Not Our Cup of Tea

The decision of Jon Scott Ashjian to take on Harry Reid is curious to say the least. He's running as the "tea party" candidate, though few activists have ever heard of him. Many have suggested he is a plant from the Reid camp intended to split the opposition vote.

I hesitate to attempt to discern people's motives, I simply don't see what he brings to the table other than the risk of splitting the common-sense government vote, resulting in a Reid victory.

Does he bring a unique perspective and positive agenda to the race that other contenders don't? Does he have a solid platform informed by principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility? I've seen evidence of neither. The tea party movement rejects mere labels as reliable indicators of a political philosophy. For example, Republicanism isn't synonymous with fiscal responsibility. Likewise, a candidate claiming to be the "tea party" candidate means nothing. What does he stand for? The citizens of Nevada deserve to know.

What's more, according to numerous accounts from grassroots activists on the ground in Nevada, he's a Johnny-Come-Lately to the movement - just in time for the election cycle.

One comment he made to CNN.com was particularly troubling:

He says he's fielded endless calls from Republicans trying to strong-arm him to leave the race, and he resents it: "I don't think Republicans own the Tea Party," Ashjian said. "In fact, I know they don't in Nevada, because I do.

Claiming to "own" the tea party movement is highly hubristic and highly inaccurate no matter who you are. In Mr. Ashjian's case, it is particularly odd given that he has been uniformly denounced by virtually every grassroots tea party group in Nevada.

While I'm not sure if he's a plant intended to be a spoiler as some have mused, he is, at the very least, a sub-par, unserious candidate. The best service Mr. Ashjian can do his country and the state of Nevada is to step aside so Nevada voters have a solid challenger to face Mr. Reid in the general election.