NPR Pardons Peltola's Election Malfeasance: Voter Confusion Unlikely

Like its public counterparts at PBS, National Public Radio did its best to dismiss the bombshell New York Times story about the crucial Alaska U.S. Senate race pitting Democrat Mary Peltola against two candidates, one Dan S. Sullivan, the incumbent Republican senator, and the other fraudulent candidate Dan J. Sullivan, handpicked by the Democrat Party to steal votes.

The online version of a story from Thursday's All Things Considered, "Alaska's all-important Senate race is roiled by a report on alleged spoiler candidate," was penned by political correspondent Ashley Lopez and editor Benjamin Swasey:

Alaska's governor is ordering an investigation after a New York Times report on the state's toss-up U.S. Senate race, which could determine which party controls the chamber next year.

That story detailed efforts by Democratic campaign operatives to recruit what Republicans have long alleged is a spoiler candidate whose presence on the ballot could confuse voters and siphon support from the GOP incumbent. The two candidates share the name Dan Sullivan.

NPR hasn't independently confirmed the Times' reporting, but it's roiled the Senate race just days before Election Day. Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, is hoping to flip the seat for her party.

NPR set up Peltola talking points.

Democrats have long denied involvement in the non-incumbent Sullivan's candidacy, and both the Peltola campaign and the DSCC reiterated those denials after the Times story published.

While campaigning Wednesday, Peltola called the story a distraction, according to Alaska Public Media, and the non-incumbent Sullivan did not respond to Alaska Public Media's requests for comment. He has previously said it was his decision to run for Senate.

Like PBS, NPR had its "Republicans pounce" moment.

Republicans have pounced on the news.

"Mary Peltola and her campaign have spent months gaslighting Alaskans, denying a scheme they were running all along," Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan, said in a statement. President Trump, who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss, called the Alaska findings "Voter Fraud at the Highest Level," in an online post.

Trump's Justice Department had already sought to intervene in the Senate race, asking a court last week to delay certification if the incumbent Sullivan loses by a small margin. The legal effort cited potential voter confusion stemming from the second Sullivan on the ballot.

Election law experts had broadly derided the DOJ's case as weak, in part because the Constitution grants states control over elections.

After months of being lectured by the elite media on how President Trump is corrupting democracy, NPR shrugged off actual corruption from the Democratic Party.

And in the wake of the Times story, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Wednesday night that he is directing the state's Department of Public Safety to "investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska's laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted."

NPR's message? Don't fret, voters, the Alaska fraudulence is really just everyday political "shenanigans."

It's unclear what laws could have been violated.

Trickery has been fairly common in politics, and it can be difficult to write laws that prevent shenanigans, according to Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who's co-authored a book on dirty tricks in campaigns.

….

Alaska Public Media found mixed reactions to the Times' reporting, with some residents frustrated that it's drawing attention from other issues, and others expressing skepticism that voters would be confused….

(That Alaska Public Media report also shrugged off the scandal, finding not a single private citizen concerned about Peltola's scheme.)

NPR didn't tell its website readers just how "nonpartisan" their expert Elaine Kamarck is, as her own biography includes: 

She has been a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the DNC's Rules Committee since 1997. She has participated actively in four presidential campaigns and in 10 nominating conventions—including two Republican conventions—and has served as a superdelegate to five Democratic conventions.

NPR found "some experts" to calm the waters of a potential Democratic controversy: No worries, this story's been covered so much the fraudulence won't matter! Quite a comedown for the supposed defenders of democratic elections in the Democratic Party.

Some experts have pointed out that all the news about the second Sullivan's candidacy could reduce any voter confusion. And because the state has a ranked-choice voting system for the general election, if voters are confused, they could rank both Sullivans and not rank Peltola.