Maverick Republican’s hopes for Alaska primary
Texas Congressman Ron Paul is hoping Alaska will be the one state where he can claim a surprise win on Super Tuesday among voters known for their unpredictability in choosing presidential candidates.
Paul is banking on an organised campaign in the state, where few others have dared to tread to win voters’ loyalty.
There are no solid polls in place to take a look into the future of the Alaska races and predict a possible winner among either Republicans or Democrats.
As far as most anyone can guess, whose voters decide to venture out to make their voice heard is likely to determine the winners in the state.
Ron Paul is hoping he can get his supporters to be the ones to make the trek to the Republican “preferential poll” in Alaska on Super Tuesday.
Paul’s son stumped for his father in the state last week and his wife visited this past weekend in hopes of getting voters out in force on Tuesday.
Mitt Romney’s son also visited with local supporters in Alaska.
Mike Huckabee, who is supported by the Alaska Right to Life organisation, sent his wife to campaign in the state this past weekend.
With little hope of winning any of the more publicised primaries or caucuses on Super Tuesday, Paul has put quite a bit of effort into wooing voters in Alaska.
The Texas Congressman has 12 paid staffers in the state, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
He has also been running radio and television ads in the state.
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has not endorsed any candidates in the race, though a spokeswoman for Palin said “she’d like to support McCain” but cannot because of his stance on drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
Rival Romney received the endorsement of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski this past weekend.
Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton has been endorsed by the Democratic party’s state chairwoman, according to The Guardian.
Obama reportedly has a strong presence in the state, with offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.
Twenty-six pledged delegates are available in the Feb 5 and Feb 9 Republican contest.
The delegates are then sent on to a state convention March 13-15 to determine who they will finally represent in the national convention.
Three unpledged delegates for the national convention will be selected from among party leaders.
From the 47 Democratic caucus locations across Alaska, 13 pledged delegates will be sent to the state convention to compete to be sent to the national convention.
Five unpledged delegates will be chosen from among party leaders.
Democratic caucuses are closed and only registered Democrats will be allowed to vote in the race.
Early predictions indicate that many more Democrats than usual will attend to vote, according to HomerNews.com.
In previous Republican contests in Alaska, unorthodox candidates such as Pat Buchanan, Pat Robertson and Steve Forbes have received strong support at the polls in the state.
Ron Paul hopes once again Alaska will choose the underdog and give him a victory.
Ann Turner © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved
