Parnell, Young and none of the above

There’s been a lot of talk about leadership in this year’s gubernatorial race and who is best suited to fill the state’s top spot for the next four years.

We think Gov. Sean Parnell is the right person for the job.

There’s a lot to be said about statesmanship and Parnell embodies the word. Since assuming the role of governor in July 2009 after former Gov. Sarah Palin resigned, he has quietly orchestrated the state’s day-to-day business while building an impressive list of accomplishments centered on economic development, public safety, education and responsible government.

From creating jobs through establishing the Southeast State Forest and the deferred maintenance plan, to proving his commitment to educating Alaska’s children through the Alaska Merit Scholarship Program, Parnell has shown he will work for what’s best for Alaska.

How best to build the gas pipeline has been a key talking point since the primaries. Ethan Berkowitz, Parnell’s opponent, has campaigned long and hard on the merits of building an all-Alaska gas line but didn’t have a plan to bring that to fruition until former gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker offered to loan his plan to Berkowitz. That aside, we believe disregarding all the work that has been done to date on the gas line and starting over is not in Alaska’s best interest.

Parnell’s work in improving public safety in Alaska, especially his work to toughen domestic violence and sexual assault laws, is especially admirable and we expect further progress in diminishing this blight on Alaska in the next four years.

The congressional race between incumbent Don Young and challenger Harry Crawford has been overshadowed by the gubernatorial and senate campaigns, but is equally important.

Crawford exudes his willingness to serve the people of Alaska and has a history of working for what’s best for Alaska despite party affiliation at the state level.

Young, first elected in 1973, has served 19 terms as Alaska’s only U.S. Representative and has been at the center of Alaska’s development as a state since.

While Young’s critics are vocal about his Washington, D.C., ties and earmarks, there is little doubt his dedication to Alaska and that Alaska will continue to benefit from his representation.

The imbroglio we know as the hotly contested Alaska senate race has left us perplexed and dismayed.

We were astounded at the arrogance exhibited in Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s campaign leading up to the primaries. The lackluster effort to reach out to Alaska voters and overconfidence in believing she was a shoo-in to represent us for another six years leads us to wonder how in touch she is with the people she represents.

Murkowski’s seeming sense of entitlement to the seat is off-putting and her indignation that Alaskans would consider electing anyone other than her is bothersome. That she continues to discount any impropriety in the Kenai land deal transaction with longtime friend and political contributor Bob Penney accentuates that aura of superiority.

Republican nominee Joe Miller has demonstrated a lack of transparency in his campaign that would likely translate to a lack of transparency in office. Though there remain other questions raised about his past, especially troubling are disciplinary actions taken against him while he worked part-time for the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Not only was he nearly fired for using government-owned computers to falsify a political poll while his co-workers were on their lunch break, when his actions were revealed, he lied about his conduct. His failure to hold himself accountable for his actions — by telling the truth when his employer asked — gives the appearance that he is not an honest and ethical man.

We’re also uncomfortable endorsing any candidate whose security guards handcuffed a reporter at a campaign event to which the public was invited. Further, it seems contradictory to claim you are a strict Constitutionalist while ignoring the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights and the freedom of the press embodied there.

Then there is Scott McAdams, the Democratic candidate who appears to be a nice guy, but is lacking experience at the level of state and national governance. But then, so is Miller.

All three candidates are guilty of mudslinging and negative campaign tactics of epic proportions. This, coupled with the seemingly win-at-all-costs attitude each has displayed during the campaign, makes it impossible to recommend any of the three candidates.

While it’s certain a winner will be declared after Tuesday’s election — which may go down as one of the ugliest in state’s history — we’re equally certain that winner won’t be the people of Alaska.