Opinions

Lindbeck will need some campaign magic to break Young's spell on Alaska

In the Christopher Walken film "One More Time," the Walken character's daughter and his former wife -- the daughter's former step-mother -- meet for a business lunch. The business is a pending lawsuit pitting the ex-wife against her ex-husband.

The ex-wife -- one of the Walken character's many former wives -- has threatened to reveal his sexual misconduct and damage his reputation. The daughter rolls her eyes. She explains over drinks that her father, a retired crooner in the Sinatra tradition, has been a tabloid bad boy for so many decades his reputation already is in tatters. "You see," the daughter concludes, "my father is judgment-proof."

I thought of this scene when I heard Steve Lindbeck is filing for Congress and will challenge 82-year-old Don Young, a member of the House since 1973.

Before I explain the connection between "One More Time" and the congressional race, let's take a detour.

I have known Steve more than 30 years as co-worker, friend and civic leader. He was my first supervisor at the Anchorage Daily News and taught me the facts of journalism. He left the paper, returned for a while, moved into the nonprofit world, and was the chief executive at Alaska Public Media while I was the host of "Alaska Edition" and "Running." So I cannot write about Steve with detachment -- although I am confident any objective appraiser would conclude he is a terrific guy who would make a good congressman.

The scene in "One More Time" illustrates the problem Steve faces in a campaign against Don. The gentleman from Fort Yukon is judgment-proof.

• Don is beholden to special interests and lobbyists. Alaskans know that.
• Don can be an outrageous boor. Alaskans know that.
• Don makes things up in debate and on the campaign trail. Alaskans know that.
• Don is beholden to special interests and lobbyists. Alaskans know that.
• Don mangles the English language and makes himself the object of derision. Alaskans know that.
• Don has little influence among his colleagues anymore except on a few parochial issues. Alaskans know that.
• Don was a prince of pork whose bridges to nowhere brought discord and disgrace to the House. Alaskans know that.
• Don is beholden to special interests and lobbyists. Alaskans know that.

I have been writing about Don for almost half my life. By now, I should have a plausible theory of why he thrives.

ADVERTISEMENT

He is an able campaigner who has all the money he needs for his re-election. He is a Republican in a deeply red state. He embraces Alaskans' obsession with gun rights and federal overreach, their mania for opening the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and building a gas line from the North Slope to tidewater despite evidence neither will happen. He has accumulated bushels of IOUs, especially from the Native community.

Don understands that in Washington appearance is more important than performance -- and has mastered the role of defender of Alaska, which he plays with the bravado of a Metropolitan Opera baritone.

Yet none of this explains how Don Young can defy the political gravity of bad publicity and soar.

So I am throwing in the towel of reason. Behold my new explanation: Shazam! Don Young is a magician who has put Alaskans under a powerful spell.

If you study magic, you discover the only way to beat a magician is with another magician. That observation leads me to close with a question for my old friend filing for Congress. Steve, are you a magician?

I see no other road to victory but through the magical arts. Forget about media purchases and an army of volunteers going door to door. Steve, buy a rabbit, buy a hat. Best of luck.

Michael Carey is an Alaska Dispatch News columnist. He can be reached at mcarey@alaskadispatch.com.

The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com or click here to submit via any web browser.

Michael Carey

Michael Carey is an occasional columnist and the former editorial page editor of the Anchorage Daily News.

ADVERTISEMENT