Cristomania
At The Corner, Daniel Foster passes along the kind news that makes you go hmmmm: "a 'source within the Murkowski campaign” is telling [the] Daily Beast" that
they know of one possible legal option to pursue a third-party run. If Murkowski is not victorious when the absentee ballots are counted and decides to wage an Independent party bid, they might consider using this option, which the source wouldn’t describe, but did confirm they were seriously looking at.
“We are going to take a look at them and see whether the option is there or not, but it’s a decision she (Murkowski) has to make,” the Murkowski camp source said. “There is an option I know of.”
Of "the obvious options," Foster writes, neither "looks good: Murkowski could either run a write-in campaign, which despite her general popularity in Alaska would be an uphill battle, or she could run on the Alaska Independence Party ballot. It has been done before, but the problem with the AIP is in the name: it’s a secessionist party."
Whereas secession is a political theoretical issue that won't stay dead, 'independent' general election campaigns by Republicans primaried out by their own party's preferred candidates seem to betoken a zombified longing for higher office. It's way too early to pronounce Cristomania the Year's Big Trend, and oh how I hope I never have to do so. But it would be remarkable indeed if the marginalized group in the GOP itching for third-party independence turned out this year to be the establishmentarians.
The temptation of the would-be Crists of the world is to style themselves as the Sane Adults soldiering on in the face of an upsurge of unprofessional kookiness on the right. That's a big mistake. Not only does it distort the truth about the candidates who defeated them -- it looks mighty transparent at a moment when the careerism of the so-called 'political class' rankles, for good reason, many a sane and adult voter right, left, and center.
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Comments :
May '10
Re: Cristomania
The difference between Murkowski and Crist, though, is that well before primary day the Republican establishment had already abandoned Crist, and so he was "going rogue" in declaring his independence. If Murkowski were to go independent, it would be, in a sense, the entire establishment going rogue--a less likely development, hopefully.
May '10
Re: Cristomania
A bit off topic, but did anyone else notice NRO's very short post on the amount Rubio spent this summer on TV advertising? It was $0.00. Considering his standing in the polls while keeping his powder dry and his talent for generating appeal in a hurry, I'm very optimistic about his chances once he actually comes out of the gate in the general.
May '10
Re: Cristomania
Isn't it amazing how desperate members of Congress are to keep their positions, at the same time as they tell us what a tough, underpaid job it is?
Jul '10
Re: Cristomania
It's not what they make as members of Congress, it's what comes afterward.
May '10
Re: Cristomania
Very good news, and Marco's going to roll. Familiarity breeds love for Rubio, contempt for Crist.