Joe Miller Ahead of Lisa Murkowski in Alaska Primary

The Murkowski family had been an institution in Alaska for the past 30 years, and there seemed to be no stopping their legacy, until now. Lisa Murkowski's senate seat is in jeopardy after the Republican primary. As results came on Tuesday, Joe Miller, a judge from Fairbanks, went from long shot to leader with a lead of 1900 votes by the end of the night. It isn't over yet because there are still 10,000 absentee ballots which need to be counted.

Joe Miller was barely known a few months ago until he was backed by Sarah Palin and the tea party movement. They gave him 500,000 dollars, and he used the money well. Ads went up around the state, and Joe Miller painted Lisa Murkowski as a liberal in disguise regularly voting against her party. Actions which showed her true colors of not being a true conservative. She responded with ads that touted her achievements and ignoring the criticism from Joe Miller. The strategy did not work as her opponent ran on a platform of state self-reliance for the state which has received plenty of federal funds in the past.

While Sarah Palin has been given credit for the win, it's really difficult to know what has prompted this reaction against Lisa Murkowski or in wild support of Joe Miller. The strategy of Miller may be the most likely reason he won by calling his opponent liberal in a state that is considered to be quite conservative. Joe Miller is no slouch, and his strategy was risky but brilliant. Miller had attended West Point and Yale Law School before moving to Alaska. Others have attacked his intelligence because of his association with Sarah Palin, but his credentials don't belong to an idiot. This is a smart man who has run a smart campaign to his advantage. Sarah Palin's support may have helped. Still, it could be a case that people are just tired of the old. They want new blood in a congress that is seen as ineffective, and Joe Miller is the perfect candidate for them. Now, it's difficult to know if this primary helps Joe Miller in the long run or not. Still, it's early in the game. He has not officially won the Republican nomination. However, it would appear that he will take it, and Joe Miller may be the next senator from Alaska.