With that said, I need to go to bed.
The day did not start off well as yet another pipe spring a leak. However, the game and tailgate party were both a lot of fun. Thus, considering that I’ve fixed the pipes and had fun, I will count this day in the win column.
With that said, I need to go to bed.
0 Comments
I voted against ranked choice voting in 2020 because I believe that it is less understandable than traditional voting (which leads to more confusion in an already confused population), and it does not really make it more likely for independent candidates to get elected. While some people might point to Peltola’s historic win (as the first Alaska Native in Congress) as evidence that my beliefs were wrong, I want to point out that Peltola would have won in a normal election based on how the votes on this one turned out. In a “normal” election, only Palin or Begich could have been running against Peltola, and it’s clear that Palin would have won the Republican primary which, as shown in this ranked choice election, would have placed Peltola clearly on top.
Palin lost because over 51% of those who voted did not want her to hold the office. While this might surprise people who look at the Republican leanings of Alaska, it is little surprise to those of us who know that more Alaskans are listed as either independent or undecided on their voter registration than Republicans and Democrats combined. Palin was elected as governor because she was seen as an outsider, even if as a Republican, to much of the corruption in the Republican party at the time. When she abandoned her post to run as McCain’s vice-presidential nominee, many Alaskans felt betrayed. Worse, her continued gaffs (such as her reference to her being like Paul Revere “ringing his bell” on his famous ride) made Alaskans look backward by proxy. When she announced her run for the House, there was some hope that she could use her name recognition for the good of Alaska, but she immediately hitched herself to the Trump wagon, making it clear that her ambitions were still national. Back to this race, as has been pointed out, 60% of Alaskans voted for a Republican as their initial choice. With Begich eliminated, the Republicans lost 12% of those votes. I wonder, then, if Palin had been the one eliminated, and her votes distributed through the ranked choice, if Begich might have pulled out the win. For that matter, I wonder in Begich might have won in a “normal” election against Peltola if Palin would have, like Gross, decided to pull back for the good of her party. We will see what this ranked choice system brings in the general election. |
You Have Been Warned:The writings within hold wit, wisdom, and whimsy, with no warning as to what is which. Blog collections:Archives
February 2024
Categories
All
|