So apparently the way is clear for former Governor Jim "Integrity-free" Gilmore to run as the Republican against Mark Warner.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...ml?hpid=topnews

U.S. SENATE RACE
Davis Won't Try to Seek Warner Seat

By Amy Gardner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 25, 2007; 10:43 AM

Rep. Thomas M. Davis III said this morning that he will not make a run for the U.S. Senate next year, in part because of what he sees as the Republican Party's increasingly narrow focus on candidates who pass conservative litmus tests on taxes and abortion.

Davis (R-Va.), who has been preparing for a Senate bid for years, wouldn't rule out a future run, such as a challenge to James Webb (D) in 2012. He said he will decide later whether to seek reelection to his House seat next year.

But trying to replace Sen. John W. Warner ®, who will retire at the end of next year, when Davis considers Democrats to be strong and Republicans in disarray -- particularly in Virginia -- would be counterproductive, the seven-term Northern Virginia congressman said.

Davis said he was unwilling to engage in what was expected to be a bruising battle for the Republican nomination with former governor James S. Gilmore III, who is considering a run and is widely viewed as more politically conservative.

"Once you tear off the scab of the Republicans' moderate-conservative fight, it's very difficult to put it back together," Davis said. "This is not the right time" for a run, he added.

Several people who are close to Davis -- who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on his behalf -- said he was deeply disappointed by the Republican State Central Committee's decision this month to choose a convention over a primary to nominate the GOP Senate candidate in the spring. They also said Davis is angry about how his party selects candidates.

Because conventions tend to draw more conservatives, the decision probably gives an advantage to Gilmore, who takes a hard line against tax increases and leans right on social issues. The convention option has been greeted with widespread scorn among moderate Republicans and Democrats, who predicted a Gilmore defeat in the general election against Democrat Mark R. Warner, the popular former governor who has declared his plans to run.

Davis hinted that he agreed with that assessment this morning, saying, "Republicans are more interested in beating each other than in beating the Democrat."

Nevertheless, Davis said he would support the party's eventual nominee.

Of Mark Warner, he said: "Nobody's unbeatable, but he's formidable. Mark is a very affable guy, and he's got a lot of money. And he's got a formidable organization around the state."

Those close to Davis did not bother to hide their anger about the decision to hold a convention instead of a primary. "The circular firing squad has assembled," one confidant said yesterday. "What does that mean for our electoral chances? We are killing ourselves coming out of the block."

Davis said it was too early for him to decide whether he would seek reelection to his House seat. But he noted that he had a fundraiser yesterday morning and attended the annual Vienna Halloween parade last night.

"We'll talk about that another day," he said. "The rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated."

Until today, Davis had insisted he would wait until after the Nov. 6 state and local elections to make a final announcement of his Senate intentions. Even as word of his pending announcement leaked out yesterday, he maintained publicly that he was looking at numbers and keeping his options open.

Such apparent inconsistencies reflect both the difficulty of the decision and Davis's habit of "thinking out loud," said his wife, state Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis. She is locked in a bruising reelection campaign against Democrat J. Chapman Petersen.

Davis had said he wanted to wait until November to make a decision so he could focus on his wife's campaign. But his disappointment with the convention decision has consumed him in recent days, associates said.

He acknowledged that taking a public shot at the Republican Party this morning also could help his wife's chances in a district that has voted overwhelmingly for Democrats in recent statewide elections.

Davis and his wife said they are exhausted after two years of nearly nonstop campaigning -- for his reelection last year and her campaign this year. The thought of facing another grueling election, they said, was wearisome.

"When's the last time we took a Saturday off and went to a football game, and went out to dinner?" Davis asked this morning. Running for Senate, he said, would mean "another year without any of that."

and Democrats have the people nominate a great person, only to screw the people in the general election (see CT 2006 and Ned Lamont).

Not sure of what your point is here. Are you speaking of Mark Warner, and is it pro, con or mixed?

Let me tell you that a person who might have a great chance to win in CT might find it much tougher to win in Virginia. People really need to understand things like that.

No, I meant Conn.
The dems crucify themselves afterwards, the republicans make sure to not let the person they don't want run in the first place

Well I am talking about Virginia, where I happen to live, and know some about the politics.

The Dems aren't likely to crucify themselves here. They are almost certainly going to be united behind Mark Warner, who is likely to win by a handsome margin next year over the Republican bozo likely to oppose him, so I don't think that Republicans with any awareness desire Warner as their opponent. I don't see anyone likely to mount a serious challenge against Warner among the Democrats. Now in terms of unserious challenges, there are always the Larouchies...

Anyway, the situation is hardly likely to be comparable to Connecticut in the least.