Just Not Couth

There are now at least two candidates who were defeated in their recent primaries in our county party who have made de facto announcements that they will be running for these seats again in 2010, regardless of the outcome of the election. And I just cannot figure this out.

Pat Corcoran has the right approach to this. On his website, he notes that he is not discouraged from running again, that he will wait to see who wins the upcoming general elections and consider his personal and professional life before making any pronouncements for 2010, and that in the meantime he will support his party and its nominees. This is the right attitude to take, regardless of whether Pat decides to run again or not.

Now is the time for those of us who are active in the party to ensure Republican victories in November. I'm not advocating obseqiousness, but if there is a candidate who you just cannot support publicly or cannot work for, stay on the sidelines and stay out of the way. Dividing the party at this critical juncture does not accomplish anything for anybody, including the two candidates in question. It's uncouth and unbecoming to the voters.

The statesmanlike thing to do would be to remain quiet during this period and take the loss in a dignified manner. Pronouncements of candidacies for races four years hence for offices that have no winners yet in this electoral cycle is just a cynical, jaded reaction to a defeat and frankly do not put the particular candidates hinting at these decisions into a favorable light.