An Alaska topic. 
My favorite kind. 
Actually, a rather large issue we Alaskans pay close attention to is who will let us develop our land. States' rights if you will. And the Republicans fit the bill. Even the Democrats up here look out for the state. Tony Knowles, a liberal Democrat, was a very strong supporter of ANWR. And Alaskan Dems usually have to be moderate in order to win anything up here. Again, Tony Knowles was against gun control.
Right. A true Alaskan knows Alaska. The only cities in Alaska that even came close to going democratic were Juneau (which did) + Bethel. Bethel most likely because of its large native population and Juneau because it is the capital city and where all the environmentalist "wackos" from the lower 48 flock to when they want to enjoy Alaska's natural beauty but don't want to be surrounded by those who hate them.
Ketchikan is one of Alaska's most republican cities. This is because it has NOWHERE to expand - a typical problem in Alaska. All of the land surrounding it is protected. I remember reading the Juneau empire last summer while on vacation and reading a surprisingly unbiased article about Bush signing or supporting something (don't remember details) favoring allowing the state to decide whether or not to build roads in the Tongass. For those who don't know - although it isn't an island you can't drive to Juneau, nor any of the other areas in the bush. Correct me if I am wrong on any of that AKsaber.
Alaska is a libertarian state with some of the lowest taxes in the nation. They also seem to almost separate themselves from the other 49 states in a way that no other states seems to do (ok except Texas). States rights is a huge issue. All that rural land and EXCELLENT hunting makes it one of the most anti-gun contoll states in the nation. I have mentioned it too many times. Rural areas SHOULD have looser gun regulation. Living where I do now I would be inclined to vote for most gun controll measures. If I lived in Alaska I would probablly be against those EXACT SAME measures. In NJ the only animal that is around to be hunted is usually people (and that isn't a good thing). Self-defense is much more necessary when your nearest neighbor that can help you is a mile away and no one can hear your screams (I am a sick little SOB). Lets see here - the environment. They hate it and they hate environmentalists. If you live in NYC all you see is people, pollution, and metropolis. It looks like people are destroying the planet. If you live in Alaska you see pristine wilderness and undeveloped land. This is why rural states are against environmental regulation.
