Washington, D.C. (rightcommentary.com): Democrat Travis Childers’ win in the special election for the Mississippi First Congressional District over Republican Greg Davis was a disaster. There is no way to sugar-coat this loss. This is a conservative district which should not have been in play. The Republican Party cannot blame this one on an inept candidate or inadequate funding. There were some local and regional issues that worked against Davis, and the fact that his opponent in the primary refused to endorse him certainly did not help. However, in a normal year none of these issues would have prevented the GOP from retaining the seat. As Democrats win one special election after another, 2008 is proving to be the electoral equivalent of water boarding for Republicans.

However, it is important not to compound the disaster by learning the wrong lessons from it. Much has already been said about how Davis’s attempt to link Childers to Obama failed miserably. Less has been said about how Childers deflected this attack. Childers treated Obama the same way Peter treated Jesus Christ - by denying that he even knew Obama. Childers presented himself as a pro-gun, pro-life, anti-tax, small-town conservative that would work to balance the budget. If Obama ever does meet Childers, I am sure he would find the Mississippian to be rather bitter.

You can watch his ad here:

Davis did not lose because Mississippi is warming up to Barack Obama. The people of Mississippi have not suddenly made a hard turn to the left. Given a choice between two conservative candidates, the voters elected the one without the Republican label. The worst thing Republicans can take from this election is that they should run away from conservative principles. Barack Obama’s extreme leftist agenda should be attacked, but it must be matched with specific alternatives.

Davis and Childers will face off again in November. By then he will have a voting record on which he can be judged. It will interesting to see if it matches his conservative rhetoric.

Right Commentary is pleased to welcome Jay Ouzts as a regular contributor and writer to Right Commentary. Jay also writes at his own blog at http://www.ouztopia.com/. Jay lives and works in Jackson, Mississippi.

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