What exactly do people in the nation's capital think of when they think about Alaska?
That's the question Libby Casey, Alaska Public Radio Network's Washington correspondent, tried to answer on Monday, July 12. Casey spoke to a full house in Schaible Auditorium as part of a University of Alaska Fairbanks Summer Sessions lecture series.
In true radio reporter fashion, Casey interviewed inhabitants of the District before flying to Alaska, letting many speak for themselves. Overall, she said, the Outside perspective of Alaska hasn't changed too much. "They still have those old stereotypes," she said before playing clips from her interviews.
"I think about really dramatic landscapes," said one unidentified man on the street.
Sen. Jim Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, said he had flown across the state in a small airplane. "Well, what I think of is the beauty," he said. "It's magnificent."
Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, said he thinks Outsiders tend to view Alaska as an unspoiled land where man shouldn't be involved, even if people happen to live there -- "this is the greenies talking," he said. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the state's senior senator, said Alaska still needs to educate people whose views are based on "The Deadliest Catch" or cruise ships.
Casey also talked to reporters from other states; their answers, unsurprisingly, tended more toward the political.
"I think about salmon, earmarking, and also Bristol, but not Trig or Tripp," one joked. Another theorized about the state's political leanings: "I guess when you get cold, you get really seriously libertarian."
Palin brings recognition, not definition
Sarah Palin also appeared in many answers, but not always as the defining characteristic.
"I don't associate Alaska with Sarah Palin because I feel like Alaskans are a lot smarter than that," one person said. "She is now a phenomenon that has surpassed Alaska," another man on the street said.
In a clip, Sen. Mark Begich, a Democrat, said he tells people who ask him about Palin that she is one of his constituents. And "a lot more people (are) interested in Alaska because of her prominence," he said.
Casey also asked people on the street if they had heard of a variety of Alaskans besides the former governor. No one had heard of Gov. Sean Parnell. Many didn't recognize the names Lisa Murkowski, Susan Butcher or Libby Riddles.
Alaska's complex relationship with the feds came up, too, in an interview with Larry Persily, the Obama administration's Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects. The state is as known for strange people and strange happenings under the midnight sun, Persily said, as it is for its dependence on the federal government.
"(We're) a state that is always hassling the federal government," Persily said.
In other words, Persily said, "We're viewed as kind of a pain in the ass."
Murkowski, Young, Begich: A 'normal' delegation
Casey also talked about how Alaskans are received in Washington, particularly now that Ted Stevens is gone. Murkowski, she said, is on committees that deal with big issues right now -- energy issues for one. "She is seen as a player," Casey said.
When the Obama administration met with possible swing votes on climate legislation, Murkowski was among those invited, Casey said. Murkowski said cap and trade had to be off the table. What remains to be seen, Casey said, is how far Murkowski can push the Democrats.
"She is sort of the woman of the hour," Casey said.
Young, on the other hand, still commands respect, but not as much power as he once did. And earmarks? He still tries to slip them in. The Republican leadership slaps him on the wrist and takes them out, Casey said.
And Young lives up to his colorful reputation. He does carry a knife (he showed her how to take someone out with just the handle when they attended a gala dinner together), and he does call Casey up to yell at her from time to time when he thinks she's gotten something wrong.
Like Murkowski, Begich is pro-development and part of the discussions about energy issues. Casey said the state's newest senator has found his niche and aligned himself with a group of like-minded senators. They coalesce and "use their power as a unit," she said.
From her perspective as a reporter covering Alaska, Casey said, the state's small delegation is a good group. "I feel blessed that the Alaska delegation is as normal as they are," she said.
Now is a critical time for the 49th state, Casey said. In today's political climate, the earmarks on which Alaska has long relied are no longer a realistic funding mechanism. While Palin brought the state into the political spotlight, the state is not defined by her rise to prominence. Now, Casey said, Alaska, just past its 50th birthday, has to figure out how to define itself on the national scene. The Alaska delegation is left to decide how they'll proceed on behalf of Alaskans, which in turn will affect how the state is perceived in the years to come.
"It's time for a new identity and a new face," Casey said.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed a quote from Larry Persily to Libby Casey. This story has been updated to clarify two of the comments quoted in Casey's presentation.
Molly Dischner is completing work on a journalism degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.