Scenes From the Egan Center - Alaska 2008 Primary Night

The 2008 Alaska Primary Race is over. I'll be writing about it later today, when I have more time. I'll make one observation now, though. Turnout, after all the hype, was lower than I expected. 20,000 less voters voted in the AK-AL race than I was hoping for. 48,056 voted in that contest in 2006. At 97% count, it is around 65,000 for that race in 2008. In that same contest, Democratic Party ticket increased about 15% over 2006. Republican Party participation in that rather close contest, was only up 11% from 2006.

And - this is rather troubling. I've been commenting about how weird it is for Ted Stevens' supporters to be using their kids as props in his campaign appearances. Well, it turns out, they are largely his grandkids, and youngsters bought (hired out) from the Covenant House. Sick....? Well, somebody in the know observed to me, "Hey - they need the work!"

Sen. Ted Stevens, from below, on KTUU set. Several people, including Republicans, commented to me how old and troubled he looks.

Linda Menard, who convinced Senate President Lyda Green to pull out of the GOP Primary race, happy with her cruise to Primary victory.

Mr. Whitekeys. I asked him if he was thinking, "WTF?" He laughed that great laugh of his, responding, "So much new material, so little time...."

Mark Begich's internet guru, Matt Browner Hamlin, back to work, after being detained in Hong Kong, for unfurling a Tibetan flag during the Summer Olympics.

Shannyn Moore trying to interview me: "Did you guys totally screw up, or what?"

David Shurtleff, Ethan Berkowitz's Communications director, and me, beginning to make up. Actually, we've been fine.

I asked Ethan Berkowitz's wife, Mara Kimmel, to pin one of her husband's campaign buttons on my lapel before I left the hall.