I Voted

Matt Volz says the election turns on oil and natural gas issues. Not for me. My vote came down to who I thought would help rural Alaska out the most. And based on my previous musings, it shouldn't be that hard to figure out who I voted for.

What ultimately turned the tide for me is that I realized it was a primary election and not the general election. I realized the obvious point that even though I voted for a Republican today, I can easily change my vote in November based on whomever emerges from today.

One question I have not seen addressed much is the effect of Andrew Halcro's candidacy on the race, particularly since he seems to have enough signatures to make the ballot. From Halcro's perspective, I think the best match-up would be Murkowski-Knowles. Halcro could present himself as the new face of the Republican party and also the face of the next generation of Alaska leaders, given the generational gap. The worst Republican candidate for Halcro would be Palin, since it would take away Halcro's arguments about age and about being a counter-establishment Republican. Since Murkowski isn't going to win, I bet Halcro is voting for Binkley today.