Alaska is an anomoly. No other state gives its citizens a socialist subsidy, a slice of the pie, by the wealthiest corporation on Earth. BUt that is the price that big oil decided it had to pay to have its way with the last expanse of wilderness in the USA.
People in Alsaka get a bit of oil money one way or another by just living there. But if you want to call it a microcosm you can always make that fit one way or another.

WHile Alaskans are a bit better off than the rest of the country they do have a harder time leaving the State compared to, lets say, leaving Bayonne NJ.


Sarah Plain Palin will run in 2012 dpending upon who will want to be her LOYAL running mate. While she will stand for the religious base and gunmen of America she will need a person who will attract independents. There are lots of people she can't get and there are many she can get but wont help.

She will look first to other FOX news people who have their own show and stand a chance of ruinning, I mean running a good campaign.
She will ask Huckabee, she won;t ask Beck but she can count on him to swift boat and torpedo opponents. She doesn;t stand a chance with Romney. FInding someone who will forgo their own PResidential bid and risk it all on her is a tough head hunt. She may have to consider a celebrity over a politician. O'Reilly? Lou Dobbs? Those guys would say yes.