Juneau talks Trump, Clinton and the 2016 presidential election

Trump and Clinton campaign signs posted in Juneau. (Photos by Quinton Chandler/KTOO)
Trump and Clinton campaign signs posted in Juneau. (Photos by Quinton Chandler/KTOO)

Multiple polls indicate the presidential race in Alaska is much closer than the state’s conservative voting record would suggest. Juneau residents with different political beliefs shared their thoughts on this season’s very unusual race.

Let’s start in downtown Juneau at a wine tasting for the local League of Women Voters. The group bills itself nonpartisan, and there are a mix of political ideologies, but a lot of the attendees are voting blue.

Geny Del Rosario could be an exception. She said the recent polls for Alaska are reflecting that this race is unorthodox.

She’s a registered Republican and said she’s undecided, but she’s also leaning toward Trump. Why? She pointed to the recent presidential race in her former home, the Philippines.

“I’ve been following our political arena in the Philippines and our president is unpredictable. But, the thing is the sincerity in his heart. What (is it that) he is going to do, really?” Del Rosario asked.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is extremely controversial, but Del Rosario said he gets things done.

“There’s something there that needs to be done,” she said. Who’s got the” — she clears her throat — “to fix it? Not really fix it but somebody that has the guts, or the thing to really stand up strong enough to go against all odds. Somebody really has to be strong enough to make changes.”

One issue Del Rosario is passionate about is affordable health care. She called Clinton a “good lady,” but doesn’t think she will bring change.

Many of the other people at the wine tasting were decidedly against Trump.

Betty Stidolph sat at a table in the back with three friends. They all work in health care and they are mostly voting for Hillary Clinton.

“Hillary stands for children and women in our country, has always been strong and admirable, and I’m so proud to be a woman in Alaska that supports her,” Stidolph said. “I think that Alaskans are smart and that’s why the race is close in Alaska. They’re not buying the Kool-Aid on this guy and what he’s offering the country.

Bob Weiss is a Republican, but he will vote for Clinton.

“Well, I think he’s kind of a blow hard to tell you the truth,” Weiss said. “I would support most of the people that would run for the Republican Party but not Trump.”

There were also some third-party voters and some undecideds, but the crowd seemed to favor Clinton.

About 15 minutes down the road, Trump hopeful Don Kubley is attending an open house for Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Don Kubley (left) and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. (Photo by Quinton Chandler/KTOO)
Don Kubley and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. (Photo by Quinton Chandler/KTOO)

Kubley is a registered lobbyist for Alaska Independent Power Producers Association and Juneau Hydropower. He wants it to be clear his opinions are his own and have nothing to do with Sen. Murkowski.

He said the polls are reflecting fallout from a 2005 video of Donald Trump making lewd comments about women and allegations of sexual assault.

“He was at a normal place in the polls before the controversy with the ladies. There’s no doubt, this has had an impact, especially on women,” Kubley said.

But it hasn’t changed Kubley’s decision to vote for Trump. He said he wants to get back to the “issues.”

“I want to get past this locker room stuff and junior high talk back and forth. ‘You did this. I did that,’” he said. “To me it’s all about the economy of the United States, bringing jobs back, and what’s going to happen in the future, especially with the Supreme Court.”

Kubley believes Trump still has a chance to win because of issues with Hillary Clinton’s candidacy. He accused her of theft and using her position as Secretary of State to line her and her husband’s pockets. Kubley also doesn’t think Clinton will do any favors for Alaska.

“She doesn’t want to open up ANWR, she doesn’t want to build pipelines. She shut down Keystone. How is that possibly going to help our pipeline?” he asked.

He said Alaska needs jobs and additional state revenue to improve its economy – things he doesn’t believe Clinton will deliver.

Tom Dawson is an independent and he won’t vote for Clinton – period.

“If Trump is still there when the time comes, he’ll get my vote. If it’s not Trump, if something else happens between now and then, it’ll probably be the next person, whether it’s an Independent or a Republican,” Dawson said.

Dawson thinks Trump is doing better than most people think. He believes the “mainstream news media” is skewing the polls and reporting disproportionately negative news about Trump.

“Because they’re so heavily for Clinton, you don’t get the benefit of the doubt there,” Dawson said.

He said there are more problems with Clinton that the “news media” won’t report. When asked to name specific issues he said you only had to watch the debates.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the Philippines president. The president is Rodrigo Duterte, not Roberto Duterte. 

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