Senate candidate Bird protests over forum exclusion
Published Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Alaskan Independence Party member Bob Bird, a U.S. Senate candidate, is protesting his exclusion from an Oct. 7 candidate forum sponsored by the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce.
Bird, who garnered 5.5 percent of the vote in the August primary on the combined Democratic, Alaskan Independent and Libertarian primary ballot, said he was included in the chamber’s pre-primary Aug. 12 forum and wants to participate in the upcoming pre-general election forum.
Chamber board president Rick Solie said the chamber’s longtime policy is to include only statewide candidates whose party won 3 percent of the vote in the last general election, which in this case was 2006.
Solie said, Bird’s inclusion in the pre-primary forum was because of a miscommunication with chamber staff and an invitation was sent to Bird inadvertently.
Bird accepted the invitation. Later, it was rescinded by the chamber, but because of the circumstances, Solie said the chamber allowed him to participate even though he didn’t meet the chamber’s rule.
Bird said he has campaigned frequently in Fairbanks during the summer, and he has been invited and accepted invitations to participate in a number of other candidate forums around the state, including those sponsored by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, the Kenai-Soldotna Chamber, the Anchorage League of Women Voters and the Juneau Chamber of Commerce.
“I believe Fairbanks needs to know there are more than two candidates (for U.S. Senate),” Bird said. “The AIP still enjoys official party status with the state Division of Elections. To me, the chamber’s rule seems an arbitrary way to keep me excluded.”
Solie said the chamber uses the previous general election as a criteria for inclusion because the higher voter turnout is the best indication of party support.
“Making these cuts as far as participation is sometimes painful, but the 3 percent bar insures we have candidates for the best discussion,” Solie said, adding that the chamber board reaffirmed the rule this summer following the primary.
“Sometimes, it is a little bit challenging to tell folks, ‘No you are not invited,’ but it serves our members best,” Solie said.
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I'm curious - is this Mr. Bird the same Mr. Bird from the "Obama's gonna take my guns away" letter?
Give it up anyway - you'll never win in our two-party, winner-take-all voting system.
I just want to know if it is the same bob bird who works at seekins for the past twenty plus years. wouldnt surprise me, last election they tried to get lonnie solomonson elected out of the dealership and now BOB?
choice is good. The Chamber's "rule" limits the opportunity to examine choice in a forum. For Heaven's sakes...it's an INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL forum...let Mr. Bird speak his peace. Alaska's still part of the United States, right?
The Bob Bird running with the AIP has lived in Kenai for 30 years. He ran against Stevens as a Republican in 1990 and won 30% (34,000) of the vote. I wonder how the nearly 40,000 people who voted against both Stevens & Begich in the primary feel about the chamber's excluding Bird? When will interior voters get to hear a different voice? Why does southcentral and southeastern get to hear it? Is the chamber truly serving interior voters, or the two-party monopoly? Otherwise, it's the "same old, same old" worn out 2-party choice. The chamber also needs to explain how David Haase, the Libertarian candidate, "inadvertantly" got an invitation to the pre-primary forum. Joe Vogler's party wasn't created to sit still and be silent. The state recognizes its status and Bird will certainly win more than 3% this time out.
Thank you e00217
Bob Bird has both of our votes. Stevens and Begich are both part of the partisan political machines.
Bob Bird has the votes in our household and with many of our friends. We have listened to Mr. Bird speak and he is a constitutionalist with a real passion to serve the people of Alaska. When I look at the candidates I look at heart (character) as well as qualifications. Bob Bird knows the Constitution like the back of his hand. He is sharp as a tack and ready to tackle tough issues.
These convenient "rules" are in place to shut down voices that do not line up with the beloved two-party philosophies. It should make us outraged as Americans, but certainly as independently-minded Alaskans. Or - are we becoming more like the lower 48 than I thought?
I will be voting for Bob Bird. He is a Constitutionalist. I will not pay any attention to the "debates" if he is not included.
Typical good old boy nonsense from Solie. Wasn't Solie involved with the secret, illegal meeting the FNSB assembly had? You know, the one where the majority of the assembly disgraced themselves?
Maybe if the Chamber had a secret meeting of senate candidates, Solie would get behind that effort.
By the way, since Solie's daughter work(ed) for the Ted Stevens campaign, does that mean the Solie family supports Ted? (One might assume that the conservative, and well spoken Bob Bird would take votes from Ted Stevens).
Did the Ted Stevens campaign fire Solie's daughter for the derogatory comments she made about Sarah Palin?
Also- Bob Byrd is a history teacher. He really knows the Constitution.
I have seen Solie driving around town in a pickup truck with a big Ted Stevens sign.
The point is: How is the Chamber of Commerce "serving its members best" by limiting the parties involved in these debates? Sounds like a private country club. Listen, when considering Bob Bird they should look at HIS percentage of votes: 5.5 percent in the primary and 30% when he ran against Stevens years back. To say that you will not include a party based on the number of votes in the last election is a convenient way to keep the two-party system alive and well.
We've got to speak up people!
Solie was also the one who got a DUI or DWI as a member of the assembly. Good choice for leader, Chamber. This is America, for heaven's sake! Better yet, this is Alaska! Bob Bird should most definitely be allowed to take part in the Chamber of Commerce candidate forum. The Chamber is nothing but a bunch of exclusionary rednecks - I'll make sure to NOT shop at their businesses.
Good luck there, akjak, although I agree with you in principal.
I know I'm voting for Bob.
The Chamber is sickening.
The good-ol'-boy club in this town alone is sickening.
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