Mr. Roberts Flops

A while back I noted the sickening campaign of Richard Roberts who ran for the Republican nomination for the First Congressional District of Tennessee. His only campaign theme, other than emty prattle about "East Tennessee Common Sense, was his steadfast support for President Bush and his Iraq fiasco:

Too many Americans seem to have forgotten what is at stake in the war on terror and the war in Iraq -- but not our Commander-in-Chief. This is a President whose moral, Christian compass is right on target and who is leading the fight for our very way of life.

These days, the so-called political "experts" are telling Republican candidates to keep their distance from a President with a 30% approval rating if they want to get elected. Unfortunately, I have seen some of that sort of thinking right here in East Tennessee.

They couldn't be more wrong.

They are wrong if they think that running from the President will make this country safer. They are wrong if they believe the people of East Tennessee do not support this President. And Republican candidates are wrong if they rely on poll numbers to decide what to do.

As it turns out, "Bush, Iraq . . . Bush, Iraq" wasn't such a good campaign theme. Mr. Roberts finished third.

UPDATE: Another real winner that I commented on earlier, Ralph McGill; received 13 per cent of the vote against the incumbent, Jimmy Duncan. McGill is the guy who favors a one consecutive term limits and who, though living in church-laden Knoxville, believes that "we have religious freedom and tolerance for Muslims, atheists, and everyone else, but not for Christians." He is gone and will be forgotten.