Palin’s endorsement didn’t help Miller in Alaska

Did Sarah Palin's endorsement help Joe Miller in Alaska's GOP Senate primary? Not really, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey of GOP primary voters in the state.

According to the poll, just 15 percent of those who voted for Miller say Palin's endorsement influenced their vote. Twenty-six percent said it was "somewhat important," and 59 percent say it didn't matter at all. Asked if a Palin endorsement makes a difference on who they vote for, 39 percent of Alaska GOP voters said it doesn't matter at all, while 35 percent said it made them "less likely" to support a candidate.

Instead, Miller's narrow victory — which appears to be holding as votes continue to be counted — seems to have been driven by Republicans who think incumbent Lisa Murkowski isn't conservative enough. Among the primary voters polled, 47 percent described Murkowski as "too liberal," while 38 percent said she was "just right." On the flip side, 51 percent — a majority — viewed Miller as "just right."

Miller also benefited from voters sympathetic to the tea party cause. There aren't many voters in Alaska who describe themselves as actual members of the tea party movement — just 18 percent, according to PPP. Yet 53 percent of Alaska Republicans agree with the movement's larger goals, and Miller won that segment by nearly 75 percent; those who said they oppose the tea party ideology went for Murkowski.

According to the latest tally, Miller leads Murkowski by just over 1,300 votes — though nearly 20,000 absentee ballots are yet to be counted.

(Photo of Miller by Mark Thiessen/AP)