KY ag commissioner could be next Gen. Patton

Every now and then a candidate emerges who seems so unqualified that even members of his own party cringe.

That seems to be the case with David Lynn Williams, the Democratic candidate for Kentucky agriculture commissioner. (He's not to be confused with the "other" David Williams, the Republican leader of the State Senate.) Williams is such an oddball that even his fellow Democrats are running away from him.

For example, liberal blogger Mark Nickolas, whose bluegrassreport.org might be Kentucky's most popular political blog, had a posting in which he called Williams the "Democratic loon on the ballot." Nickolas wrote this: "I do think it's important that Democrats be very careful and not accidentally elect Williams during the expected tsunami that is poised to strike Kentucky Republicans on November 6th."

Williams is a retired cable contractor from Glasgow whose win in the primary shocked party regulars. He has run as both a Republican and Democrat in various primaries. According to the Associated Press, he's facing trial in January in Barren County on charges of menacing, disorderly conduct and harassment when he allegedly couldn't get a public record he was trying to obtain from his niece -- a city official in Glasgow.

Making the Internet rounds is a bizarre interview Williams did with the Adair County Community Voice newspaper. Some excerpts:

"Take all natural gas out of all the houses in the United States and put it in every vehicles, car, truck, tractor, fire equipment, and everything and these people that come up with alcohol and all that is a bunch of damned idiots..

"Also, get rid of all your state senators and your state representatives and replace them with all 120 county judges....

" ... tell everyone to watch the George Patton movie ... because that is the way I am going to run the department. I'm not obligated to nobody but God, I'm not a politician, just call me an SOB."

Williams' opponent is the incumbent Republican, Richie Farmer, the former University of Kentucky basketball great with the perfect name for an ag commissioner. The commissioner's job includes promoting the state's farm products and inspecting gas pumps, amusement rides and price scanners. Farmer has been involved in the "Kentucky Proud" program that has done a lot to promote Kentucky's non-tobacco products -- an important transition for the state.

There's a lesson in this embarrassment for the Dems: Anything can happen in low-turnout contests in which the voters who show up haven't done their homework. Those of us who live in Boone County learned that lesson last fall when Republican Ed Moore nearly won election as county clerk despite admitting he had lied about his military service and withdrawing from the race.

Trey Grayson, the Republican secretary of state candidate, cites the Moore case as a reason to do away with straight-ticket voting. Not a bad idea, though not as good a concept as just having more voters who are better informed. Grayson also faces a similar problem as Richie Farmer -- he could lose to a much less-qualified candidate if it's a huge day for all Democrats on Nov. 6.