In Alaska, we are dealing with only three elected congressional offices, two in the Senate and one in the House.
Ted Stevens is one of the most senior members of the US Senate. He is a GOP baron, and is a long-time supporter of pork and congressional perks. He is anything but a potential ARP sympathizer. He has consistently received landslide victories.
However, this state is a ferment, a relative beehive, of third-party/independent activism. The most dramatic recent example of that is the split within the Republican party, the first such formal split in the nation. According to the Hotline, a group of moderate breakaway Republicans formed their own party organization. "Roger Purcell, chair of the party's effort in SE AK, said the "Republican Moderates" hope to lure people who feel the AK GOP "is dominated by the religious right on social issues and who disagree with its attempt to close the primary to some voters." The new party began a drive in the summer of 97 to enlist 6,500 regis. members by 6/1 and become a recognized party for the '98 elections(AP/Anchorage Daily News, 12/12)." And now, according to the Alaska Division of Elections, at http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elections/polparty.htm , there does indeed now exist such a party. They call themselves the Republican Moderate Party. It seems to me that this group, in conjunction with the other third parties and independent groups here, such as the Independents and the Greens, could form the nucleus of a successful ARP effort here. This effort could find expression in all three of the federal elective offices here in one of our most aggressive flag-planting efforts in the nation.
Frank Murkowski is another GOP hack. He would also be of little use in an ARP-sympathetic coalition in the Senate. Again as with Stevens, I recommend that we fight for a strong flag-planting effort on the part of a third-party coalition.
Representative Don Young is a useless pork-barreling machine politician in a state which normally does not go for them, the strength of Ted Stevens notwithstanding. In addition, Alaska has a vibrant thriving third-party movement, with very active Liberatarian and Green contingents. A prominent political independent, Walter Hickel, served as Governor there for several years. While Young is formidable, I believe that the formation of an independent/third party coalition to mount an alternative would be well worthwhile.
There are two possible avenues to explore in this state. First, there was a Mayor of Valdez, John Devens(D), who managed to give Young a real scare back in '92. It would be worth our while to touch base with any Alaska contacts we have and get the story on him. If he sounds like a true reformer, perhaps we should help him to run, either under the Democratic banner, where we would merely endorse/support him, or perhaps even as the official ARP candidate.
The other possibility is to mount a genuine consensus candidacy under the ARP banner. Consensus because of all the third parties in this state, such as the American Independent Party, the Green Party, and the Republican Moderates. My hunch is that Alaska's political atmosphere is ripe for such a coming together of third party and independent forces. After all, the state has flirted with such political movements for years. And, of course, there's nothing to prevent us from still turning to Devens as the person to lead that coalition if he appears to possess the right qualities.