Every so often, people have asked us: Is the Swing State Project going to endorse anyone this cycle? Our answer has never changed: If we think there’s a special opportunity where a small blog like ours can make a real difference, we’ll seize on it. This cycle, though, we haven’t spotted any candidacies that fit the bill.
If you read SSP on a daily basis, you probably won’t be surprised by our choice – but we hope you are pleased, and that you’ll join us in springing in to action. By now, you are of course familiar with Scott McAdams, the Democratic nominee for senate in the state of Alaska, and it is our pleasure to endorse him. We’re setting a goal of raising the equivalent of one maximum federal donation – $2,400 – for his campaign.
So why do we like this race?
- McAdams is a bona fide Alaskan with an authentic pedigree as a commercial fishing deckhand and a small-town mayor. I’m not sure you can get more genuinely Alaskan than that.
- Joe Miller, his opponent, is a teabagger’s teabagger, with views that are pretty crazy even by red-state Republican standards. He wants to eliminate Social Security – as in, get rid of it completely. No exaggeration.
- Lisa Murkowski, the incumbent Miller beat to make this race go topsy-turvy, has been notably mum on any endorsement. There’s definitely bad blood here, and it could linger.
- McAdams is being backed to the hilt by Alaska’s senior Dem, Sen. Mark Begich, a true mensch who knows how to win in a very difficult state.
- Finally, Alaska is a cheap state – damn cheap – and a little money can go a long way here. SSP may not have Chuck Schumer’s rolodex, but $2,400 can do a lot in the Land of the Midnight Sun.
We know this has been a tough and in many ways dispiriting cycle. There haven’t been a whole lot of bright spots on the horizon. But this race is definitely one of them. We can make a real difference. Help us get started – now.
Even in this tough environment. Sarah Palin isn’t as popular these days among the general electorate as she was with the GOP primary voters, not even in Alaska. And Begich proved Dems can win with good candidates, even with massive headwinds blowing against us (as they did here in 2008 with Palin on the ticket).
I’d honestly peg this as Leans R now, but that can change with a good campaign on our side and more gaffes and infighting on theirs.
but we don’t know a lot about him. sure he’s better than miller, but he’s been ignored by the media until now and might have some sort of skeleton in his closet we don’t know about. it sounds paranoid i know, but still.
this race would send a powerful signal to the entire country that even in the reddest states in the country, the voters will not tolerate the unrestrained extremism of the tea party.
If McAdams doesn’t win, the Senate ‘stache caucus will only consist of John Hoeven. Clearly the Democratic Party can’t allow the Republicans to claim all of the mustaches in the Senate!
on McAdams’ campaign website at the moment: http://scottmcadams.org/
This is a wonderful thing you’re doing.
I was looking for video of him and there’s not a lot on youtube, but here’s a nice luncheon speech he gave the day after the election: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
He’s a decent public speaker. His Rachel Maddow appearance yesterday wasn’t the greatest, but he’ll improve- it’s a bit different speaking to a camera with an ear piece rather than speaking directly to people normally.
I feel like governors and state legislatures ought to be our priority, given the redistricting that will be coming up. Maybe you can find some gubernatorial candidates with redistricting influence to endorse? But I pitched in $10 anyway just to be a team player.
… which is slightly lower than Gillibrand’s Republican opponent. To be sure, Alaska is a cheap market, but the marginal returns are still going to be pretty low.
I’m not sure if touting the SSP endorsement says more about the SSP or McAdams.
As a cash-strapped college boy, I have a verrry tight budget. Right now, I’ve decided to donate to Jack Conway, Tom Perriello, and a few New York State Senate candidates. With a SSP endorsement, though, I’m seriously considering it. He seems like a good candidate and a good guy. We’ll see…
be honest David, his awesome stash is helping your endorsement. Seriously though I saw him on Maddow and was very impressed with him. I loved that he talked about environmental issues and he really seemed like a great guy. An environmentalist from Alaska! Also he’s not another career pol. He is living the American dream, working his way up from a deckhand to a US Senator! He was a fairly effective speaker as well, which was something I was worried about as well. I’ll want to wait to see more polling but I can definitely see myself giving him some coy down the road.
about that ‘Support Joe Miller’ ad running from Google on the left side there, but I didn’t expect you to go with an all out endorsement. Nevetheless, good luck to you. It’s going to be an interesting race.
This is a Democratic site. By definition doesn’t that mean SSP endorses EVERY Democratic nominee? Obviously there are exceptions like when a LaRouchie or a teabagger sneaks on to the Democratic line when Democrats don’t recruit anyone in a hopeless contest, but otherwise I don’t understand what “endorse” means in the context of this site.
Is it simply that SSP has set up its own Act Blue page for McAdams?
Fair enough if that’s it.
But otherwise, this reminds me of the discussions here and in the political media about Obama “endorsing” or “not endorsing” various Democrats for November, when in reality he endorses every Democratic nominee and the only “endorsement” that’s newsworthy is in a primary.
I probably only have enough money to give to a couple of out of state candidate, and I was going to choose Jack Conaway (I can’t stand Rand Paul), but now I’m reconsidering that choice.
To answer DC’s query, this is the first candidate I remember SSP asking for money to support.
This is my first election cycle here so I haven’t seen an endorsement before.
Obviously, you all know I’m on the other side here, but I gotta admit that dollar for dollar, this is the smartest donation for Democrats to make this year. Ten bucks goes a lot further in Alaska than in most states, and you could argue that McAdams chances are no worse than any Dem challenger this year other than Conway.
I’m gone for a day and suddenly SSP gets all warbloggy.
But I have to admit, in addition to being a surprisingly perfect candidate for this race and this cycle, Scott McAdams is adorable.
Not in a “I wanna get it on with him” sort of way, more in an “adorable baby whose cheeks I wanna pinch” sort of way.
And, obvs, the stache. That could very well be the best stache in the entire 112th Congress.
…. I am making an exception in this case. $25 ($20 for the man, $5 for the stash)
I’m yet another poor college student, but I chipped in $10. Now if I could figure out just how to cover my student fees this coming year…..