Sarah Palin-backed conservative candidate Joe Miller officially defeated Senator Lisa Murkowski last night in the Alaskan Republican Primary as the sitting senator conceded the election as absentee ballots failed to close the gap between her and Miller. The win for Miller is being seen by many as a huge victory for a variety of camps and most notably those lumped in with Anti-establishment Republicans and Tea Party Enthusiasts. The win was also a major coup for Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin who endorsed Miller and has now sent two Murkowski’s packing – a point not lost on Another Black Conservative.
The Miller victory met equal praise by much of the conservative blogging universe. Sista Toldjah says, “Victory how sweet it is. The Left Coast Rebel proclaimed RINO out! and The Other McCain proclaimed “Its Miller Time” – it should be noted that this may at least in part be because he’s in Alaska celebrating.
(March 26, 2010 - Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America)
News of a Murkowski concession was spread by Big Government last evening… the site also shared knowledge that the ousted senator may be making a third party run at it…
Sour grapes or a new trend?
Sources in Alaska confirm Murkowski is in talks with the Libertarians, though the LIbertarians are saying she won’t get on the ballot for them.
While I don’t as a general rule support turning a defeat in a primary into a run at a third party nomination, I can’t say that I am totally peeved by the trend of abstaining from endorsing your opponent on election night. I fully understand that its common practice and may simply be the noble and honorable thing to do, but if I spent a full election cycle telling my supporters what a crook, phony, fraud, parasite, RINO, liberal, establishment puppet, moronic, nincompoop…. I doubt I’d be jumping on that bandwagon the moment I conceded either. That said, I am kind of an ass like that.
