VOLuntarilyConservative

Our dear friend, the Conservatore over at Pensieri, returns to the blogosphere after a bit of absence spent campaigning to make a plea for unity amongst Republicans, with a focus on his native 1st District of Tennessee. Dave Oatney echos those thoughts, which is apropos given that Vance worked for Phil Roe and Dave worked for David Davis. They are both getting along, so why can't their candidates of choice?

It's interesting to hear Republicans talking like that. Here in Knox County, it's more of a bloodsport for Republicans to beat the hell out of each other. Primary, general election, church softball game - all of these are equal opportunities to kick each other's teeth in.

It appears that David Davis isn't going to take Conservatore's advice or Dave's advice. It appears that he is destined to push this to the brink and destroy any chances that he had - no, still has - at political relevance in the 1st District. He's lawyered up, and given that he's chosen a law firm that specializes in election challenges, I would say that it's a longshot that their legal advice would be to concede. (There isn't a lot of money in doing that.)

Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey is also asking Davis to drop any thoughts of an election challenge. I join in that plea. It is doomed to failure. Certainly, when the matter is presented to the Republican State Executive Committee, someone is going to point out that Davis was spared a recount upon his election in 2006. Isn't what is good for the goose also good for the gander? Then the case probably winds up in court, where a judge is going to look at an intraparty challenge that was turned down by the governing body of that party and he or she will punt it out of the courthouse. From what I am reading, there simply isn't any merit to the challenge.

Of course, as Ramsey points out, it is the law of the State of Tennessee that we have open primaries. When I see someone who doesn't like the laws, I tell them to contact their elected representatives. The irony here is that Davis was one of those representatives for many years. Does anyone know if Davis ever offered up a bill to close party primaries to declared party members? I ask because I don't ever recall such a bill, but I certainly could have missed it.

Conservative Republicans are a rare breed, and we only function well when we act like conservative Republicans. Don't act like a liberal Democrat, David Davis, because we don't play the part well. It will only come back to hurt you - and your party - in the end.

Labels: 2008 Congressional Races, Conservatism, First District, TN GOP