Palin-backed candidate fails to catch fire in Alaska

I wrote here about Sarah Palin’s intriguing decision to back Joe Miller’s challenge to Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. Palin announced that decision in early June. Nearly two months later, and one month before Alaska’s Republican primary, Murkowski holds a 32 point lead (62-30) over Miller.
The poll was conducted by the Alaska based survey firm Ivan Moore Research. According to Politico, this firm used to work for Democrats, but now works for candidates of both parties. In this instance, the firm did the poll on its own. It sampled 320 likely primary voters. That rather small sample apparently included some “undeclared” voters who might vote in the Democratic primary.
One of Miller’s problems is lack of name recognition. 54 percent of respondents said they didn’t have enough information about him to form an opinion.
If Miller and his supporters in the Tea Party Express can raise some money, perhaps they can supply more information, including word of Palin’s endorsement. In addition, Murkowski has agreed to have a series of debates with Miller.
But Miller has another problem — Murkowski is well liked. In this survey 53 percent viewed her favorably and only 18 percent unfavorably. That’s pretty impressive in an anti-incumbent year. Moreover, earlier this month, a poll found that 75 percent of Alaska Republicans believe Murkowski deserves re-election.
It looks like she will get it.

Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.

Responses