Lisa From Alaska

[Progressive]

READY TO RUMBLE

"Oh what have I done," thought Senator Lisa Murkowski, the Republican renegade from Alaska. It was January 27, 2020, and Murkowski was about to face the agitator in chief from her own party, President Donald Trump. Trump avoided and avoided debating, but with the Iowa Caucuses just a week or so away, Trump reluctantly agreed to debate Murkowski.

Lisa Murkowski, who wore a small "Lisa" pin along with an American flag lapel, read over her main sticking points for the evening. President Trump drove America back into economic uncertainty. Health care for all would be achieved by building on not destroying Obamacare. Tweeting and antagonizing our allies and enemies alike made the military weary and destroyed morale.

Lisa knew this would be an uphill battle. The Fox News Channel was likely to provide thought questions for both her and the President, but she did not expect a friendly audience at the debate. Still, she was buoyed by her supporters and endorsements. Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) announced that day that he would support and vote for Lisa for president, and she began to soak up the support of Never Trump Republican strategists like Tim Miller and Rick Wilson.

But before we get into debate night, let's take a look at how we got here.

NEXT: The Trump Presidency that led to Lisa Murkowski running against the president of her own party.

[TheSaint250]

Yay! This should be good

[America Needs R'hllor]

Yay! This should be good

[_]

Yay! This should be good

[Illini Moderate]

Can't wait to read!!

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Yay! This should be good

[Senator Cris]

Yay! This should be good

[Progressive]

Trump until Murkowski: A Mess of Epic Proportions

Legislation

The Wall: In 2018, House and Senate GOP passed a bill giving some funding to a border wall. The construction came to a halt when it was discovered that Department of Homeland Security secured a contract with a company that built the wall poorly. In late 2018, a crane collapsed killing 12 workers and due to pending litigation, most construction has been halted.

Health Care: In 2019, exactly a year before the Iowa Caucuses, the House and Senate passed a repeal of Obamacare called ICHA (ay-cha) Individual Choices in Health Act, creating private health care savings accounts for those who want to save to purchase private health insurance. Millions of individuals lost coverage, though the House and Senate passed a bill preventing pre-existing conditions from blocking insurance and allowed people to stay on parent health care until age 25. Murkowski voted against ICHA, but voted for the pre-existing condition and health until age 25 bills.

Foreign Policy

A nearly three year cold conflict has existed between the U.S. and North Korea with battle ships lined up throughout the Pacific. One day, in 2018, Trump was on another extended vacation at a golf course when North Korean war ships moved toward Guam. Trump, due to an extended period of muscular in action, took a fall during a reluctant briefing with reporters. "Why are you bothering me when I'm here?" asked the president, before falling over a single step to reach the podium.

The nasty fall was caught on camera, and the White House reported "minor" effects on the president's vision. Pundits noted that Trump frequently squinted when talking, and gained a substantial amount of weight, adding on to his already bulbous figure.

The Politics

Democrats gained a net of one Senate seat in 2018, defeating Jeff Flake and Dean Heller, while only losing Joe Donnelly of Indiana.

Democrats gained 22 House seats, just short of the amount needed to retake the House.

President Trump's approval rating and favorably numbers were horrid by August 2019, when Sen. Lisa Murkowski launched her bid.

TRUMP APPROVAL NUMBERS BEFORE IOWA DEBATE

National:
Approve     31%
Disapprove 63%

GOP:
Approve      66%
Disapprove  31%

GOP + GOP Leaning Independents
Approve       57%
Disapprove   38%

Overall Independents:
Approve      30%
Disapprove  65%

Iowa GOP caucus goers
Approve       59%
Disapprove   35%

[The Govanah Jake]

Lisa 2020

[Progressive]

DEBATE NIGHT IN IOWA: January 27, 2020

Notable Lines, Trump

"Secretary Clinton, I'm sorry, Little Lisa, Ms. Senator, sorry I can't tell the difference. Folks you know. You know what I mean out there."

"Wow I'm surprised frankly, Lisa. With all I've done for women. Especially white women. I would have thought you'd be thanking me. Got all of those affirmative action programs so more people can become Alaska senator. I guess not, right folks."

"I ran for office 4 years ago to stop people like this lady over here from making your lives more miserable and we've already done that. Jobs baby, jobs. We've done so much with the jobs situation that Lisa she should again be thanking me just like that lady out there with the pink lips [ostensibly pointing to a member of the audience]."

"Look if you go vote for Lisa whatever her last name is go ahead. I go on vacation and you get a Hillary clone. Is that what you want?"

Notable Lines, Murkowski

"Mr. President, you take Republican voters for granted. You insult all of our intelligence. We see right through your nutty comments and hapless policies."

"I respect your office, Mr. President and guess what I even respect you for getting elected. But you recently called Iowans 'corn pickers' and called New Hampshire a 'drug den.' President Trump, we can't all be billionaires in ivory towers."

"Ladies and gentleman I called out the mess four years ago with President Obama and I'll call out the mess again here with President Trump. Just like President Obama, President Trump has no idea what the heck he's doing."

THE AFTERMATH

Trump campaign manager, and former adviser, Kellyanne Conway explained that Trump's bizarre debate performance was due to his work as president. "Maybe with Lisa Murkowski weren't running a Don Quijote campaign experiment for the Democrats, President Trump would have more time to come up with crafty responses that fit the lame stream media agenda."

A CNN snap poll of Republican voters showed that 52% felt Lisa Murkowski "won or did better" in the debate and 34% who watched thought that Trump "won or did better," while 14% thought neither candidate did better than the other.

GOP likely voters surveyed explained that the debate would have little bearing on their choice in the primary. 19% said the debate made them less likely to vote for Trump, 10% said more likely, and 71% said the debate would make no difference.

Just a few days before Iowa, GOP and GOP-leaning voters nationally support President Trump 63% over Lisa Murkowski, 29%, a six-point bounce for the Alaska senator.

NEXT: IOWA CAUCUS RESULTS

[Confused Democrat]

I doubt Murkowski will be able to pull off an upset win Iowa, but I bet her campaign is hoping for a strong double digit showing bolstering her appeal and energizing reluctant supporters in New Hampshire. New Hampshire will be the real make or break test.

I understand that New Hampshire was more favorable to Trump in 2016, but recent polling in our time line shows that Trump is quite vulnerable to a challenger in the granite state. I think Murkowski might be able to pull it off if she plays her cards right.

Also, mind giving us an update on the Democratic primaries. Who won Iowa on that side?

[Progressive]

I doubt Murkowski will be able to pull off an upset win Iowa, but I bet her campaign is hoping for a strong double digit showing bolstering her appeal and energizing reluctant supporters in New Hampshire. New Hampshire will be the real make or break test.

I understand that New Hampshire was more favorable to Trump in 2016, but recent polling in our time line shows that Trump is quite vulnerable to a challenger in the granite state. I think Murkowski might be able to pull it off if she plays her cards right.

Also, mind giving us an update on the Democratic primaries. Who won Iowa on that side?

Sure. So just keep in mind Iowa hasn't voted yet. My next post will be Iowa GOP (and Dem.) results.

Here are the candidates in the Democratic primaries going into Iowa:
*Bernie Sanders
*Joe Biden
*Kamala Harris
*Andrew Cuomo
*Martin O'Malley
*Julian Castro
*Steve Bullock
*Seth Moulton
*Cory Booker
*John Delaney

[libertpaulian]

I doubt Murkowski will be able to pull off an upset win Iowa, but I bet her campaign is hoping for a strong double digit showing bolstering her appeal and energizing reluctant supporters in New Hampshire. New Hampshire will be the real make or break test.

I understand that New Hampshire was more favorable to Trump in 2016, but recent polling in our time line shows that Trump is quite vulnerable to a challenger in the granite state. I think Murkowski might be able to pull it off if she plays her cards right.

Also, mind giving us an update on the Democratic primaries. Who won Iowa on that side?

Sure. So just keep in mind Iowa hasn't voted yet. My next post will be Iowa GOP (and Dem.) results.

Here are the candidates in the Democratic primaries going into Iowa:
*Bernie Sanders
*Joe Biden
*Kamala Harris
*Andrew Cuomo
*Martin O'Malley
*Julian Castro
*Steve Bullock
*Seth Moulton
*Cory Booker
*John Delaney

I'm surprised more women didn't run.

[Progressive]

IOWA CAUCUSES

With 75% of the vote in, it's clear that President Trump has defeated Lisa Murkowski in the Iowa Caucuses. The Caucuses were anything but smooth. White supremacist organizations and loosely-aligned pro-Trump groups causes chaos and disruption at numerous GOP caucus sites.

In her Iowa concession speech, Lisa Murkowski congratulated President Trump on winning "the first of many, many contests" in the race. "I got a higher percentage of the vote in Iowa than the President got this time around in 2016. As far as I'm concerned, our campaign is poised to win this thing! Onward to New Hampshire!"

Meanwhile, Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts has been touring New Hampshire with Sen. Murkowski, after endorsing her just before polls closed in Iowa. With the backing of Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Baker, Murkowski hopes to put together a winning coalition of Republicans and independents.

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders has won the Iowa Caucuses edging out Joe Biden 37.5% to 32.0%. Kamala Harris came in a distant third place.

NEXT: Trump goes hard after Murkowski; New Hampshire primary results

Also, big kudos to Confused Democrat, who is epically talented with graphics!

[_]

Damn those graphics are amazing.

Good Job so far!

[Don Vito Corleone]

IOWA CAUCUSES

With 75% of the vote in, it's clear that President Trump has defeated Lisa Murkowski in the Iowa Caucuses. The Caucuses were anything but smooth. White supremacist organizations and loosely-aligned pro-Trump groups causes chaos and disruption at numerous GOP caucus sites.

In her Iowa concession speech, Lisa Murkowski congratulated President Trump on winning "the first of many, many contests" in the race. "I got a higher percentage of the vote in Iowa than the President got this time around in 2016. As far as I'm concerned, our campaign is poised to win this thing! Onward to New Hampshire!"

Meanwhile, Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts has been touring New Hampshire with Sen. Murkowski, after endorsing her just before polls closed in Iowa. With the backing of Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Baker, Murkowski hopes to put together a winning coalition of Republicans and independents.

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders has won the Iowa Caucuses edging out Joe Biden 37.5% to 32.0%. Kamala Harris came in a distant third place.

NEXT: Trump goes hard after Murkowski; New Hampshire primary results

Also, big kudos to Confused Democrat, who is epically talented with graphics!

This picture looks amazing!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I believe it is "Quixote", not "Quijote"--the origin of the term "quixotic".

[Kamala]

Bold prediction: Murkowski wins the presidency via a write-in campaign

[NewYorkExpress]

Bold prediction: Murkowski wins the presidency via a write-in campaign

I'm not sure every state allows that...but it would be brilliant.

[Skunk]

Bold prediction: Murkowski wins the presidency via a write-in campaign

I'm not sure every state allows that...but it would be brilliant.

[An American Tail: Fubart Goes West]

Bold prediction: Murkowski wins the presidency via a write-in campaign

I'm not sure every state allows that...but it would be brilliant.

[Progressive]

New post coming soon. Had some blood work done to figure out why I keep getting the flu. Will be back soon.

[Cactus Jack]

I mean it only in the most flattering way when I say that the first image you used of Murkowski really makes her look like America's concerned grandmother.

Consider me a follower.

[Progressive]

I mean it only in the most flattering way when I say that the first image you used of Murkowski really makes her look like America's concerned grandmother.

Consider me a follower.

Haha, that was part of the point in using that particular image, for her to appear like the responsible matriarch.

[Bidenworth2020]

this is great work keep going