2018 Presidential Election
- Thread starter Marky Bunny
- Start date
As we trek to the northern most part of the country, we turn things over to Sean Berquist, editor of the Juneau Empire, and the man who covered the state for us last time.
Thanks again to the 535 team for letting me write for them in this update! Alaska hasn’t changed all that much in the 8 years since this project was last undertaken. The congressional delegation retains two of the three same members it had back then (and the other was first running for her seat that year!), and it still trends red – though with an independent and libertarian bend. Let’s get right into it.
Alaska, the Last Frontier
Senior Senator: Robert Cantina, Republican
Elected: 2006 (appointed following the retirement of Senator Frank Gaines)
Election Results: Won with 64% of the vote in 2014
Committee Memberships: Appropriations; Armed Services; Rules and Administration; and Veteran’s Affairs
Biography: After being appointed in 2006 to replace Frank Gaines, Cantina established himself as the ideological opposite of Gates. Much more conservative, much less willing to work with democrats, he also became close to then-majority leader Robert Royce in an effort to work his way up the party ranks. Upon getting to the Senate he made it his first priority to undue the work of his predecessor on the Gaines-Turner Social Security reform law (which ultimately failed). After Cody Riley ascended to the leadership in 2014, however, Cantina’s star has faded.
Re-election Prospects: Likely Republican. Cantina is popular in his state, but many people don’t understand two things about Alaska politics. 1) Our strong libertarian bend; and 2) how critical the native American vote is to any candidate running statewide in Alaska. And since his last election in 2014, Cantina came out against ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana in 2016 (it passed) and to allocate more state funds to expanding healthcare access to the indigenous people this year (also passed). Both have contributed to tanking approval ratings and democrats putting a target on his back. That said, the state leans red overall so Cantina will be the favorite in 2020.
Portrayed By:
Junior Senator: Sarah Wheeler, Republican
Elected: 2010, defeated longtime incumbent democrat Sean Bruce.
Election Results: Won with 57.9% of the vote in 2016
Committee Memberships: Budget; HELP; Energy and Natural Resources; and Indian Affairs
Biography: Formerly the mayor of Wasilla, Sarah is a quirky character in the senate. She’s also very friendly and funny according to her colleagues, which makes her an exceptional dealmaker and legislator. Thought to be a mainstream republican when elected, she has carved out a maverick reputation and has built up an impressive set of bipartisan accomplishments – mostly on debt and energy reforms – to back that up.
Re-election Prospects: Safe Republican. She hasn’t made the mistakes that Cantina has recently, isn’t up for reelection till 2022, and has a maverick-y voting record that fits in well with the state.
Portrayed By: Tina Fey
At-Large Representative: Franklin Woodside, Democrat
Elected: 1994
Election Results: Won with 50.3% of the vote in 2018
Committee Memberships: Armed Services; Energy and Commerce; and Veteran’s Affairs
Biography: A Democrat, though absolutely no one in the party would ever call him a “party man.” He’s socially conservative, but fiscally populist, and never once in his 26 years in congress has he voted in favor of a cut in defense spending. And he’s constantly pushing for more money to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. But none of that is what makes him not a “party man,” that reputation was earned by joining General Nicholas Alexander on an independent ticket in 2010 while President Santos was running for reelection. It ultimately went nowhere, but the damage had been done.
Re-election Prospects: Likely Democrat. He won this year, albeit more narrowly than usual, and there has been chatter about him heading up the Veteran’s Affairs office under President Seaborn. But he’s a brand in the state at this point. Unless it’s a true republican wave year, he’ll be fine.
Portrayed By: Jack Coleman
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To me the answer is obvious:
What's Next? is an American political podcast produced and distributed by Bagel Shop. It is hosted by former White House staffers Larry Brown and Ed Park, who worked together in the Bartlet administration. The show was founded to offer commentary on the 2016 midterms and quickly gained popularity, moving to an independent production company named Bagel Shop. Due to their many connections in the political world, the show often features high profile politicians, activists, and advisers. During the 2018 presidential primaries, major candidates such as Sam Seaborn, Rudi Robinson, Will Durham, and Haydn Straus appeared on the show. During the general election, Seaborn and Jack Hunter were also on the show. Past figures such as former vice presidents John Hoynes and Bob Russell have also appeared multiple times.
The show's success precipitated the rise of numerous other political podcasts. John Edwards, a frequent guest on the show, started his own podcast at Bagel Shop, but posted episodes infrequently. The John Edwards Report had its last episode in September 2018 and was confirmed to be at an end when Edwards accepted a post in the Seaborn administration. Former White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler started a show, Ziegler, in 2018 after his rant on the main show about the selection of Franklin Hollis as the Democratic vice presidential nominee became viral. He was a frequent visitor on the show before that and continues to do so. Ziegler has a new episode every Friday.
What's Next? is an American political podcast produced and distributed by Bagel Shop. It is hosted by former White House staffers Larry Brown and Ed Park, who worked together in the Bartlet administration. The show was founded to offer commentary on the 2016 midterms and quickly gained popularity, moving to an independent production company named Bagel Shop. Due to their many connections in the political world, the show often features high profile politicians, activists, and advisers. During the 2018 presidential primaries, major candidates such as Sam Seaborn, Rudi Robinson, Will Durham, and Haydn Straus appeared on the show. During the general election, Seaborn and Jack Hunter were also on the show. Past figures such as former vice presidents John Hoynes and Bob Russell have also appeared multiple times.
The show's success precipitated the rise of numerous other political podcasts. John Edwards, a frequent guest on the show, started his own podcast at Bagel Shop, but posted episodes infrequently. The John Edwards Report had its last episode in September 2018 and was confirmed to be at an end when Edwards accepted a post in the Seaborn administration. Former White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler started a show, Ziegler, in 2018 after his rant on the main show about the selection of Franklin Hollis as the Democratic vice presidential nominee became viral. He was a frequent visitor on the show before that and continues to do so. Ziegler has a new episode every Friday.
Hollis Flails in Podcast Appearance
Vice President-elect Franklin Hollis appeared on the What's Next podcast in an episode uploaded December 6, 2018 as part of an ongoing positive media campaign. It was hoped that appearing on the show, which is extremely popular among the progressive base of the Democratic Party, would build credibility for Hollis as his public image takes a deeper tumble by the day. However, Hollis was extremely defensive and combative, dodging questions and speaking curtly. In addition, it seemed he was unfamiliar with the podcast format, repeatedly mentioning that certain comments should be edited out. Although the show is usually published as one take from start to finish, there is an edit about halfway through the episode. After the edit, Hollis abruptly declares the interview to be at an end. Producers Larry Brown and Ed Park, former Bartlet staffers, have confirmed Hollis walked out of the studio at this point. They have refused to comment on the content of the deleted portion of the episode. A spokesperson for Hollis responded "the producers of the show were not clear with the Vice President-elect about their intentions and tried to ambush him."
Ziegler Slams Hollis (Again)
In the latest episode of his podcast, former White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler has attacked Vice President-elect Franklin Hollis once again. Ziegler's contempt for Hollis is no secret, he has called him vain, contemptuous, aloof, arrogant, and other disparaging terms well known to listeners to his show. Ziegler's latest tirade comes on the heels on Hollis's disastrous appearance on sister show What's Next?, where he butted heads with the hosts before ditching the show. This time, Ziegler, and his guest of the week, former Second Lady June Tripplehorn, agreed that Hollis's behavior was unbecoming of the office of vice president. However, they split on the issue of whether the Electoral College should elect him vice president. Ziegler argued that not doing so would be a subversion of democracy, while Tripplehorn argued it would be necessary to uphold the stature of the vice presidency and prevent the Seaborn administration from suffering anymore damage at Hollis's hands.
Recurring segments: Ziegler awarded Hollis "Donkey of the Week" for the eleventh week in a row. In "Questions to My Children," Ziegler asked his children if they thought the Electoral College would vote for Hollis, and whether they should. Both agreed that they should, but Ziegler's son, Huck, predicted that enough electors would defect to force the election to the Senate. He recommended his father as a replacement candidate.
Vice President-elect Franklin Hollis appeared on the What's Next podcast in an episode uploaded December 6, 2018 as part of an ongoing positive media campaign. It was hoped that appearing on the show, which is extremely popular among the progressive base of the Democratic Party, would build credibility for Hollis as his public image takes a deeper tumble by the day. However, Hollis was extremely defensive and combative, dodging questions and speaking curtly. In addition, it seemed he was unfamiliar with the podcast format, repeatedly mentioning that certain comments should be edited out. Although the show is usually published as one take from start to finish, there is an edit about halfway through the episode. After the edit, Hollis abruptly declares the interview to be at an end. Producers Larry Brown and Ed Park, former Bartlet staffers, have confirmed Hollis walked out of the studio at this point. They have refused to comment on the content of the deleted portion of the episode. A spokesperson for Hollis responded "the producers of the show were not clear with the Vice President-elect about their intentions and tried to ambush him."
Ziegler Slams Hollis (Again)
In the latest episode of his podcast, former White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler has attacked Vice President-elect Franklin Hollis once again. Ziegler's contempt for Hollis is no secret, he has called him vain, contemptuous, aloof, arrogant, and other disparaging terms well known to listeners to his show. Ziegler's latest tirade comes on the heels on Hollis's disastrous appearance on sister show What's Next?, where he butted heads with the hosts before ditching the show. This time, Ziegler, and his guest of the week, former Second Lady June Tripplehorn, agreed that Hollis's behavior was unbecoming of the office of vice president. However, they split on the issue of whether the Electoral College should elect him vice president. Ziegler argued that not doing so would be a subversion of democracy, while Tripplehorn argued it would be necessary to uphold the stature of the vice presidency and prevent the Seaborn administration from suffering anymore damage at Hollis's hands.
Recurring segments: Ziegler awarded Hollis "Donkey of the Week" for the eleventh week in a row. In "Questions to My Children," Ziegler asked his children if they thought the Electoral College would vote for Hollis, and whether they should. Both agreed that they should, but Ziegler's son, Huck, predicted that enough electors would defect to force the election to the Senate. He recommended his father as a replacement candidate.
Considering that Hollis was CJ's idea is there going to be some blowback in her direction if Hollis fails to
That.....seems so random. And like wow.
That.....seems so random. And like wow.
Huck Ziegler
(photo by Max Charles)
Just as I would picture a young Toby ^^
JK the real answer is probably that Sam and CJ a mistake and overestimated how underwhelming Hollis is as a politician
JK the real answer is probably that Sam and CJ a mistake and overestimated how underwhelming Hollis is as a politician
Dunno if that would do considering that it was practically revealed and known by the end of season 1, with them getting photo'd together.
The white text directly under the gif should have been a hint that it was a joke.
nbs.com
Saturday, December 8th 2018
Shallick backs Seaborn as electors voice discontent
Former White House chief of staff and Secretary of Labor Henry Shallick, the recent Republican nominee for president, publicly backed President-elect Sam Seaborn in the wake of rumors that Democratic electors would go faithless over displeasure with Vice President-elect Franklin Hollis. Shallick appeared on Taylor Reid last night in one of his first media appearances after losing the presidential election to Seaborn one month ago, urging national unity and saying he would not contest a contingent election if enough Democratic electors vote for someone besides Seaborn for president. "I may wish the result had been otherwise, and it very nearly was, but Sam Seaborn has been chosen by the American people to be our next president in a free and fair election," Shallick told the eponymous host. "Throwing doubt on who will succeed President Walken next month because of any disagreements with the president-elect's choice of running mate is irresponsible in the extreme."
In the half-hour episode, Shallick mentioned that he had talked "two or three" times with the president-elect since he conceded the election on November 13th and that he received a phone call from Senate Minority Leader Jimmy Fitzsimmons on the 13th as well. "Senator Fitzsimmons knew what it was like to lose a close election [in 2014] and Laura and I very much appreciated this gesture." Shallick said. Asked about the Hollis controversy, Shallick declined to offer the same assurances of not contesting the vice presidency should faithless electors deadlock the Electoral College. "That's something you'll have to take up with Senator [Jack] Hunter," he told Reid. "I just want the American people to be assured that our system works and that I will not consider supporting any attempt to disregard their vote for president just because of a small group of people are feeling discontent about the vice president-elect."
When Reid asked if he had been approached for a cabinet position, Shallick declined to say, saying he "had to save something for the memoirs", but did say that Seaborn had asked his advice on potential Republican nominees for the cabinet.
Saturday, December 8th 2018
Shallick backs Seaborn as electors voice discontent
Former White House chief of staff and Secretary of Labor Henry Shallick, the recent Republican nominee for president, publicly backed President-elect Sam Seaborn in the wake of rumors that Democratic electors would go faithless over displeasure with Vice President-elect Franklin Hollis. Shallick appeared on Taylor Reid last night in one of his first media appearances after losing the presidential election to Seaborn one month ago, urging national unity and saying he would not contest a contingent election if enough Democratic electors vote for someone besides Seaborn for president. "I may wish the result had been otherwise, and it very nearly was, but Sam Seaborn has been chosen by the American people to be our next president in a free and fair election," Shallick told the eponymous host. "Throwing doubt on who will succeed President Walken next month because of any disagreements with the president-elect's choice of running mate is irresponsible in the extreme."
In the half-hour episode, Shallick mentioned that he had talked "two or three" times with the president-elect since he conceded the election on November 13th and that he received a phone call from Senate Minority Leader Jimmy Fitzsimmons on the 13th as well. "Senator Fitzsimmons knew what it was like to lose a close election [in 2014] and Laura and I very much appreciated this gesture." Shallick said. Asked about the Hollis controversy, Shallick declined to offer the same assurances of not contesting the vice presidency should faithless electors deadlock the Electoral College. "That's something you'll have to take up with Senator [Jack] Hunter," he told Reid. "I just want the American people to be assured that our system works and that I will not consider supporting any attempt to disregard their vote for president just because of a small group of people are feeling discontent about the vice president-elect."
When Reid asked if he had been approached for a cabinet position, Shallick declined to say, saying he "had to save something for the memoirs", but did say that Seaborn had asked his advice on potential Republican nominees for the cabinet.
He did work for Sam in the senate (along with Ryan Pierce from S5, if memory serves!) but not much has been mentioned of late. Bram is part of the illustrious Howard family, which means he has many famous family members he could potentially be working for now. From the current junior senator for Washington (Andrew), the house majority whip from CA (Eve), her younger brother and fellow CA congressman (Sam), and the mayor of Portland (Ryan). In fact, you mentioning him has inspired me to write up a piece about him!
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