Sen. Mark Begich, as well as the super-PAC that supports him, have repeatedly gone after GOP Senate candidate Dan Sullivan for everything from residency questions to support of a permitting bill. In an ad released last week, Begich mocked Sullivan for a commercial Sullivan shot atop the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, which was built during Begich’s tenure as mayor of Anchorage, and which he considered one of his crowing achievements. Begich then offers Sullivan advice on other sites he might consider for future ads.
Sullivan accepts the advice and fires back at Begich for the first time. The results are pretty good. And for the first time, Sullivan appears relaxed, proves that he has a personality, and seems to be having fun on camera.
Dan Sullivan had the same meteoric rise that Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry all did in 2012 running for president. Sullivan may be a bit (a bunch) more steady than any of those candidates, but I think the after effect is similar… too much energy too soon is damaging when it can’t be sustained, because there is the feeling of backwards momentum as soon as the rise starts to decelerate. Mead seems to be capitalizing on it, and I think has a great shot at winning the nomination.
I have a very close friend that came to Alaska when he was seven years old and lived here until he joined the Army. When he get back from Afghanistan, he is coming to visit and we are going to go fishing. He will have to purchase a non-resident fishing license. I will be sure to tell him that he isn’t Alaskan enough to ever run for office in our state.
Some folks commenting actually feel it is okay to have highly inconsistent residency answers on a AK fishing license, IF you’ve traveled to rural Alaska! AND hung out at a in laws fish camp. Good grief what a joke.
Fun and made me smile, however as I become more cognizant and observant of the races with Amanda’s coverage, and her former paper AK Dispatch (Which as I recall she started – if people didn’t know), and other moderate blogs and FB pages, it seems Mead is the slow growth candidate, and by the Primary everyone may be surprised ( or not) should he win. Sully vs Begich, Begich vs Sully… seems all the messaging and ad analysis; Treadwell goes about his business absent any self-aggrandizement. The story is becoming more about him now, by the very omission of his coverage. Miller’s team may assert the same rationale, but the polls can’t by 25% off no matter who facilitated.
While I saw this story yesterday, I have now seen oit posted elsewhere. Once again, this blog is the first to ost on many, many stories. Yesterday, the Anchorage Daily News posted a story on salmonpac that you wrote about over a week ago. This site is “THE” place to go for Alaska political news.
Silly argument. Moved his family with him to work in DC for the State Department. He can back and got a fishing license because he couldn’t afford two houses in two places. You want to fault the guy for wanting his family with him while working an important position in the war on terror? Your desperation is showing.
Folks need to understand that Dan has spent a lot of time at his family’s fish camp on re Yukon near Rampart. He is also the only AG to visit places and hold meetings in Galena, Ruby, and Unalakleet. Ask the whaling captains in Barrow what they think of him. The charge that he has never been off the road system is just false.
Do you know why Begich did not go ugly when campaigning against Stevens?
L48 Dan’s State of Alaska’s fishing licenses speak for themselves.
I agree. This race is about one thing and that’s Begich’s record. Everything else is a distraction.
This is the best ad Sullivan has aired thus far. Instead of all the BS about I did this and I did that, this ad actually shows a little personality. Really nice.
The biggest LIAR, LIAR, LIAR in the senate race is Begich, bar none. The critical comments about this ad from Begich supporters is laughable, disgusting and rude. Begich knows only one way to campaign: to lie, be negative and complain. Boy, do we ever need to new senator. No matter who’s elected, I’m sure they will have more morals and scrupples than Begich.
Character assassination and making up stories about Dan Sullivan’s record and accomplishments, will only work for so long. Eventually your candidate will be left with having to answer for his actual Senate record, which is poor and cannot be easily defended. The left in this state continues to paint Sullivan as someone that he is not without any real evidence to support the claims. You are going negative too quickly and I think it will backfire.
Karl aka Ham Rove is a DNR Dan advisor who told him to defer any questions about his Alaska residency by immediately mentioning something about his military service (reported Huffington Post). It is the same ploy Rove used during the Iraq war, when anyone who opposed the war was told they ‘didn’t support the troops.’
Dan, how can you represent all Alaskans when you have yet to speak with half the state’s population off the road system? Afraid to defend your ‘development at all costs for Outside mega-corporations’ platform? So courageous!
DNR Dan’s campaign slogan should be “pave Paradise and put up a parking lot.”
Taking credit for other people’s work? I don’t understand. Sullivan must not have been in Alaska when the Dena’ina Center was planned and built from about 2005-2008. Begich drove that project.
For once, I disagree with you Amanda. This was just a cheap copy of a much better product compared to the Begich spot. Dan better bring a lot more heat than that or Begich will chew him up. Once you get past the ridiculous spin about Begich portrayed by CrossRoadsGPS, Americans for Prosperity, and the US Chamber, we’ll see if Sullivan (IF he gets through the primary) has an A game.
And I’m sure Dan would be as independent as Carl Rove, Grover Norquist, and the Koch brothers will allow him to be.
So what’s the big whoop with the snow machine and Begich? Was it because he rode one on the tundra, up on the slope? Cracks me up, cause that is what humans do up on the tundra, up in the north slope, in the winter.
L48 Dan should stick to mixed residency answers on his various State of Alaska fishing licenses and leave the snow machine riding to those that actually live here.
But what is truly funny, is the republican primary. It hasn’t happened yet. Someone, please tell L48 Dan that, so he’ll show up for a debate, instead of fund raising in Ohio. Just saying.
Really? So Dan is expected to sit back and let Begich continue to bash him?
It is about time that Sullivan take a jake a jab at Begich.
Great ad. Made me laugh. Nice slap without the sarcastic meaness that permeates Begich’s ads. I grew up around Mark and you’re right to poke fun at his Snow machine experience.
With commercials like this one, you would think Dan was already in the General – a real independent voice though, really?