Jack Davis Does Not Deserve Democrats' Support. Period.

Dear Jack Davis:

You’ve run twice now. You lost both times. You were essentially self-funded with your own millions, and yet you still lost. In 2006, Mark Foley practically handed you a win on a silver platter, and yet you still lost.

It’s not that you didn’t spend enough money. It’s not even that you didn’t like campaigning at all. It has to do with you being a one-note candidate. A one-issue dullard. A rich old man with a short memory.

Why am I being so harsh on you? Why am I writing this? Well, because you said this about Jon Powers (courtesy of The Albany Project):

Powers, Davis said, “is a kid. He’s 29 years old and he’s never had a real job,” said Davis. “If we do get into a primary, he won’t have any money left.”

Powers was an army officer in Iraq, and he was a school teacher in Clarence. Not only that, but he’s a gracious and humble man. He’s 29 years old and has more class than you’ll ever have, Jack. He’s 29 years old and he’d held at least two real jobs that I can count.

Anyway, I accused you of having a short memory. Short memory? Yep. Because let’s be frank, Jack.

You don’t really want the job.

In November 2006, when you lost to Tom Reynolds, you said you were “relieved” not to be going to Washington. Remember? Well, here’s what I wrote about that then:

4. Jack Davis. It was a helluva run, and hindsight is always 20/20. Mr. Davis is politically finished. He is through. One thing he said last night sealed that fate. When asked, he said he was “relieved” not to now be going to Washington; that he lost. That is the absolutely wrong sentiment for him to express. I know that hundreds upon hundreds of loyal Democrats busted their asses to get this guy to Washington, and he’s relieved that he lost? The only two counties Davis won last night were Erie and Niagara. In the rural counties, Reynolds won, hands-down. Surprisingly, Monroe went overwhelmingly for Reynolds, despite the fact that other parts of Monroe went overwhelmingly for Democrat Eric Massa in NY-29. Davis was handed a gift this year on a gleaming silver platter. Mark Foley. Discontent with Washington and Bush. It was a year that a centrist Democrat could have easily taken on the arrogant career politician that Reynolds is. Instead, we had a Buchananite conservative who could equal Reynolds’ dislikability and stuck pretty much to only one issue. It was a golden opportunity that was squandered by a candidate who even refused to meet and greet voters, instead relying on advertising to get his message out. But running for congress isn’t the same as selling furniture, and you have to go out and press flesh – especially when there are huge question marks hanging around your run. Where do you stand on Social Security? What else besides free trade would you work on when you get to Washington? Even superficial stuff – voters want to look the candidate in the eyes and get an answer to their questions in person. If they like what they’ll see, they’ll spread word of mouth. That didn’t happen, and in a tight race that could have been the difference. But that’s the epitaph on Davis’ run: golden opportunities lost.

And yet now you, Jack, have the audacity to blame your failure to campaign on your staff? Please. I have heard from myriad people who tried to work for you that you’re stubborn, that you refuse to listen, and that it’s your way or the highway. Maybe a great way to run a company. Not a great way to campaign. And I ought to know; I didn’t do half the things I should have done to get elected.

You know, Jack, ads are one thing. But here was my take on your debate with Reynolds 2 years ago:

Now I know why Davis doesn’t like to campaign and give speeches. He’s pretty bad at it. He recounted the fact that he’s a patriot and spent some time trying to debunk the negative ads that Reynolds has been running against him. Davis made it crystal clear that, on the issues, he’s as conservative (if not more so) than Reynolds. Except that he’s pro-choice.

On the question concerning gay marriage, Davis scoffed, saying he didn’t want to talk about that, he wants to talk about important stuff. During the post-debate spin, Channel 7’s John Borsa called Davis on this – isn’t gay marriage important to a lot of people? Why would he dismiss it? Davis kinda eventually acknowledged that it is important. Davis repeated that he was a patriot a lot, and he mentioned that we need to stop hemorrhaging jobs to China and that we need to shut our borders, and build a wall around Mexico or something. He is against amnesty for illegal immigrants. This was a sort of ugly side of Jack Davis; I don’t mind people being against illegal immigration, but there was something about how he went about it that stunk of xenophobia.

When you’re given a forum in front of potential voters, you’re not going to win just because you’re angry at your opponent and can look & sound it. You have to win us over. Give us a reason to vote for you. Yeah, free trade. OK. What else? Davis just didn’t seal that deal. Some questions gave him a couple of minutes’ worth of time to expound on his positions, but he answered them with one word instead. Yes, brevity is the soul of wit – but this is ridiculous.

The WNYMedia.net cameras consisted of one personal camcorder on a tippy tripod, and Davis’ people mistook yours truly for a Reynolds stooge. At one point, I asked why Davis answered a question concerning travel to Canada with a rant about building a wall around Mexico. His handler angrily asked me who I was with.

I looked him right in the eyes and proudly replied, “Western New York Media dot net”. That quickly sunk in, but by that time my question was somewhat drowned out by nonsense, so all I got from the candidate was a tepid, “I misunderstood the question.” The handler later apologized to me and WNYMedia.net.

After the debate was over, Reynolds walked over to Davis, shook his hand and said something to him that I couldn’t hear. I kept the camera trained on them, and I saw Reynolds say the word, “trust” to Davis. I asked Davis what Mr. Reynolds had just said to him, and it was “something about his grandkids.”

Seriously, it was the fucking curmudgeon hour.

Jack, you blame your young, brow-beaten staff for your own shortcomings when you said this about campaigning in 2006:

Davis said he feels more comfortable communicating through his ads. “That’s why I’ve spent $1 million on radio and TV and direct advertising,” he said.

As an engineer who has studied efficiency for 40 years, Davis said pressing the flesh just isn’t his style even if that’s what some of his supporters want.

“They think that every time there’s a barbecue I should make it,” he said. “That’s old politics. I’d rather spend my time working or answering e-mails.”

You’ve already spent 3 or 4 million bucks trying to win a seat you don’t want, and you’re looking to spend another couple million. Guess what? You could spend another $5 million. Maybe $10 million. And you’d still lose. You’re an unlikeable one-issue candidate. When Jon Powers looks people in the eye at those BBQs you detest, he connects with them. People from all walks of life, and all political persuasions come to like him and believe in him after speaking with him for a few minutes. You, Jack? You scare puppies and make babies cry.

But on top of everything, let’s cut the bullshit, Jack.

You’re really a Republican. Yes, Cheney snubbed you after you gave him $2,000 and you wanted to engage him on trade policy, but you’re a conservative Republican at heart.

So, go back to I-Squared-R. Stay home this year. Let someone who works hard; someone with a chance win. Let someone win who actually wants the job, Jack.

Love, BP