Establishment Narrative Dies In Republican Primary For Alaska US Senate Seat

joe-miller-roe-vs-wade-is-threat-1140x641Throughout the primary, pollsters and pundits laughed off Joe Miller’s candidacy as a Quixote run. By summer 2014, the polls showed him 25 points behind his Establishment opponents. And almost all of the high profile national Tea Party and conservative groups pushing insurgent challengers around the country left him for dead, offering no help. Several of the local conservative activist groups maintained a posture of neutrality, acting as virtual subsidiaries of the Republican Party.

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There are still more than 27,000 votes to be counted in the Alaska Republican Primary for United States Senate. More than likely, the Establishment candidate, former Attorney General Dan Sullivan, will be the Republican nominee going forward.

The Establishment has claimed victory, and the media has all but declared the reform movement dead. But is that really the take-away? Let’s look at some facts.

Throughout the primary, pollsters and pundits laughed off Joe Miller’s candidacy as a Quixote run. By summer 2014, the polls showed him 25 points behind his Establishment opponents. And almost all of the high profile national Tea Party and conservative groups pushing insurgent challengers around the country left him for dead, offering no help. Several of the local conservative activist groups maintained a posture of neutrality, acting as virtual subsidiaries of the Republican Party.

The Club for Growth, usually a reliable ally of movement conservatives, linked arms with Karl Rove’s American Crossroads, the US Chamber of Commerce, Paul Singer’s Friends for an American Majority, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and other Establishment Republicans in support of their golden boy, Dan Sullivan.

Further, other Washington conservatives like Erick Erickson at RedState.com and Phyllis Schlafly at Eagle Forum jumped on the bandwagon of the supposedly “more electable” Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell, who finished a distant third.

What makes this spectacle even more outrageous is that Mead Treadwell has never been a movement conservative, though he did adopt a platform redolent with conservative rhetoric.

Dan Sullivan spent about four million dollars during the primary, and his SuperPACs spent millions more.

Joe Miller, essentially going it alone, spent less than $400K, while Mead Treadwell’s million-dollar plus conservative act cut a significant swath out of his base. Why? Because conservatives didn’t unite behind Miller. Yet, the Alaska Republican primary was still winnable.

The entry of Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and James Dobson gave Miller a significant boost. But it was just too late in the game to be decisive. Miller had run out of money and couldn’t close the gap.

The takeaway is something very different than the media and the beltway consultant class would have you believe. The truth is, 60% of Republicans weren’t swayed by the multimillion-dollar Establishment media blitz put on by Sullivan, Rove, and the US Chamber of Commerce.

Nor were they particularly enamored with Sullivan’s faux conservative schtick, a rhetorical tactic adopted by all the high-profile Establishment candidates around the country this cycle. If rhetoric counts, the Tea Party has already won.

The Alaska Republican primary was always going to come down to how the electorate was divided. If there was a clearly defined conservative up against two moderates, the conservative would win. On the other hand, if it was two conservatives dividing the base, over against one moderate, the moderate would win.

The reticence of the conservative movement to coalesce behind Miller cost us a seat to the Establishment. And given Sullivan’s rather weak position both with conservatives and libertarian independents, it could end in the re-election of Democrat Mark Begich. Surely Harry Reid and Barack Obama are applauding in the shadows.

But the demise of the reform movement is greatly exaggerated. It is time for conservatives to stop being cowed by pragmatic arguments and partisan politics. We must unite behind conservative candidates and ideas. And for the love of all that’s good, stop allowing phony polls to drive the agenda. Let’s put conservative unity above Republican unity. If we do, the future is ours.

The outcome in Alaska should lay the official establishment media narrative to rest. Conservatives didn’t lose; they surrendered.

If the right lessons are taken from this temporary setback, 2016 can be a banner year for conservatives.

Read more from Western Journalism HERE.

Breaking: What Mike Huckabee Just Did Could Reignite the Tea Party

Mike-Huckabee-Endorses-Joe-MillerBy Floyd Brown.

In race after race across America, Tea Party candidates have faced long odds and millions in Republican establishment influence money spent against them.

No candidate has faced longer odds and more establishment money being spent against him than Joe Miller. His simple pro-Constitution, free market, low tax message made him a Tea Party favorite in 2010 and Joe Miller is back running for the US Senate in Alaska. Tuesday, August 19th is the Republican Party primary which will decide his fate.

I have traveled to Alaska for a front row seat.

If I had to judge after a day shadowing the tireless candidate, I would say the money spent against him has been wasted. Here in Anchorage, I see a race uninfluenced by the millions spent against Miller.

In the last 48 hours the tide had turned and the race is now very close.

Read more from this story HERE.

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Mike Huckabee Endorses Joe Miller for U.S. Senate

Citizens for Joe Miller is pleased to announce that former Arkansas Governor and Fox News Host Mike Huckabee has endorsed Joe Miller for United States Senate.

Governor Huckabee hailed Miller’s strong stand on life, traditional values, the Fair Tax and constitutional government, calling him “the common sense choice for those who desire limited government and free market economics.”

“I am proud to have Governor Huckabee’s endorsement,” said Miller. “He is in the trenches every day, contending for common sense and traditional values. This is an incredible boost. I am grateful for his support.”

Read Huckabee’s full statement below:

“I am proud to endorse Joe Miller for United States Senate in Alaska, because Joe embodies the kind of values our country so desperately needs. He is unequivocally pro-life, pro-family, and pro-traditional marriage. And above all, he understands that life and liberty come from God.

“Joe is the only US Senate candidate endorsed by Alaska Right to Life, and my friend General Jerry Boykin at the Family Research Council.

“His understanding of Constitutional values also makes him the common sense choice for those who desire limited government and free market economics. As a fellow supporter of the Fair Tax, Joe is the kind of leader who will be a game-changer in Washington. We can restore the fortunes of America one election at a time, by electing common sense conservatives like Joe Miller.”

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Joe-Miller-and-Sarah-PalinBreaking: Sarah Palin Just Made A Major Endorsement; This Could Be A Game Changer

By B. Christopher Agee.

Fox News reported Friday that former Alaska governor and Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin has endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller in that state’s upcoming primary election.

In a statement she released to the news network, Palin offered her support for the conservative candidate.

“To restore liberty, to defend our Constitution, to build American exceptionalism, we must send fighters to the U.S. Senate who will stop Barack Obama’s fundamental transformation of the nation we love,” she wrote. “The status quo has got to go, and in Alaska the man who understands this key to our state and country’s future also has the guts, wisdom, experience and optimism to fight for what is right – and win.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Joe Miller Congratulates Dan Sullivan

Photo Credit: AP / Mark Thiessen

Photo Credit: AP / Mark Thiessen

Joe Miller called to congratulate fellow U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan on a race well run.

Miller said, “While there are still over 20,000 absentee ballots to be counted and several major precincts yet to report, it seems unlikely we will be able to close the 7000 vote gap, given the current trends. I have called and congratulated Dan Sullivan for running a strong campaign.”

Miller added, “I want to thank our volunteers for their incredible effort and those who supported our campaign throughout the great state of Alaska. The pundits said our grassroots campaign (being outspent 10 to 1) did not stand a chance, but I think ‘We the People’ surprised more than a few tonight. I am grateful to God to live in such a wonderful state and country. As Ronald Reagan reminded us, ‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,’ so I will continue to do my part to ensure it is alive and well and passed on to the next generation of Americans.”

Miller: Begich Ad Willfully Distorting the Truth, Should be Pulled

10384039_878134048865141_7628186140099520827_nToday Joe Miller weighed in on Mark Begich’s latest attack on Dan Sullivan in which the junior senator uses a clip lifted from the KTVA Republican primary debate.

“Mark Begich’s ad is completely disingenuous,” said Miller. “My words were ripped out of context. This is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Washington politicians, willful distortion of the truth. To say nothing of the fact that Mark Begich is the poster-child for Barack Obama and Harry Reid’s dirty money. The ad needs to be pulled.”

The context of the Joe Miller quote was a general question posed by Alaska Dispatch reporter Nat Hertz during the KTVA/Alaska Dispatch debate regarding big outside money coming into Alaska in order to influence the outcome of the US Senate race.

“Joe was merely pointing out that Alaskans need to be discerning with respect to who is giving the money and what they hope to get in return for their investment,” said Miller Press Secretary Randy DeSoto. “Senator Begich is not only twisting Joe’s words, he’s being incredibly hypocritical, given he has taken millions from outside special interests.”

It should be clear to Alaskans that Mark Begich is playing the insider game. This is just more evidence that he’s been corrupted by Washington and needs to go.

Miller concluded, “Instead of spending his time misleading Alaskans, Mark Begich should be getting help for his spending addiction, or working to clean up the Obamacare mess he made by delivering the 60th and deciding vote for its passage. Alaskans might also appreciate it if he found the courage to stand up and oppose at least one of the President’s radical nominees. Then he might actually be a ‘thorn’ in Barack Obama’s backside.”

Behind Slew of Alaska Break-Ins: Bears

Photo Credit: AP File / Mark Thiessen

Photo Credit: AP File / Mark Thiessen

An environmental expert traveled 50 miles of Alaskan coastline last week, and every single cabin he encountered had suffered a break-in—by bears . . .

Though periodic bear break-ins aren’t unusual, this season the creatures have bashed their way into “dozens and dozens” of cabins, a state wildlife biologist says. And they’re “not going straight to kitchen. They’re causing a lot of mayhem,” says a US Park Service biologist. “It looks like a frat party occurred in there.” Two possible reasons: The number of brown bears appears to be up this year, while berry growth is down.

Read more from this story HERE.

Begich to Face Sullivan

Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

A strong showing in Homer by Republican Party U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller surprised almost everybody — everybody except a spirited group of supporters on the lower Kenai Peninsula.

“In the past week and a half, just monitoring what’s going on across the state, we really saw a surge of support in Anchorage,” said Barnabas Firth, a Miller campaign volunteer. “Down here locally we have a strong support base. I really expected him to have a stronger showing than the polls were indicating.”

In all nine House District 31 precincts from Funny River to the head of Kachemak Bay, Miller took first, with 1,332 votes. Former attorney general Dan Sullivan finished second with 948 votes and Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell finished third with 586 votes. In Anchor Point, his strongest precinct, Miller won with 53 percent of the vote, 253 votes to Sullivan’s 135.

Statewide, though, Sullivan has won the nomination and will face Democratic Party nominee and incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Begich in the general election. Sullivan got 40 percent of the vote to Miller’s 32 percent and Treadwell’s 25 percent.

For Treadwell supporter Jon Faulkner, Miller’s strong showing came as a surprise.

Read more from this story HERE.

Interview with AK Senate Candidate Joe Miller on Immigration, Family, America

miller-joe-Alaska-photo-3-2jpg“Government should be the servant, not the master,” said U.S. Senate candidate from Alaska Joe Miller in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News leading up to Alaska’s Tuesday primary election.

Miller has recently received coveted endorsements from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and nationally syndicated radio host Mark Levin.

Joe Miller comes from humble beginnings, as does his wife Kathleen. They both grew up poor, and he grew up in farm country. Miller went on to graduate from West Point, serve in the Army in Desert Storm, serve as an M1A1 tank platoon leader and was awarded the Bronze Star. He attended Yale law school, moved to Alaska in 1994, served as a magistrate judge in Alaska, and returned to practice law after leaving the judicial realm. He and his family also run three businesses, including a bed and breakfast. Miller commented that he is the only non-millionaire, major candidate in this Senate race.

During his interview with Breitbart, Miller discussed how he would approach the issue of illegal immigration, his family’s personal experience with legal immigration, constitutionally limited government, facing off against Democrat Mark Begich, fighting corruption with Sarah Palin, the Republican establishment, and his unique ability to relate to the tough situations Alaskans and Americans face in today’s economy.

Miller has outlined a seven point plan addressing the border and illegal alien crisis, which can be viewed on his website.

“We can’t allow amnesty. It’s an inducement,” Miller told Breitbart News. “We have to rid ourselves of other inducements as well. The taxpayer-funded inducements that cause people to want to come here. If you take away the benefits of illegal immigration, the end result is that you’ll have less of it, but if you reinforce it with rewards, then it’s a pretty simple concept, you’re going to have more illegals here. The approach that lacks the most compassion is the one that encourages more of this catastrophe.”

Miller brings personal perspective to the immigration conversation with multiple family members who have either immigrated legally or are first-generation American-born citizens. One of his daughters and a son-in-law live in Mexico. He commented, “I speak from a bit of a position of personal interest. I’ve got a Mexican national as a son-in-law. I’ve got a grandson that’s a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States.”

“So this is not something that we’re saying, hey we want to slam the door shut on immigration. My wife is the first natural born American in her family.”

“It’s a matter of national importance. When we basically reject the rule of law, we use this as basically, the president has, as political opportunism. Basically the agent by which he can expand his base.”

Read more from this story HERE.

In Alaska, Candidate's Call for Impeachment Resonates on Facebook

cnnjoemillerBy Matthew MacWilliams and Nicole Berns.

Is calling for President Obama’s impeachment smart politics for Republican candidates hoping to strike a responsive chord with Republican base voters and galvanize them? If the reaction on Facebook to Alaska GOP Senate hopeful Joe Miller’s call for a takedown of Obama is any indication, the answer is without a doubt “Yes!”

In last week’s debate between GOP Senate hopefuls in Alaska, Tea Party favorite Joe Miller insisted: “It’s time to impeach this president for dereliction of duty, selectively enforcing the law, and usurping powers that the Constitution does not authorize. He is willfully undermining the rule of law and creating chaos.”

Miller then challenged the other Republican Senate candidates to join him in supporting the impeachment of Obama. They did not.

The reaction to Miller’s takedown challenge on Facebook was immediate. Engagement on Miller’s Facebook page, as measured by “People Talking About This” data or PTAT, surged past 45,000 — 30 times his average over the last several months that we have tracked. By comparison, according to our tracking, Miller’s opponents in the primary, Republicans Mead Treadwell and Dan Sullivan, received no spike in Facebook engagement after the debate.

Read more from this story HERE.

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Why We Need Joe Miller

By Dustin Stockton.

The Tea Party’s movements efforts in the US senate have proven difficult. Senators like Rand Paul, Ted Cruise and Mike Lee have been doing an excellent job but have struggled because they lack of reinforcements. Two of our senators, Paul and Cruise are making it clear that they plan to run for president in 2016. Will the Senate’s best conservative wing man Mike Lee have a wing man?

Tea Party favorite Joe Miller seemed to be a sure bet after defeating establishment Senator Lisa Murkowski in the Republican primary of 2010. After a questionable write in campaign, Murkowski managed to squeak out a “victory” in the general election. Murkowski’s sour grapes were funded and supported by corny businesses who spent millions of dollars attacking the Republican nominee.

Read more from this story HERE.

Tea-Party Favorite Looks to 'Shock the World'

JOE MILLERBy Garth Kant, WND.

Joe Miller is a man who knows how to pull off a political miracle, and he believes he is on the verge of making history repeat in Alaska.

Four years ago, the little-known attorney from Fairbanks knocked off entrenched incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, in a major upset in the GOP primary.

As WND’s Selena Owens described last week, an alarmed GOP establishment then teamed up with the Democratic establishment, and the senator retained her seat by winning in the November general election.

This time, Miller is facing what he described to WND as two establishment candidates in Tuesday’s GOP primary, but said, “This is going to be another upset. We’re going to shock the world again.”

Although the establishment has poured millions into the race, the biggest obstacle this time around, according to Miller, isn’t really money. It has been getting the word out to Alaskans about just how popular his campaign is with top conservatives.

He has been endorsed by such conservative stars as Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Mike Huckabee, Dr. James Dobson and retired Gen. Jerry Boykin.

But, he said, that has received little attention in the mainstream press.

Despite that, he called the three-way race in Tuesday’s election a genuine toss-up, because, with more than 40 percent of voters undecided, voter turnout would be the key. Miller predicted his grassroots get-out-the-vote effort would make all the difference.

The Fairbanks attorney told WND the big change in the race lately has been the strength he has gained in Anchorage, partly because he has been gaining momentum with the undecideds, who are breaking his way.

Read more from this story HERE.

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Miller Aims for Late Surge In Alaska Senate Primary

By Reid J. Epstein.

A day before Alaskans pick a Republican opponent for Democratic Sen. Mark Begich, Joe Miller is trying to replicate the 2010 surge that won him the surprise GOP Senate nomination.

Mr. Miller, who has drawn tea-party support, has spent the summer campaigning not just against his GOP opponents—former state attorney general Dan Sullivan and current Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell —but against Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whom he beat in the 2010 GOP Senate primary only to lose to her when she ran a write-in campaign for the general election.

Mr. Miller has gained on Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Treadwell in the campaign’s final days, people with access to private polling said, though he still trails Mr. Sullivan.

Former Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed Mr. Miller, an attorney and former U.S. magistrate judge, on Friday, and the campaign announced Sunday that Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate, is in Mr. Miller’s camp.

Read more from this story HERE.

Mead Treadwell Faces Backlash Over His Companies’ Development Of Spying Technology

Photo Credit: Facebook / Mead Treadwell for United States Senate

Photo Credit: Facebook / Mead Treadwell for United States Senate

As the Alaska GOP primary election nears, one of the Republicans vying to replace Democrat Sen. Mark Begich is embroiled in a new scandal regarding his stated aversion of federal spying programs.

Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell has spoken publicly against efforts by the National Security Agency and other federal entities to gather information on Americans through mass surveillance

KDLG reported this week that, despite Treadwell’s rhetoric, two of his companies have benefited greatly from the pursuit of such technologies. Alaska Democratic Party spokesperson Zack Fields noted the apparent inconsistencies between his stated position and the financial motives to support NSA spying.

“Treadwell says the government snoops too much,” Fields said, “but his own company, where he was CEO and on the board of directors, got an earmark for spy technology.”

KDLG reported that the company in question is Venture Ad Astra, which produces “remote sensing and location-based technology.”

Read more from this story HERE.