Tom Davis: "All systems are go" for a U.S. Senate Run
By: Lowell
Published On: 9/15/2007 8:33:23 AM
It looks like the delay in Tom Davis' announcement for U.S. Senate next year doesn't mean he isn't running:
Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) edged yesterday about as close to a U.S. Senate candidacy as it is possible to get without actually entering the race.
Davis, appearing on WTOP's "The Politics Program," told host Mark Plotkin that a formal announcement won't come until November but that his intention is to run for the seat being vacated by the retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R).
"Right now, all systems are go," said Davis, a seven-term House member and former Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chairman, who has been assembling money and staff members for the contest.
That sounds to me like a candidate if I've ever heard one. So why hasn't Rep. Davis announced already? Because, according to the Washington Post article, Davis "has been devoting significant time and energy to [Jeannemarie Devolites Davis'] race, including knocking on doors in the 34th Senate District." In other words, after Jeannemarie loses to Chap, Tom Davis will be free to turn his full attention to running for U.S. Senate.
Speaking of which, Davis may have a tough time within his own party, and his words on WTOP yesterday might not make matters any easier. For instance, "In the Virginia Republican Party, it doesn't take much to be lefty." Or, the need to "get our party in order." I also thought that Davis was amazingly candid about how, in a long-ago time and a galaxy far, far away, he "might have said or done anything to get elected." But today, Davis insists, he has changed and is finally -- as the Post puts it -- "a statesman unafraid to buck party orthodoxy."
So, let's get this straight: Tom Davis is a politician who would say and do anything to be elected (I mean, USED to...not anymore of course!), who implies that his party is far to the right and in disarray, and who isn't running yet because he's busy desperately trying to salvage his wife's political career. Sounds like a winner to me; I'm sure that Mark Warner is besides himself...with glee, that is. :)
Comments
Loquacious Like a Fox? (jsrutstein - 9/15/2007 10:10:29 AM)
Davis talks like a maverick and votes like a lemming. It seems clear that the GOP knows what's more important. I wish my fellow constituents were as wise. I have to give Davis for a clever strategy. He knows he can't get away in this district talking like a conservative. He also sussed out that we're too smart to fall for the type of flim flam convenient forgetfulness that Reagan mastered and Fred Thompson appears to be trying. I only hope that the same frustration that gave us Davis in '94 will give us whoever the Dems nominate for VA-11 in '08. As far as Davis' future, I think the absolutely smartest thing I and his wife's other constituents can do is to fight fire with fire. If Davis has succeeded by unfairly letting his moderate words disguise his conservative votes, we should similarly unfairly punish Jeannemarie. The bonus is that Chap will prove to be a much better State Senator.
Far, far away, in a galaxy one year ago . . . (True Blue - 9/15/2007 10:25:23 AM)
Davis had his chance to stand up and be counted when he was chair of the government reform committee. He rolled over and played dead for George W. Bush.
I heard the same interview (Teddy - 9/15/2007 11:22:44 AM)
with Plotkin. Davis lofted a few preliminary attacks on Mark Warner, as well, sort of straws in the wind which included snarky comments on Warner's record, his raising of taxes, and so on.
In Tom's view Virginia is still a very red state once you get away from NoVa; that being the case, he thinks that the Republican candidate for Senate is automatically going to carry the "rest of Virginia" (also known as ROVA), and that Tom Davis, alone of possible Republican candidates, can eat into Mark's Northern Virginia base, and, therefore, win the election.
Tomis a RINO (HeathPulaski - 9/15/2007 2:14:18 PM)
Rep. Davis is a big RINO he has no place to be running as a Republican. He has more in common with Pelosi, Clinton and Harry Reed then he does with President Bush.
Also i believe the VRP is going to have a nominating convention in '08 this makes it harder for RINOs like Davis who opposed the President and the War on Terror at every turn.
Rep. Davis isn't going to be the GOP nominee in '08.
Rep Bob Goodlat, Rep. Virguil Guid, ina ddition to Col. North running possible, Gov. Gilmore and Pat Buchannan.
I would say Pat has the best chance since the climate of illegal aliens would give Pat a leg up on squishes like Davis who support Amnesty.
Also Davis cuts deals with too many Dems. Heard he has made a deal wiht Gerry Connolly. He won't do anything for Baise and in exchange Connolly won't do anything for Chap. Just look at the pictures from the Fairfax City Parade, thsoe three looked like three peas in a pod. Tom, Jeanmarrie and Gerry...
Davis votes with Nancy Pelosi more then he does with President Bush....
Please prove it (Teddy - 9/15/2007 3:06:55 PM)
that "Davis votes with Nancy Pelosi more than with President Bush." My impression is that he talks more like Pelosi when across the Potomac in NoVa but votes more like Boerner or even Tom Delay back across the Potomac on the Hill.
Well, according to Congressional Quarterly... (Johnny Longtorso - 9/15/2007 3:08:26 PM)
Davis has voted with Bush 63% of the time in 2007 (compared to 85% of the time last year -- running to the center, Mr. Davis?).
Nancy Pelosi's Presidential Support Score for 2007 so far... 0%.
Source: http://www.cqpolitic...
And while we're at it, Davis has voted with a majority of Republicans 77% of the time in 2007, as opposed to 86% of the time in 2006.
Source: http://www.cqpolitic...
ACU & ATR Rating (HeathPulaski - 9/15/2007 3:20:51 PM)
Tom Davis has a 55 ACU Rating and a 52 ATR rating.
www.conservative.org
www.atr.org
If he were voting with Delay he'd be easily over 80% like all good republicans.
Davis is a Jerk
if you really don't like davis (KainIIIC - 9/15/2007 5:22:46 PM)
by all means, let him run and get crushed in the primary by Gilmore or Buchanan... that way we pick up both the House seat and the Senate seat with relative ease.
Davis vs. Gilmore vs. Kilgore (vinton4sam2008 - 9/16/2007 8:42:36 AM)
I think we have to look at a much bigger picture here. Former Gov. Gilmore has already mentioned a possible run and I don't think we can count Former AG Jerry Kilgore out of it just yet. In a 3 way primary, anything can happen and I just bet Gilmore might take Davis with Kilgore coming in 3rd splitting the difference. In a Warner-Gilmore matchup, Democrats have a better shot of picking up the seat. But, we'll see.
GOP Convention vs. Primary (jsrutstein - 9/16/2007 8:57:18 AM)
Ben over at NLS started some excellent analysis of the big decision facing the VA GOP in terms of whether to hold a nominating convention instead of a primary to select their nominee for the U.S. Senate next year. I'm persuaded that Davis can only get the nomination via a primary, and even then it would be tough. I hope Ben and/or others much more wired (and, alas, motivated) than I keep shining a spotlight on this. The more Warner supporters know about GOP machinations, the better we can spread the word to the non-diehard GOP voters with whom we speak about the merits of voting for Warner.