Is Sarah Palin Nipping at Ted Stevens' Heels?

The Washington Post ^ | November 5, 2008 | Mary Ann Akres

[Clintonfatigued]

We have a fascinating situation in Alaska. Convicted felon Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is clinging to a 2 point lead over his Democratic challenger, Mark Begich.

If this lead holds and Stevens, 84, wins reelection, his race will be the biggest shocker of Election Day. And he'll hold a place in history as the first convicted felon ever reelected to the Senate.

As the Anchorage Daily News reports, the race may not be decided for two weeks given the roughly 40,000 absentee ballots left to be counted, plus "9,000 uncounted early votes and thousands of questioned ballots."

If Stevens does beat the odds and wins his surreal reelection battle, he won't be welcome back in the Senate, where Democrats gained at least five more seats last night with the counting still going strong in yet undecided races.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said this week that even if Stevens wins his race, he shouldn't expect to keep his job on Capitol Hill. "The reality is that a convicted felon is not going to be able to serve in the United States Senate," Reid said. "And as precedent shows us, Senator Stevens will face an ethics committee investigation and expulsion, regardless of his appeals process."

And what might happen if his colleagues do kick Stevens out of the Senate, prompting a special election? Who might be in line to replace him? Hint: lipstick; $150,000 wardrobe. Yep, you betcha! Sarah Palin.

And although Palin would likely face a legal challenge if she tried to appoint herself or a temporary replacement (a law passed by the Alaska Legislature after Lisa Murkowski's appointment to the Senate by her father, former Gov. Frank Murkowski, requires a special election to fill any Senate vacancies) she would certainly be the frontrunner in any race to replace Stevens.

[Non-Sequitur]

I’d be surprised if she did run, assuming she’s still after the White House. She knows that, 2008 not withstanding, the road to the White House doesn’t run through the Senate chamber. Get re-elected governor in 2010 and run in 2012 with a term and a half under her belt.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

She knows that, 2008 not withstanding, the road to the White House doesn’t run through the Senate chamber. Get re-elected governor in 2010 and run in 2012 with a term and a half under her belt.

[Jim Noble]

AS I have said before, I'll repeat: The Democrats, both in Alaska and nationally, will spend whatever is necessary and do whatever is necessary to destroy any chance of success in the remaining years of Governor Palin's term. She will not be returning to the same congenial atmosphere which she left in August.

I agree, she should not appoint herself to a temporary Senatorship.

But she absolutely should run in the special election. A six-year tour of duty in the belly of the beast is just what is needed - both for her, and for us as well.

She would become, in a media-saturated age, the Leader of the Opposition - a job which, as you may have noticed, has been vacant for many years.

Am I sure she's up to it? No, I'm not sure.

But if she can shine in the cesspool which is Washington, then a run in 2012 is a real possibility. If she spends the next four years in Juneau, off the front page while being constantly slimed and obstructed by remote control, that has less chance of coming true.

[xzins]

Palin should be in any race for that Senate seat. I’d love for her to go there simply to stick it in their eye.

[Homer1]

He did need to qualify the statement by saying “convicted.”

[Senator Goldwater]

Good grief. Why would she want to do that? She’s got the coolest job in the coolest state in the country. Being a Senator would be a giant step DOWN.

---

Exactly.

You don’t get your presidents from Capitol Hill.

[BerniesFriend]

yeah yeah..I like the idea of Palin running for Stevens seat..she could get the same geniuses who ran mccain’s campaign to help her..you know..let the msm do the first interviews..leak out stuff about her wardrobe..call her stupid behind her back..cool stuff..oh..and spend all her time in Pennsylvania..

[phillyfanatic]

Yes,I would love Palin to take over Stevens’ seat. If Mur. is challenged in 2010, she could win that too if she decides to appoint a part timer. Who knows?

[cyberslave]

The reason why McCain lost was because Obama got single white women to vote for him. Palin wasn't able to hold that constituency now and she won't be able to attract it four years from now.

Besides, Palin is headed for Hollywood...see post on this site.

Romney?

Don't know what his plans are, and I have my doubts that he can re-ignite something he failed to ignite this year, the base of the Republican Party.

It just that hindsight is 20/20 and Romney as Veep would've energized the base, split the single white woman voters because he has sex appeal like Obama, and provided a strong economic hand during troubled times. He should've been the veep and we would've won.

Sure Palin is a great conservative personality, but she just doesn't possess the skills and knowledge necessary to pull of a successful national candidacy. Don't get me wrong, I like Palin. In fact, I like her more than Romney, but that doesn't change my judgment of who amongst them would make a better candidate.

And I am not blaming Palin for the loss, that's largely McCain'z fault because he failed to ignite the base and about six million Republican voters stayed home or voted for Obama. Yes Obama! Exit polls indicate Obama got 18% of the voting Republicans.

In fact, if it had been Palin v Obama we probably would've won.