Russell Best Of The Democrats

A Democrat hasn’t represented East Tennessee in Congress since 1881, when Rutherford B. Hayes was the president.

Two candidates, Rob Russell and Michael Donihe, hope to be the one to end the streak. Russell, an East Tennessee State University instructor, is the stronger Democratic candidate.

The Bristol Herald Courier’s editorial board endorses Russell with one caveat. We believe voters would be better served to cast a ballot for Phil Roe in the Republican primary than to vote in the Democratic contest. Roe has the best shot at unseating one-term incumbent David Davis. And that must be the No. 1 goal.

Somber-minded Democrats must recognize the long odds that their candidate will face in the fall. Unless they have deep-seated philosophical reasons not to cross party lines, they can best serve their interests by working for Davis’ defeat in his primary. A pragmatic conservative is a far better choice than a bitterly partisan one.

We have nothing against Russell. He’s a solid candidate who makes more sense on most issues than Davis – a strident partisan who wants to grow the gulf between left and right rather than reaching across it.

As Russell succinctly put it, Davis represents a “radical point of view that doesn’t represent the needs of the people.”

Russell, 38, isn’t particularly radical, but he is an economic populist. In his view, Davis has neglected the needs of his working-class constituents – a charge given credence by recent academic studies of the region. East Tennessee has high levels of poverty, low levels of educational attainment and an unhealthier population than the nation as a whole.

“It’s hard for a wealthy businessman to understand worries about gas or money for healthy food,” Russell explained.

Health care tops Russell’s list of concerns. He supports expansion of SCHIP, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, to cover more uninsured children – not just the near-poor but those in middle-class families who lack access to private insurance.

“After that, we must find a way to give every American affordable access,” he said.

Russell believes that the cost of expanded health care access can be covered by eliminating administrative inefficiency, capping malpractice awards and providing incentives for digital health records.

Russell also opposes earmarks – a method that Congress uses to fund pet projects by attaching them to other legislation. He supports careful offshore drilling and wants to get the U.S. military out of Iraq, although he wouldn’t favor a strict timetable.

Donihe, the other Democratic candidate, is a college-educated janitor for the city of Kingsport. His main platform is elimination of the Federal Reserve and a return to the “gold standard” for money. In fact, he showed a remarkable ability to shift a discussion of almost any subject matter back to U.S. monetary policy.

Russell has greater command of the issues. He will be a suitable Democratic standard bearer in the fall, although he – indeed any Democrat – faces long odds in the general election.

We believe a vote for Roe is the shrewder tactical move, but we applaud Russell for having the courage to run. He presents a reasonable choice for those inclined to take part in the Democratic primary.