Artur Davis Is Now a Republican

Reuters
Alexander Abad-Santos 347 Views May 31, 2012

Apparently changing your party affiliation and making big swirling political moves can all be done through a blog post. If you aren't familiar with Artur Davis, he's a former congressman, a former Obama ally (look how happy they are together in the picture above), and a former rising star in the Democratic party whose gubernatorial hopes in Alabama ended when he was beaten soundly. That said, he had a post yesterday entitled "A Response to Political Rumors"--where he changed all of that.  

"If I were to run, it would be as a Republican. And I am in the process of changing my voter registration from Alabama to Virginia, a development which likely does represent a closing of one chapter and perhaps the opening of another," wrote Davis.  And he also included a very Republican-sounding denouncement of Obama: "the symbolism of Barack Obama winning has not given us the substance of a united country." 

So what do Davis's switch and his "maybe I will, maybe I won't" political aspirations mean?  According to The Washington Post's Rosalind Helderman, Republicans see Davis's switch as a boon--because of his race and his shunning of Democratic party. "Republicans saw in Davis’s announcement potent confirmation of their charge that Obama has failed to spark economic growth or deliver on his promises of fostering more national unity, both central planks of Davis’s critique," wrote Helderman. Adding, "In Virginia, Republicans saw in the black Harvard graduate an appealing potential candidate who could shake up the growing Democratic sway in northern Virginia."

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