturday the Alaska Republican Party State Central Committee met for our regular quarterly meeting. This was the first meeting since the November elections that provided an opportunity to review what worked and what didn’t work in this first-ever, ranked-choice voting process.
There’s been a lot of social media frenzy about the actions taken by the State Central Committee on Saturday, mostly by people reacting with emotional rhetoric who have not been actively engaged with the party this past year. So let me provide some background and information on the basis for the SCC vote to sunset the Alaska Republican Party censures of Sen. Lisa Murkowski and state Sen.-elect Kelly Merrick.
Sen. Murkowski and then-Rep. Merrick were censured for their actions that were either not in accordance with the ARP Platform (Murkowski), or for joining an Alaska State House bipartisan coalition after having pledged not to do so to her district leadership during the election cycle of 2020 (Merrick).
Despite those censure actions, both individuals won their respective election in 2022.
It was concluded by a majority of the SCC members on Saturday that the censures were ineffective. While the censure actions may have sent a message that the ARP disapproved of Murkowski’s and Merrick’s actions, the censures did not change votes. In fact, in the case of Sen.-elect Merrick, the ARP censure action may have actually contributed to her victory. Therefore, the SCC members decided to sunset the censures and place a moratorium on any further censure actions until after the April 2024 Alaska Republican Party State Convention, when all delegates for the ARP will gather in Anchorage and can consider how our party should support, or not support, Republicans in the 2024 election.
While some have characterized this action as “Admitting defeat,” it could more accurately be characterized as recognizing that the censure tactic did not work. Since it didn’t, it’s time for the party to develop a different strategy to encourage Republicans to support the party platform and form Republican majorities when Alaskans elect a numerical majority of Republicans to the state House and Senate.
This leads me to the leadership issue. Many social comments blame the Alaska Republican Party for the failure of this past election. While nothing is ever perfect, the Alaska Republican Party worked hard during this election cycle to get Republicans elected. This included withholding support for Republican candidates who had been censured. We had the largest get-out-the-vote program ever conducted by the party in Alaska: we used rapid response media blasts when Republican opponents made dishonest statements about our candidates, we had active phone banking, we gave monetary support to candidates, we conducted an effective poll watching program, we had an election day hub monitoring the election, and we were active vote count observers. We wanted to ensure election integrity in 2022.
I hear some Republicans say they are leaving the Alaska Republican Party because leadership “caved” to the moderates. That is factually wrong. Let me explain party leadership. It starts at the local level. Alaska Republican Party leadership consists of those Republicans elected by Republicans in each of our 40 districts statewide, plus each district gets a bonus vote when that district has a Republican House representative. All in all, the State Central Committee has upwards of 90 members, all elected in local districts by those registered Republicans who participate in the district conventions.
The Alaska Republican Party chair, vice chair, national committeewoman, finance chair, treasurer, secretary, and national committeeman are also active members of the State Central Committee. Therefore, actions taken by the SCC are based on a vote by the majority of members who come from the 40 different districts. Alaska Republican Party leadership did not “cave,” rather it conducted a vote of SCC members, which determined the outcome.
To those who disagree with the SCC actions this past Saturday, I put out a challenge:
- Get active with the Alaska Republican Party;
- Attend your district meetings;
- Get elected district leader or bonus vote;
- Attend the quarterly State Central Committee meetings and the state convention;
- Nominate and support the people you feel would best lead the Alaska Republican Party; and
- Make your voice heard through action.
Sniping on social media is not the way to change the Alaska Republican Party. It’s your party, you can lead it in a conservative, moderate, or any other manner as the majority of the State Central Committee members determine. Instead of quitting, get involved.
Craig Campbell, former lieutenant governor of Alaska, is the Alaska Republican Party’s national committeeman and serves on the Republican National Committee.
Republicans were handed an 11 to 9 majority in the state senate. Republican senators promptly gave it away. Why should I spend my money and time on a political party whose greatest attribute is to be able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Exactly, and Merrick was AGAIN one of the traitors. She is clearly there to steer pro union legislation to her husband’s union. She serves NO purpose for conservative issues. In fact, to the contrary. Voting on a budget that grows larger by the year and is largely benefitting union leadership and Democrat causes is the antithesis of any sort of conservative or Republican platform. The Democrats win with a minority because “republicans” save their bacon in the legislature.
Move the legislature to Anchorage. To empty office space or the Sullivan Arena.
Because if you choose not to someone else will make the decisions for you so instead of you paying the price of admission and taking the time to make sure your voice is heard, you get someone else’s squat. Your choice.
They’re already making the decisions for me. Paying conservative candidates, then living under their coalitions with far leftists after they win is a pretty foolish investment. No, thanks. I’ve been living large under these corrupt cabals for half a century here by investing my money wisely, not paying for admission to a rigged card table.
If you don’t stand up and get involved Brian, nothing will change. Thanks Craig – we need your stand-up voice – I just hope the snipers listen and understand.
But when we DO stand up and get involved, STILL nothing changes, not for the better anyway. But you would seem to have us ignore Einstein’s definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over, each time expecting different results”.
Insanity is when bad results are happening, we know the remedy, and the snipers and whiners withdraw to their social media basements and refuse to help us – that is truly insane – do you enjoy your depression and bitterness?
Yep. Nuff said.
We elect a Republican majority and every time the democrats wind up in control. I am done with the weak lying republicans. People I know are talking about a new party of the honest and truthful. You have had your choice and look where we are at.
The time and costs of a new party are challenging. Believe me I’ve thought about it.
What we need to find out is what and how the d’rats are offering to our elected officials to join them in an abominable binding caucus. Then we have to figure out how to make a better offer so we can keep the power we elected. I think the three disrespected Senators – Hughes, Shower, and Myers – might be able to shed some light to help us.
We need to vote as a block for someone we can all get behind.
There will be no successful new party with a pro-life platform. There are simply too many bloodthirsty Alaskans out there.
Craig, here’s what the Republican party needs to do.
You have a torrent of dark, dirty Democrat money influencing our elections. Every effort must be made to identify those sources, and shame them- and the candidates who benefit by this dark money. Peltola, for example.
RCV is a disaster. Every effort must be made to ensure the R vote is not split, as happened with the race for Congress. Fully prepare for the Ds to run another Begich- like candidate to ensure a D victory.
Start to lead. We need to get a fair return for our oil, as Article VIII of our Alaska Constitution requires. A typical Alaska family has now lost over $20,000 due to lower dividends that are a direct consequence of SB-21- the giveaway of our oil. N
orway does not give away its oil, and they’ve grown their sovereign wealth fund to over one trillion dollars.
Under current Republican ‘leadership’ we have spent $20 billion in savings, reduced Alaskan dividends, and 20,000 people have left Alaska. We are not growing, we are declining. Giving away our oil is the single biggest Republican failure. The Republican party looks like stooges for the multi- national corporations.
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Yup, Republican leadership is a limp D’s in need of Viagra.
M, I beg to differ with you, Begich was the most qualified candidate I’ve seen come along in many moons, smart, hardworking, a Man in possession of Good Character, Youthful and yet very successful, oh and he walked off that shoe leather reaching out to folks all across Alaska. Pity that some Republican voters were unable to comprehend that. ( something about having the same last name as his uncles? I thought we were smarter than that…)
I suppose it was easy to be distracted by Sarah with her Dazzling D-minus list Celebrity Status and that frenzied voice repeating MAGA MAGA and Drill Baby Drill! ( strange coming from the same woman that ran the Oil Industry out of Alaska and brought you Billy the Kid Walker the greatest PFD thief of all time!)
Our Party is hopelessly screwed M, I don’t know where or how we begin to mend it. I’m thinking of leaving after being an R for 46 years, but I won’t. I’ll get involved in the Party Leadership and do what I can to bail out this sinking ship. Given our performance this last go around even an imbecile like me might be of help.
“RCV is a disaster. Every effort must be made to ensure the R vote is not split”
That’s simple. Instead of candidates campaigning negatively toward each other, they should use the system and try to become become the second choice of voters who prefer the other candidate(s). Then the vote would not be split, because if one is knocked out as a result of fewer votes, their vote will be transferred to their second choice, thereby “unsplitting” the vote. It’s not the system’s fault if candidates are too dumb to use it to their own advantage.
M: With liberals like Peltola the only real way to beat them is to lighten up on the social aspects of their beliefs and hit them HARD on their fiscal beliefs and unfortunately, the Republican Party of Alaska shares too many of those idiotic fiscal beliefs to even begin to challenge the liberals on them.
You don’t mention another staggeringly immensely valuable mineral that needs to be added to our state revenues. Gold. At well over a trillion dollars in the earth the value of just the Pebble Mine needs to be mined and brought to market. First the prejudiced and negative press needs to be fought and vanquished with facts. We have state of the art mining engineering that produces a very safe and effective product. The geographic location and process affects neither the fish, the Bristol Bay nor the terrain. And lastly we need to re write the royalties required and align them with that of our oil resources and permanent fund. The time has come to responsibly expand our revenue and resource base to find our government and our PFD. Let’s end our superstition and develop the Pebble Mine and other resources available in a responsible manner today!
Whether we admit it or not, we were defeated. The party has no real power.
That is all well and good, Craig. But I and many others left the Republican Party of Alaska in disgust after their reprehensible, dishonest and corrupt sidelining of Ron Paul and his many supporters back in 2008, via a coordinated campaign of slurs, lies, and underhanded maneuvers. You, and they, stole the primary election from him, in a truly malicious and deceitful manner worthy of the worst of the Democrats. In fact, the Alaska Republican Party establishment is just as bad as the Democrats — as your surrender of principles and deceny here prove beyond any doubt.
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I find your attempted apologies for that surrender to the Murkowski-Merrick RINO wing of the party morally and intellectually feeble, and simply disgusting.
We didn’t like Ron Paul (I’ve read enough of his writings…) because the man did not understand that the Libertarian position is based on a faulty idea of human nature – that man left to his own normally does the good, the “right” thing without selfish motives. Common observational knowledge knows this to be false. Christians call human nature – the desire to be one’s own god, in charge of everything regarding one’s own life – sin. Humans, left to ourselves, do and think what is good in our own eyes without objective moral authority outside of ourselves. I like Ron Paul’s desire to be as free as possible with government as small as possible – but the philosophical underpinnings of his platform are morally bankrupt and unworkable in the real world. I wasn’t part of the rest of your charges against us – but from the people I know in the AKGOP who were active in the Party then, your charges aren’t true.
Sorry Craig. Some of us have dealt with you and know your ways.
Those of us that are the most angry, are are that way with the so-called leadership, NOT the population of the party. Stop deflecting. We have had it with pushing for the party to go in a specific direction, only to be overturned by those special people in the ‘central committee’.
Great example is Murkowski herself. She not only went against a very popular president of the same party, she actively campaigned with and in support of a member of the opposition. Censure my a##, she should have been expelled from the party altogether. But you people in the ‘central committee’ had to debate just to get a censure despite the rest of the party’s wishes.
You can stand there and preach to us that we are not engaged enough but that just proves how out of touch you are, yourself. Look at the numbers of registered Republicans. All of us, included in those numbers, are out here every single day, in our local communities, pushing for our conservative causes. Even when you don’t see us at the conventions, rest assured (sarcasm) we are out here campaigning even between elections.
Angry Paul – I’m glad you’re engaged in a community that receives our values gladly. If we conservatives insist on our way or the highway, we will only get about 30% of the vote statewide. We MUST do a better job of communicating and persuading. We have winning policies, great people and a great conservative platform – MAKGA! The cell phone generations have been sold on the government teat without having to work. We have a lot of work to do, as this is a cultural & spiritual problem. Craig is speaking from the standpoint of what leadership can do – which is much more limited than the typical sniper in the trenches (read that the folks who want someone else to do it for them) is willing to admit. The entire Alaska GOP does not have as much campaign money as the swamp turtle spent on Lisa – very hard to compete with that. Can we do better? Certainly – but it will take work and donations from a broader base than we now are privileged to enjoy. IMO, step one – repeal BM2 (RCV), step two – unseat Mary Peltola, step three – find a way to offer a better deal than the d’rats in the State congress so we can actually form the Republican majority that we elect year after year.
There are values that shall not be compromised. The value of human life, security of a nations borders, fostering a strong/growing economy, Constitutional law, etc. I’ll negotiate on other topics but not these.
What’s strange is that even our political opponents, that want to tear down our country, prosper when OUR values are supported.
As I asked Ron, please tell me which of these values should I give up?
I’m not looking for any of those to be compromised Paul, nor do I believe anyone on the SCC or the majority of Republicans are either. You enter the weeds when you say “Constitutional Law”, because we Republicans are originalists regarding the Constitution – it’s the other side who believe it needs to evolve with the times. Go to your district meeting – talk to your Chair – and please get involved.
Craig has always been a stand up guy, but the State Party core values do not align with moderate Republicans, the last elections demonstrated that. The State Party needs to call out District 27 and other local districts that censure Republicans who are representing constiuent values.
You have no freaking clue what our values are.
The Republican Big Tent has shrunk with exclusionary and divisive agitators, many anonymous
Oh Frank. You’re not clever enough to troll me. I’ll give you a hint. To troll someone effectively, you (the troll) have to have a command of the facts. Which you don’t.
A quick example. The GOP has a a strong pro abortion contingent. It also has atheists, gays, and a growing number of non white men.
Your side is so monolithic it is incapable of understanding us, and therefore courting us.
How many pro life democrats are there in public office?
If you can’t see the hate your party has grasped onto, your eyes must be shut MA.
The Republican party’s big tent has shrunk considerably. Can we see the republican congressional aides pictures again, please? Never mind, MA eyes are closed.
I don’t know any of the “agitators”who remain anonymous. I know many of them guessing from your ignorant opinion… and quiet we aren’t. As the left has moved further and further to the left – out of the ballpark even – compromise for pragmatic reasons becomes less and less acceptable. When will the left be willing to compromise and move right? It doesn’t – thus our frustration. When the “big tent” is made in China by slave labor working for the democrats, I have no problem finding another source for tent material.
The Matsu Valley, along with Kenai and North Pole are very strong conservatives. Yet, the majority of the SCC is more “moderate”. Frank, you don’t know what you are talking about, again.
As to the others I challenge you to attend District meetings, voice you views, be delegates to the State Convention, etc. In other words, be part of the solution instead of sniping from a distance!
Thanks, Mike. Without us attending, we cannot make up a majority.
Mike if you can’t see the hate your party advertises, even though you have some moderates, You are missing the picture and exploiting your own party’s moderates.
“……if you can’t see the hate your party advertises…….”
As if Demonrats don’t sling lying campaign mud? The biggest generator of political hatred in this nation are the lying campaign ads all those billions of dollars buy and broadcast almost year round every year now. It is such a huge monied industry now that it never ends. Even if it isn’t through purchased ads, it’s oozes from podiums, conventions, official speeches, and press releases daily during duty hours at all levels of government, including constitutionally non-partisan levels of government. You don’t think that eventually generates hatred, or (even more psychotic) that only Republican mud is dirty?
Well said Reggie. From Maureen’s repeated use of the word “hate”, she can only mean – illegitimately – those who disagree with her. Most likely she means anyone who won’t accept the radical alt-left social agenda. I feel sorry for their blindness to truth.
Maureen, define hate please. I’m a Republican and I have no idea what you are talking about.
Perhaps read Loren Boebert’s words against the queer community. Or the republicans calling queer folks preditors while most of sexual abuse happens in straight families, a huge number of which are ‘church-going Christians. Or Gomerts cartoon showing him killing his congressional peer as she holds a different opinion than him. Or Art Bell wishing me an early death from mycancer here on the pages of MRAK, for that same reason.
Disagreeing with a stupid lefty isn’t hate.
“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”
“Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.” Proverbs 26:4-5
Maureen is blind – she is so wrapped up in her sexual identity politics that she cannot see that people of other persuasions actually care – even for her. From what she writes, answering a stupid lefty isn’t hate – it’s just a waste of time. Yeah, I know, you said “disagreeing with”… same result, Art.
Thanks, Craig, your leadership is needed in these troubled times. Many Alaskans feel kind of let down these days, but as you indicated, audience participation is essential. Many people who were responsible enough to vote did not find the time to research the candidates, many of whom misrepresented themselves. I personally have never been made aware of any meetings or that I would be welcome to attend, although I have been a registered Republican forever. I liked the newsletter idea that they used in Fairbanks. Of course we also need better choices for candidates and a alternative source of campaign funds to counter the dirty money being thrown into special interests candidates especially in the smaller districts. These small districts are where the damage is being done. When you don’t change the seal on your door you soon share your house with mice.
On further reflection, the seals on the doors have been so long been neglected, that you now have rats. Perhaps we all need a review of the major donations to the Republican Party of Alaska to answer our questions. I have a feeling that there is union money involved, especially since the push for the opposition candidate against Showers. By so-called Republicans. All union-backed. Pushed by a once high ranking officer of the party. I know of your integrity, but what of the rest? Thanks, Trig
At the Alaska party level, it has clearly been completely compromised by the pro-abortion RINOs, and the PFD control struggle has come to be an even larger factor in inter-party devolution. But the national level is no better. The McDaniel/Zeldin/Lindell struggle for control has now attracted a Harmeet Dhillon/Henry Barbour partnership into the mix, which would clearly be the end of the party as it has been known since Eisenhower.
The Republican Party is dying the death of the Whigs. There are truly some dark days ahead for this corrupt, evil society.
Conflating privacy rights with RINO’s keeps voters on the sidelines IMO
“Privacy” has absolutely nothing to do with killing babies in the womb.
Oh Craig! Just admit defeat. That is what it is. When you shoot at the King ( Queen ) you best take him / her down.
The GOP was simply out played by the Left. When someone plays SOB with you, you have to respond in kind or get out of the game. They were smarter and meaner. We have to do both better.
What a CYA pantload. Let me skip over most of this self serving crap and get straight to two important points
1-The AK GOP is feckless and useless. With large servings of side dishes of ineffective and cowardly.
Social media outrage is justifiable based on your organizations behavior for more years than I can count.
Stop whining and acting like a butt hurt teenager. Put on your big girl panties and deal.
2-We, the conservative rank and file of Alaska are not invested in your failed party for that simple reason. You fail. Over and over and over again. By the GOPs open “actions” your organization has not earned
Our support
Our efforts
Our money
Our votes.
Don’t go blaming us for rampant inability to put a commodity worth our support. Don’t go blaming us for being wise consumers or of time, talent, and treasure because you have a failed product.
The left again runs the AK legislature. Why? The GOP gave it to them.
The AK GOP includes such stalwarts as:
Click Bishop
Kathy Giessel
Louise Stutes
Natasha Von Imhof
Sarah Rasmussen
Kelly Merrick
Josh Revak
Bert Stedman
David Wilson
Gary Knopp
And a host of other feckless failures.
In this last election cycle, the AK GOP was either absent or so ineffective they may as well have been.
Door knockers?
Get out the vote?
Statewide push to explain RCV?
Failure to oppose RCV in a meaningful way?
Encouraging early voting?
And the most damning things of all?
BTW: these are “fun”.
The amount of times I heard people calling in to Porcaro’s show asking who to vote for? Porcaro is the real father of the RCV abomination and people lead to turn to him for voting advice.
The abject failure to deal with the Sarah Palin debacle. That led to us losing our one House seat.
The ongoing presence of Bill Walker.
The ongoing failures to neuter Scott Kendall.
The epic lost opportunities and political malpractice of the Dunleavy administration.
The loss of Roger Holland’s seat to Cathy freaking Giessel.
And the beat of all, the public caving to Princess Lisa.
Alaska has gone blue in large part due to your failures, not our votes. Frankly we have kept you people afloat in spite of yourselves.
Now you wanna come here blaming us for calling you out? Really?
Find a mirror. Take a hard freaking look. THERE is the problem. Not us.
In the plainest English possible. The AK GOP are not any good at their jobs. Any of you.
You’d best not hope we get pissed enough to become involved as we will bounce people like you out on their backsides. Your only hope would be to seduce newcomers with perks and promises.
If you want a receptive audience who will give you a back rub and tell you things are wonderful if we’d just listen to our betters, go on Porcaro’s show.
You won’t get it here.
Does anyone care what an anonymous troll in Juneau thinks?
You know you want me. You dream about me at night. you’ll never have me. But dream away.
What is it about Republicans and their sex talking in effort to bringothers to their ideology?
MA you are so much more intelligent than this. I’ve appreciated your more moderate thoughtful comments since the election. WhatI notice is that you have moderated your voice when speaking to the choir here, except when a moderate voice replies to you. Then you go all radical again. Justwhat it looks like out here.
Juneau is hardly part of Alaska. We should sell it to Seattle and use the money to build a capital in Alaska. The gold rush is over and your city is not reachable by most of the people, and awaiting an avalanche to boot. Most of the businesses are owned by Seattle interests as well. No, Alaskans do not care about how Juneau thinks. Or stinks. Sorry.
“…….We should sell it to Seattle…….”
Seattle has owned Juneau for a century and a half. Conversely, we’ve been buying it since the pipeline started shipping oil, but despite all the billions that have flowed through the place, we still have no principal ownership. It has all been interest, and they still aren’t interested.
Those who agree do.
I doubt they do. But if they did, they might have had a far better election…….You know, the last Republican to knock on my door at election time was Jay Hammond. He lacked good party chops, but He got my vote. Years later Dennis Egan knocked on my door hat in hand…In 45 years, He is the only Democrat I have ever voted for, and I never regretted that vote.
Nope.
Stalwarts of the Republican Party? LOL…..
Click Bishop? A stupid, uneducated person.
Gary Knopp? A dead person.
The rest are Democrats.
Sarcasm and irony not your thing?
You go boy!
Don’t slow down now!
I couldn’t agree more.
The neutering of Scott Kendall. Not really a failure. His Recall of Dunleavy failed. His RCV to re-install his former boss, Bill Walker, to governor failed. His RCV to keep his brother in law, Grier Hopkins, in the State House failed……all embarrassing to Kendall. Kendall failed where it counted most to him and his family. And, good riddance !!
Thanks for pointing this out, but I really doubt the angry lefty will stand down.
I second what you said so well. Might I add we need a new party in town.
MA, the ONLY way you can effect change is to get involved with the Party. I did, and I was absolutely amazed that “they” listened to me. Turn all the angry energy into something constructive. Take off that face diaper and help us!
Right on, and to Ann Brown, chairman of the Alaska GOP….you are responsible for the millions you gave a censored Senator Murkowski due to your loyalty to her and her family, Murkowski’s and the Sturgilewski’s in the April meeting in Fairbanks when there was a more than qualified candidate running for Senator. You don’t try asking for money to gain for the GOP purse but you refuse to follow on the censorship and hand over millions to a candidate that should have been made to pay back every dollar and dime the GOP from Alaska gave to L. Murkowski in the past when she was censored. Murkowski stumps for Biden and she did for Obama as well. So Craig Campbell, here is mud in your eye. Try ‘smoothie” for another group. We all know what an idiot looks like. Its you.
I am amazed he’d tell such a blatant lie. The party gave money to censured candidates and sometimes in the same race gave nothing to the conservative candidates.
The national party through the senate freedom fund totally disrespected the State Party. The State Party gave nothing to censured candidates – our rules won’t allow that to happen. Don’t beat up on Craig – he’s a good guy on our side.
But the fact remains that the state party did nothing to support candidates running against censored candidates who were heavily funded by dirty money. So whats the difference?
Was he sent here to be a sacrificial lamb, or is he really this stupid?
Since he’s a GOP upper management type, I’m thinking stupid.
Give me a Break, the Republican Party is weak, ineffective and half of them are in it with the Dems.
I’m gonna go here.
Mr Campbell and the GOP brain(less) trust.
Do you remember the movie Animal House? Do you remember the homecoming parade scene? The float Delta House had in said parade?
Do you remember what was written on the side of their cake float?
On behalf of the vast majority of conservative Alaska voters, those are our sentiments to you all.
The national party through the senate freedom fund totally disrespected the State Party. The State Party gave nothing to censured candidates – our rules won’t allow that to happen. Don’t beat up on Craig – he’s a good guy on our side.
In the same way Benedict Arnold was, until he wasnt
You’re entitled to your opinion and I’ll support your right to say it, but that is just plain ignorant bull ___.
I don’t think you know anything I don’t – you’re just wrong, Chuck.
MA, your face diaper is leaking…
Useless:
Mitch❄️ Caves to Dems
Media Cartel Bill to Be Included in Defense Package
The Alaska Republican Party has lifted its censures on two elected Republicans.
By Campbell’s standard it’s our fault.
Craig, the Republican Party has been fractured for years. Conservatives v. Liberals. Today, it’s MAGA v. RINO. RINOs prefer teaming up with Democrats and progressives, in order to stay in the Establishment and play on the society pages. Keep it simple, Craig. We are divided because of the RINOs. Get rid of that problem, and you’ll get your party back.
It’s not supposed to be his party. It’s supposed to be ours.
Good point, AV. Now, help us get it back!
A question here: Exactly who is on this ‘central committee’ anyways? Where do I find a list of it’s members?
On the website – if you can’t find it, Google “Alaska Republican Party”. There’s even contact info.
Thanks!
The Alaska Republican committee is full of Mitt Romneys. Hey let’s play nice, don’t say mean things etc.
What they need is a person/persons who can play the democrat long game. Someone who will remind Alaskans, on a daily basis what democrats and rino Republicans have done in the past far as failures.
Alaskans seem to be very shortsighted. There is no justification why Geissel got elected again. She is the reason no full pfd. Merrick should’ve never been re-elected. But I know why, because no one was their to remind voters what these two have done in the past.
I guess people forgot about her playing beer pong, I know Alaska republicans party did.
‘https://mustreadalaska.com/beer-gate-two-of-the-threesome-legislators-apologize-for-capitol-booze-party/
Again if anyone needs a campaign manager I work for pop tarts and mtn dew.
Being nice while engaged in a pitched battle is what is required JW. BTW, I can’t afford pop tarts and Mt Dew – the d’rats stole my money and won’t give me a full PFD so I can afford to hire you. Nice offer though.
I’m really curious why this was posted.
Lecturing the rank/file in why it’s our fault the AK GOP is like Bob Dole without viagra. It doesn’t stand for scrutiny.
Did Campbell and think we were all gonna go? If only we’d listened to our betters?
The whole exercise is exhibit A in how broken the GOP is and how badly it needs to be erased.
The only thing broken I see is your bitterness, MA. The point that we need to do better is well taken.
If this article was a serious attempt to justify political surrender, the AK GOP brain(less) trust is taking whatever Kanye West is taking.
Please, don’t share.
I thought circular firing squads were a D thing, but it’s clear the strategy has been fully adopted by Alaska conservatives. The chorus calling Craig Campbell a RINO is evidence that the purity bar has been moved so far to the right that R majorities will just be a fond memory. Getting elected requires a majority of voters to support your agenda. The more radical the agenda, the less appealing it is to the majority. If you successfully replace actual conservatives (like Craig Campbell) with extremists (i.e., David Eastman clones), you drive away far more voters than you recruit. It may be a recipe for winning elections in a handful of districts, but it’s a losing strategy statewide.
Lefty trolls are about the last people I want to hear advice on Republican strategy from.
At this point I prefer them to Mr Campbell.
Art – I’ve followed your comments for years, first with ADN and now on MRAK. You know more about SOA hiring and employment than anyone. When you’re not engaging in name calling, I find your thoughts to be intelligent, stimulating, and of course, profoundly conservative. I respect your humanizing comments on families that are dealing with members suffering substance use issues.
BTW, I’m no lefty – I’m just not MAGA. I’m a fiscal conservative. I believe in limited government. I believe in individual choice. I believe in the rule of law. I’m not religious, and I resent inferences that this somehow makes me morally inferior. I have little patience for gratuitous assertions that are devoid of critical thinking – which is the basis for many of my comments on this page.
So how about telling me how I’m wrong without attacking me? I think the way to get more conservatives elected is support more electable candidates. What do you think is the answer?
“…….I’m just not MAGA. I’m a fiscal conservative. I believe in limited government. I believe in individual choice. I believe in the rule of law. I’m not religious, and I resent inferences that this somehow makes me morally inferior……..”
A lack of religious foundation doesn’t make you morally inferior. It makes you religiously devoid.
Are you a Republican? If so, and are pro-abortion, you’re a RINO. If you aren’t Republican, sit back and enjoy the death of the party. It will be interesting to see if that fence you’re perched on remains standing in a one-party environment, or worse, a feudal environment.
1. No one is pro-abortion. No one cheers when this happens. However, most believe this choice is personal, and that the government has no role in it.
2. Imposing your religious beliefs on others drives away allies and motivates your opponents. In other words, you are a theocrat masquerading as a Republican. Your single issue obsession flies in the face of other conservative values, such as small government, fiscal responsibility, and especially individual choice and personal accountability.
3. The Republican party will either shed religious radicals or implode. I hope for the former. Regardless, the republic will be fine. Campaign consultants and fund raisers have always predicted calamity – it’s good for business. Post-apocalyptic predictions are fantasy; no feudal environment or communist takeovers are in the future for us.
There was no reply button on your following comment, so here goes: RV, who speaks for the rights of the baby? Just saying it isn’t the governments business is the Libertarian position – which is morally bankrupt – as in this case it prioritizes one person’s “rights” over another’s. Not acceptable. Equal rights or you have no rights at all, and that includes the preborn.
I mostly agree. We can not treat our party preference as a religion. When they can’t even control the people that vet their dogma in order to be elected then “surprise “. What ever happened to the days of the honest crook? I still believe that Craig Campbell is a man of integrity and if anyone can straighten out this mess, he has the means and ability. I am sure that he will read these comments and put forth positive changes. And I am sure that we will be invited to future meetings unlike the the assembly where we are despised. I for one would find a way to attend. As I have often stated, the real problem is that the big money adds is what sells a candidate, unfortunately. The crook with the most signs and TV and radio adds wins. There’s no counter to this. The people in my district never heard of Kelly Merrick until they were bombarded with political advertising and she had a weak underfunded real Republican opponent. The labor unions are choosing our representatives and evidently they are unopposed. So join a union, or get the hell out of their state. The Republican Party has evidently seen seen this and that is the reason for the split. Small business is screwed. I remember when there was no corporate chains in Alaska, other than Sears and McDonald’s. Now you have to search for a unique local business. If they survived Covid and wokeness and were able to get a workforce in a society that no longer wants to work. Nobody can answer why, but my place has been closed for six months. It’s not for lack of business. It’s lack of help. And the pay was extraordinarily high. You all figure it out , I will retire. But one thing, instead of focusing on the problem, maybe we should put our heads together on a solution. My father was of the great generation that made us great, do we need a world war to make us great again? Hope not.
Craig, almost every sane, honest, decent, non-radical-leftist in this state wants a choice, not an echo. But when it comes to the state Republican Party, as compared to the Democrats, all you are willing to offer us is the hint of a whisper of an echo. Why should that motivate any of us non-RINOs to support the Alaska Republican Party, or to vote for their wolf-in-sheeps-clothing candidates?
The Alaska republican party is a failure. The national GOP is a failure, they are 50% moderate democrats.
Bingo, the GOP has been being infested with center right Democrats for decades. With the watering down complete they can move forward with their Uniparty/Globalist agenda
People need to let go of the Globalist agenda. Trying to get a new world order is like trying to run a convenience store only selling a single product. Good luck with all that. Business was here before politics, business will be here after politics. The End.
Exactly 30-40yrs ago they were called blue dog democrats. Now days they call themselves moderate republicans or better yet independent voters. Who in the end vote democrat..
You are going to need more lipstick for this pig.
I am a volunteer member of the Alaska Republican Party. I attended the meeting Mr. Campbell references in his piece. BTW, he is also a volunteer as are all members of the State Central Committee.
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Craig offers two central points. First, censures have not proven to be an effective tool. Given the results of this past election it is hard to say they worked. Clearly, they did not. In fact, as Craig notes, some candidates wore their censure as a badge of honor garnering votes they might not have otherwise earned. So, it could be reasonably argued censuring as means to effect political leverage was counterproductive.
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Expanding on Craig’s second point, the Alaska Republican Party is a volunteer organization. By design, it is structured from the ground-up. Each of the 40 districts throughout the state have a say. Districts electing a Republican to the state house have an additional vote on the State Central Committee. When it comes to matters put to the SCC, these grass-roots votes are numerically significant. In fact, they are overwhelming.
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So, Craig’s suggestion is well-taken. The Alaska Republican Party is a force for good. As with any volunteer organization, it takes people to make it work.
Counterpoints:
The candidates who were censure as a badge of honor were weak overall candidates. Don’t run on that, run on your plan.
If your grass roots efforts are this bad, it means you and your message are bad.
I thought censuring was stupid. Better to beat them than virtue signal. But you went there. Right up until you didn’t. Which means to those outside looking in you have zero core.
It’s a simple prospect. Don’t say you are going to do something unless you mean to do it. Then see it through, regardless of how it turns out. I should be surprised you (as a whole) don’t get this.
But after this election, it’s clear you don’t get much of anything.
This is horse c—.
The ‘central committee’? It’s a bunch of elites making decisions for all the rubes they think we are. The censure is a prime example. Lisa should have been expelled from the party. Gather all the registered republicans together and ask and it would be overwhelming.
BUT, when the ‘central committee’ gets involved, it’s watered down to a censure which then gets lifted. She’s their darling, so they have protected her. Think about what she did in this last election.
She campaigned against the endorsed candidate of the republican party.
And on top of that, she lent support to a Democrat running for the house seat we should have been pushing to win.
Those things add up to actively and directly working AGAINST the party she claims to belong to. Hello?! How does this action allow for her remaining in the party? She’s our very own Liz Cheney. At least the Wyoming Republican party had the backbone to expel her. But not you! The moment Lisa announced she was running in the general election, she should have been ejected.
You want a ‘central committee’? First, ditch the name. It’s a Lenninist title. I don’t even want to hear ‘steering committee’. Make it the administration board. The only members are the district heads. That way, there will be automatic pressure from each district to hold the district leaders feet to the flames. Piss off your district? You’re gone! Maybe the same week. Get rid of you self appointed special people.
You’re no different than Craig Campbell. You both can have a piece of that cake.
Paul, your ignorance is astounding. We cannot “expel” anyone from the Party. Censure is the strongest expression of rejection the Party has at its disposal. Dunbar could change his registration to R and we could not stop him from running as a Republican… You’re pissed off enough to write flame-throwing ignorant dung like this – why don’t you come to meetings and see what has to be done and turn that energy into something constructive? They will listen, even if they don’t agree with you on every point.
So where were the party ads that A) supported Tshibaka as the ENDORSED candidate and B) stated that lisa was NOT supported by the party? They couldn’t even do that.
They did send some – I got a few in the mail. We were outspent by the turtle 10/1 or more. Very hard to raise the funds to compete with 3 to 4 mailers per day from Lisa cronies lying about Kelly to promote the princess. Last time I tried it, a 6″x8″ mailer to be sent to 10,000 addresses cost $800. Multiply that by 60 = $48,000 for one mailer sent to every voter – and that is the cheapest way to reach out with a campaign… Add to that multiple mailers per day, TV, radio, social media… How much money did you send to Kelly, Paul? We got out-hustled by political swamp veterans. Too bad – Kelly would be a great Senator.
“…….some candidates wore their censure as a badge of honor garnering votes they might not have otherwise earned……..”
From whom did they get these votes? Obviously, Democrats, non-partisans, and independents. Like the rest of us, the RINOs have known this all along. That’s why they successfully pushed ranked choice voting, which completely castrates party power……….EXCEPT PARTY MONEY………which comes from party members and conservative contributors.
Better read that a few times. Try and let it marinate. Think about discussing that concept at your next party pow wow.
Once state Republican candidates don’t need party money anymore because they’ll ve able to generate it independently, they won’t need you at all.
And neither will voters.
Thanks Brian. Communicating with angry radicals wearing face diapers is an exercise in futility. Just being and acting conservative isn’t good enough for the snipers. I stood against censuring Lisa in the SCC (even though I was just as angry with her as the radical right) for the very reason laid out here – censure doesn’t work, and it only drives the censured one away from us.
Nobody “drove” Lisa away. She left long ago
They made it much worse Chuck… And the whole swamp sacrificed control of the US Senate to get their swamp darling reelected. Those wanting to “punish” Party members who disagree with us within the Party are the reason we got Lisa again. Lisa was a social liberal before she was appointed the first go-round, we knew that and elected her then lost the battles to replace her.
When conservatives/Republicans do speak up all the “moderates” resort to oh you are just “MAGA” “Eastman” Republicans the “far right” of the party. Are we?? I see us as people who want to be left alone, fiscally responsible, throwing more money at a broke education system is not being fiscally responsible, holding people accountable for their actions etc.
In the SCC, conservatives are given huge influence and polite conversation – our views are not dismissed or disrespected, but they are not the only views. The conservatives are actually the majority in the SCC – that is how the censures passed to start with. The muddled political middle responds to finger pointing and labeling “extremists” because they are very tired of hearing a bombardment from unbending unthinking uncaring screamers from either end of the political spectrum. We need to find a way to paint the other side with those labels – I agree that most of us conservatives are good people as you are trying to describe yourself. BTW, good guy David Eastman gets tarred and feathered because he stands on his principles – his voice is very needed.
Rich, I very much appreciate your comments. Further on, yes I second the motion to support David Eastman, I do not ascribe to all of David’s politics, BUT I agree that he is the rightful Representative of his District. Accordingly I have supported Mr. Eastman by way of contributions to his Legal Defense Fund and would encourage others to do the same. What is at stake here is everyone’s liberty and freedom.
Humbly, Thanks.
If you keep trying to defeat my controlled opposition candidates, I will lose this sweet, lucrative gig!!!
Like Sarah did? She was panicking/resigning.
I have one single question for Campbell and company. How do you keep getting things so badly wrong all the time?
If you were coaches you’d be fired. If you were blind squirrels you’d starve. If you were looking for love in singles bars you’d go home alone.
I hear you on this MA
How many upper level government jobs has this leader had? Just how deep state is he? He has clearly been the republican to be inserted anywhere. And has been considerably over the years.
Campbell isn’t the problem. He is conservative. The problems are the RINOs and a state/nation of baby killers.
Oh really? Campbell is a conservative?! You’ve never met him have you? He’s a chameleon and quite good at it. He’ll be whatever you want him to be in that moment. You’ll get the smile and nod, followed by a good handshake. Then he moves on and repeats the performance.
Craig has held lots of positions – including Lieutenant Governor – because he’s the best person for the job. And yes, he’s a conservative. I’m glad to have him on board on our side. I’ve known him for thirty years – you snipers are picking on the wrong guy, he’s not “deep state” or “swamp”.
MA, it’s not that they “get it wrong all the time” – the SCC responds to its constituency. Who comes to the district meetings? Those voices are brought to the SCC. We got out-strategized and out-hustled and outspent – and our message was drowned in a sea of negative lies that turned off most voters who then merely voted for the most familiar while the RCV split the conservative vote just as it was intended. Blaming the SCC for this disaster is just wrong. I would be raising bloody hell with Mitch McConnell for starters – How about you, Mike – are you going to significantly donate to the turtle’s primary opponent? I agree that some in the AK GOP are very liberal – unfortunately we’re not doing a very good job of persuading them to be more conservative.
The defunct republicans aren’t even a party. They have no conviction or direction. Wringing hands and being a go-along to get-along waffle is not who constitutional conservatives want as representatives. Might be a breath of fresh air is we had more constitution oath keepers.
As a member of the last AKGOP convention, I can say with certainty that you are ignorantly wrong, Dan. The Party – the convention and the SCC – are strong-majority conservative. Take a look at the platform and the resolutions we passed and the candidates we endorsed!
BTW: not sure I’d be hanging a hat on being part of the Republican National Committee.
You (the GOP fathers) made an even bigger mess of the national races than you did in Alaska. That’s impressive and not in a good way.
Best man for the job MA. Without our conservative voice at the RNC, we lose much bigger.
Wish I had a constructive response but I’ll just have to say BS. Censure is not a tactic but a response to a RINO failing us with poor decisions not in keeping with principles and failing to understand the bigger pictures such as keeping the totalitarians at bey. Murkowski is a RINO and permanently censured from my perspective.
The difference between the Republican brand and the Democrat brand is who they pay off with state money.
The Republican Party had it’s rudder torn off right after the passing of Ronald Reagan. The Bush family
buried traditional Republican values in Bill Clinton’s back yard. And as for the Republican Party in Alaska, they have ZERO concept of “limited government.” Too many Republican friends have their hooves in the government trough and support the killing of the unborn in order to appeal to the “woke” crowd. Cathy Giessel says she is “personally” Pro-Life but publicly Pro-Choice. That statement is an abortion and people bought that oxymoron.
Anyone of any conservative values needs to vacate the Republican Party and come join the Alaskan Independence Party where we promote real conservative values.
I bet Cathy represents her constituency, as a rep of her community and not her personal beliefs.
And as a medical professional is well versed in women’s health concerns.
Abortion has a near zero role in “women’s health”, yet another lame code for baby killing. The killers have no appetite for compromise, either. They demand complete and total control of the bloodletting, at any stage, and for any reason.
The price for this holocaust will be high.
You’re a guy, amirite?
Isn’t that a rock from the middle east?
I appreciate your input. There’s never going to a consensus on this topic. I only wish that there was acceptable middle ground, but then what would the politicians argue about. I have seldom heard, what are the circumstances, how far along is the pregnancy? While most people cannot condone the loss of life at any expense, as myself, I have seen the waist of life in other countries where I would rather be dead than born. But why a woman would wait until late term to choose abortion in this country I cannot put my head around. How long do you need to know that you you are carrying a child in your bosom? Obviously, there are social conditions in our state that cannot be discussed but still where do you draw the line?
Trig-I don’t know of a case of late term abortion where it involved a choice, really. Some folks are not able to afford health care to track pregnancies to start, so they don’t know they are pregnant until late. Another situation is when something happens late in the term that risks the life of the mom at times and or the fetus. That’s just a couple that come to mind.
Besides victims of abuse who can’t get away from abuser, and when there is no abortion provider per area of residence, so money and transportation and out of area providers take a while to access.
Late term abortions are more than likely grave medical concerns. Not my boyfriend is paying for our oops on prom night kind of abortion.
Thanks, I appreciate your honest insight. We could use more real discussion on this matter instead of the general rock- throwing that is taking place.
The AIP has no objective moral standards Michael – though the idea is attractive, they would be a complete disaster given enough influence. Mostly now they are just siphoning off a handful of otherwise mostly conservative votes and making our task that much harder.
BTW, Cathy Giessel was actively pro-life until the Juneau swamp got to her by offering her power. She made a mistake in thinking she would do everything she could to save as many babies lives’ as she could – and began the process of compromise. When AK Right-to-Life dissed her for not insisting on conception as the beginning of life, she turned her back on the whole of conservativism. Her undoing is the desire to spend our PFDs – hey, it’s fun to spend other people’s money – and there are a whole host of bloodsuckers out there willing to feed any politician’s dreams to assuage their (illegitimate) thirst.
I’ll give this one to Campbell and co for free:
Instead of telling us why you were right and us prols are too simple to see it, try leading off with “we blew it. Big”.
Because you did. Badly.
Maybe if you had started with an admission of responsibility for this debacle, we might -might- be willing to listen to your explanations. Maybe.
But leading off with “we were right and you’re all dumb” was, in a word, stupid.
You boys need a hard dose of reality followed by a massive dose of humility. Fast.
Hubris. It’s a killer.
Well said MA. Well done!
Maureen, I hope that the Super Hero in Juneau hovering over his Key Board appreciates your comment above. My money says that he will find fault even with your kind note.
I hope that your health is on the up-tick and that MA seeks another more productive and joy filled outlet for his life.
Merry Christmas to all!
Thanks for that Robert. I’m doing ok but am of course concerned because the platinum based chemos that kept me and tons of other ovarian (and breast cancer) patients alive don’t work for me anymore.
MA certainly puts a lot of thought into what MA says. I read it, and it helps me understand points I didn’t previously. It’s a real joy for me when I agree with someone here.
Yes, happy holidays to all.
Thank you, Craig.
He points to one action and only one action.
Reminds me of a story.
Maury, a faithful and committed minister, lived in Los Angeles.
Every night before he climbed into bed, he would pray.
At the end of every prayer, he would add, “Oh Mighty God, please let me win the California State Lottery.”
He did this continuously for years.
Having grown old, one night with his joints aching too much and vision blurred more than usual and in frustration, he demanded at the end of the prayer, “Oh Mighty God, you can move mountains, shake the heavens and control the universe. When in your blessed name, will you let me win the California State Lottery?”
Immediately, the roof of his house disappeared. He beheld the brightest of stars in a clear dark sky. Seraphim and cherubim lit the skies singing praises and flying with their graceful movement.
Maury was awestruck.
Then a Voice, “Maury. Maury. Buy a ticket!”
“…….Buy a ticket!”
Now, here’s another Republican leader in the self-making. He’s even using tele-evangelist tactics on us, with God Himself issuing political advice.
So buy your tickets, folks! Like P.T. Barnum said, “There’s an a$$ for every seat!” Crowd under the Big Top for the show! The clowns are suiting up………..
Good story Michael – Reggie completely misses your point. You can’t show a blind man anything – he is not capable of seeing it.
Mitch Okays Rider:
Revealed: JCPA’s Massive Loophole for China
Bill Will Allow CCP Influence Operation over Media
‘https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2022/12/05/the-jcpa-contains-a-massive-loophole-for-china/
I could not have put it any better than Craig. The grass roots thru the districts spoke and the party leadership listened. We were not all in agreement and we had some very good discussion, respectful discussions – this is how Republican Statesmen conduct business. But in the end, 70% of district leadership agreed that what we were doing was not working and we need to step back, take our breath and look at things differently. We did NOT rescind the censures we just simply let them sunset, we will be coming upon a new election cycle in 2024 and we as a party can look at this again. What most people don’t seem to understand, by putting any further decisions on Censures and Endorsements off until the 2024 ARP State Convention, this will provide the opportunity for the greatest number of Republicans to weigh in on this. At each biannual state convention the body of the whole, that is all state delegates have a vote, not just the 80+ SCC members.
Further more, Alaska is a big state with lots of diversity. A Republican candidate that easily wins in the Mat-Su would not stand a chance of getting elected in Kodiak, and vice a versa.
So, here is how I see it: You can stay in the game and work to make our party better and stronger and help come up with a plan and a strategy to help get Conservative Republicans elected, OR you can walk away and let others make those decisions for you.
I have left my comments that included letting people know about the meetings then you can criticize them for not attending. No secret club. Full disclosure of fund sources, and how they were spent. Reason why a simple newsletter can’t be sent off by mail or email to interested people. If you want people to participate, then make it a hobby at least. But don’t blame us for not being part of your secret squirrel club.
To most of us being a Republican means personal freedoms trump everything. We need smaller government at all levels. Our government should spend no more money than it has. When you reduce the tax RATE on items/services, the total dollars in taxes collected increase, due to increased production. Human life is sacred in the womb, during bouts of depression, and even when it’s terminal. One of the primary functions of government at all levels is the protection of the citizens, which means that criminals need to be arrested, prosecuted, and punished appropriately, including lengthy jail sentences.
So tell me, Ron, which of these am I supposed to compromise on?
Amen. Well said.
Well said Ron…
Craig,
Respectfully, this has the same ring to it as does the telling a non-voter that their non-voting means they should shut the hell up. Some people can’t take anymore action then they already do for any number of reasons, some people are anti-social people who won’t preen themselves in public for others to decide of they are worthy or not, some people are too busy working to pay the bills or too busy taking their kids to after school events, some people are anti-socialist and won’t join a group of people just to gain acceptance.
Respectfully, this column reeks of small tent Republicanism. I mean really, get off your asses and do it yourself or else you get what we say? Sounds more like a lecture I’d expect from a Democrat.
Really Steve – another otherwise good guy who simply can’t understand and is looking for someone to blame? The only way to succeed is for more good people to get involved. I know Craig – he has listened to the snipers and the gentler critics and is replying with the truth. The Republican brain-trust has been trying to process this thoroughly – they are every bit as frustrated as the meanest critic. Craig’s article here is just a start, and it is a plea for help from every conservative who cares enough to get involved. Not a hint of ‘small tent” here – but we do need to be careful of which camel’s nose we’re letting in.
Nice thoughtful column. Acknowledges reality. Proposed a path forward. All good stuff.
Mostly skewered by goofballs and clowns, e.g., “The Masked Avenger.” One supposes the Masked Avenger is some guy sitting in mom’s basement spewing political commentary in between playing video games or something along those lines. Too many geniuses who think they know how politics works full of themselves while using anonymous postings they think are brilliant here. The Masked dude and a lot of the rip and ruin, doom and gloom folks need get on meds or change them.
You want me as badly as Frank does.
Funny. You make accusations about me and my motives (your mom likes me just fine. She says hello, BTW and you should call her) yet you are unable to rebut a single point I made.
Why? Because being a fan boy of a failed system and a failed party you are intellectually and factually unable to do so.
I’ll give you a couple, Joey. Follow along, this won’t hurt too much.
1-politics in a rough game. It has to be won through hard work and effort.
The left does the work, the GOP does not.
2-winning is done on the ground.Mr Campbell is correct in that point. But to do that work you have to offer up a product people believe in. Campbell and co have failed in this arena in the most epic way possible. Repeatedly.
Please list the successes of the AK GOP over the last 15 years. If the re election of Dunleavy is on your list, you lose right there.
You are ill equipped to deal with me in this or any arena. I deal in facts while you deal in unicorn farts. I deal with them harshly because the people involved deserve it. I even acknowledge when people I disagree with are correct.
Facts, as John Adams said, are stubborn things. People are often stupid. Especially when they lead the AK GOP and most especially when they fanboy for the AK GOP. I deal in facts.
Now, Joey, you have several options here.
-You can learn from this exposition of your intellectual vapidness.
-You can hurl invective at me and make even more claims about my living in your basement (it’s your moms room).
-You can convince yourself you made some sort of point while making yourself look foolish.
-You might even try your luck in a rebuttal. If you’re really, really lucky you might come up with one that gets my attention and be on the receiving end of another illustration of your intellectual failures. But that’s unlikely.
You do have the option of the most unlikely of choices for you. Quit while behind.
Joey, I’m your personal Darth Vader. I am your father. You may call me daddy.
The Masked Avenger confirms point I made about need to change his meds.
Thanks Joe. The only thing trolls – from either side – respond to is the light. The biggest light some of these whiners see is the cherry on the end of their cigarette while hiding in mom’s basement – and they never come out into the daylight. You can’t show a blind man anything… I’d out the bitter sniper with the face diaper, but I’m just pretty sure, not 100% certain…
It’s interesting how you offer no thoughtful rebuttal, but a weaker version of Joey’s snark.
You can call me Daddy, too.
If you actually had something thoughtful to offer MA, I’d enjoy a good debate – but mostly what you offer is ignorant opinion and personal invective. “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.” Proverbs 26:4-5 My Daddy calls you a fool too. I accept your charge – I’m running out of time to answer trollish BS, so just attacking your character will have to suffice – you make enough unsubstantiated claims that most anyone can see your cowardly, bitter, ignorance. I still support your right to say it.
Touche’
Mitch McConnell and his Senatorial PAC spent millions of dollars supporting Princess Lisa and publicly denigrating Kelly Tshibaka.
If the Alaska R party can’t stop that before it is even whispered, you are incompetent and should be ashamed.
Since Mitch did just that, and Princess was not only re-elected but supported Peltola the D for House, don’t tell me what we the voters have done wrong. You are the problem.
It needs to be brought to light that the turtle cost the GOP the US Senate. No amount of letter writing would persuade cocaine mitch that he was making the worst blunder of his entire life. Our two representatives in the RNC are not to blame – the RNC did not even have any control or influence over mcconnell’s super-pac. I can’t help but thinking ugly unprintable thoughts about why the turtle did that.
Do the RNC say “Mitch is not our monkey”?
.
Didn’t think so.
Let’s see. Republicans started with almost double the registered voters, buckets of money, many favorable factors like economy and co-vid backlash and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The democrat brand is so awful candidates run as “independents “ but yet they win and end up with control of the State senate, elect their choice for US Senator, their unknown candidate wins Congress ad the Governor will be hamstrung for at least two more years. Cambell the Chamber Socialist blames the party members. I don’t think so. The Republican Party would lose Tic-Tac-Toe 99 games out of a 100. You don’t have to agree with Dems but you have to admire their strategy. Maybe the republicans could learn from it too.
He’s not a socialist Joe.
Think about one point here: Both the Reagan and the Trump presidency showed us one important fact and that is people respond to a fighter. Both Reagan and Trump stepped up and fought well for issues that were important to US citizens. They didn’t always win, but the FOUGHT! And humans are drawn to leaders that don’t shy away from the inevitable fight.
All of us that are angry here, are furious because we saw no fight in party leadership.
Paul, Trump was a bit like Andrew Jackson, except Jackson knew when to STFU! Oh, and Jackson didn’t always fight through his Lawyer, seems he could handle a sword, pistol and knew how to use his fists. No wonder he was so popular. Jackson also believed in the second amendment, even his slaves were armed. Imagine that.
Cheers and Merry Christmas.
Thanks Oosik. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
About the only thing I’d disagree with you on in that post, is that, from what I’ve read about Jackson, he was never shy about voicing his opinion. In fact he might have been able to out talk Trump!
Paul, Jackson made enemies, but they were the right enemies. Reportedly shortly before his death he said he had no regrets, well, maybe only two… I should have hung John C. Calhoon and shot Henry Clay.
This would’ve the same Campbell that signed a letter in support of nepotism in the form of Romney McDaniel for RNC Chair
Having been a republican voter since ’78, I’d offer some opinions:
1) If the aggressive folks want to make the Alaska Republican Party the party of strict and pure no-abortion, the Republicans will never see the majority again. Reality of Alaska in 2022;
2) Mr. Campbell and the AkRP do not, unfortunately, control Mitch McConnell & Co.;
3) Alaska Republicans were indeed outplayed…by Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Kendall, and the generic Democrats.
4) If “real Alaska Republicans” are voters with their heads buried deep enough in the muck that they won’t vote for Nick Begich because of a name, then those “real Alaska Republicans” deserve what they got.
5) Right or wrong, “Alaska” includes Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Kodiak: a party or platform that is pointed solely to get the support of Palmer-Denali Park won’t carry the day in Alaska.
How many of the complainers attended precinct meetings? Donated more than $10 to their “real Republican” candidate? How many, for a specific point, told Roger Holland that he had been elected to be an aggressive alternative to Ms. Giessel, not a bump on a log?
Choosing to simply withdraw and say “No abortion” “No RINO’s” or “The AkRP is terrible” helps the conservative cause gain absolutely nothing.
I received numerous fliers from all candidates and several PACs; not one was from the AkRP that said “Lisa is not our Princess, and Mitch is not our Monkey’.
So, we can see it all comes down to money. The Democrat party has figured out how to get taxpayer money to support their candidates. Like the “bailout “ of the union pension plans that is taking place. We are not willing to commit our time and money to a campaign because of doubt that our candidates are for real. And we have to work to earn our money. The party of our preferences seems to be compromised by people like Mitch McConnell and the likes. Craig, in light of the record numbers of comments generated by your article, perhaps you can follow up with what we seem to be missing. We seem to be mushrooms.
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