As anti-Stevens as I am, it seems to me that voting for Ted Stevens probably remains the right thing for Alaska conservatives to do. If Stevens is re-elected, he'll have to step down, and will be replaced by someone appointed by Gov. Palin. She can be expected to appoint an ally, which will serve to strengthen Palin's position within the party power structure. As a Palinista myself, this is something I'm all on board for.

If, on the other hand, Stevens' Democrat opponent is elected, that's just one more seat for the Democrat Party, putting them one step closer to a filibuster-proof majority. That's not small potatoes, folks.

Thus, despite my disdain for the corrupt (and embarassing) Ted Stevens and the embarassing (and corrupt) Don Young, and despite my deep respect for the very smart guys at RedState, I have to disagree with their call for Alaska's conservatives to stand down and let the Democrats take over by default.

No, the Republicans don't deserve to retain power, but we don't deserve to be ruled by leftist Democrats.

Am I wrong on this one? Let's hear it.