Sarah Palin as a member of the Alaskan Independence Party

zieak ♦ September 1, 2008 ♦ 2 Comments

The news and political blogs are buzzing about Sarah Palin’s former membership in the Alaskan Independence Party.  The goal of the AIP is for the citizens of Alaska to have a vote to see if Alaska should become a state.  Liberal blogs are calling her membership in the party unpartiotic and saying she was a member of a sepratist organization.  Let me show you something from the Alaska voter registration form.  Imagine filling out this form as a young person.

We’re all a little bit savvy about US politics.  We know there are two major parties and that everyone else seems to be called “Independent” by the media.  So as you go down the checklist you see Democrat, Republican, Libertarian… ah! Independent!  That’s me!  Take a look at the number of Alaskans registered in the parties in 2006…

• Democrats 66,218
• Libertarian 9,382
• Republicans 111,526
• Alaskan Independence 13,542
• Green 3,712
• Republican Moderate 5,168
• Veterans Party 1,478
• Independent 243,319

That’s right – more “Independent” voters in Alaska than all the other parties combined.  But “independent” in this tally is actually those that checked “nonpartisan” or “undeclared” on their form.  I am certain that many new voters accidentally register for the Alaskan Independence Party thinking they are saying they are an independent.  When they read their first election booklet then they get their first glimpse of the platform that the “independent” candidate has.

Happened to me.