Is John Waltz Populist Enough to Beat Geoff Davis, R-KY4?

Down with Tyranny has a good profile of Democratic challenger John Waltz in Kentucky's Fourth District:

This all leaves me wondering, what will this district make of John Waltz? If there is an example of a progressive that could appeal to wide range of people, maybe even Tea Partiers, Waltz may be it this cycle. Waltz points out in that despite the talk of “We the People,” Davis has left regular middle-class people like Waltz behind. Waltz lives a life like many voters, trying to raising his daughters on a military disability pension and volunteering to help other veterans. In small diners, Waffle Houses, and County Fairs, John delivers a simple message-- restoring democracy means electing folks who have struggled like everyone else and who have the work ethic to do the job, not just have the job.

Waltz is focused on traveling off the political grid in his district. He visits the population centers, and then drives off main roads to go to places that perhaps no federal candidate has ever visited. He proudly keeps a map in his office and marks with pin each stop when he comes home. He is traveling to meet and hear voters, but also to raise a clear point-- when is the last time they saw their own “representative?”

This year, Davis appears to be trying to coast by largely on his tax-payer funded mailings and telephone town halls. His rare appearance outside his home County might show that he has some explaining to do and that the voters he takes for granted aren’t too happy with his doublespeak and inconsistencies. The Tea Party in Northern Kentucky has a choice to embrace an unaccomplished Republican insider who recently insulted them, or a Democratic outsider who shares many personal traits but disagrees on some aspects of policy. In one of the stranger election years, it may well be that the Tea Party voters either through defection or simply skipping Davis’ name after pulling the lever in other races, could lift Waltz to a shocking victory, and a strange election cycle will get the biggest Cinderella story ever.

Read the whole thing.

I am not a fan of Waltz, having found some disturbingly Blue Dog/DINO positions on his website, particularly on the deficit non-problem. But click here and judge for yourself.