Two-term U.S. Senator Gordon Smith (R-Oregon) lost his seat due to the Constitution Party drawing conservative votes away to their own party candidate. Here are the unofficial final results:

• Jeff Merkley (Democrat) … 48.8%
• Gordon Smith (Republican) … 45.7%
• Dave Brownlow (Constitution) … 5.2%

The Constitution Party’s National Chairman, James Clymer, brazenly declared

It’s good news for the Constitution Party when a liberal incumbent US Senator and his major party spend money directly attacking one of our candidates. It shows our significance, that their polls are showing we are taking votes from them, and it results in many more people hearing of the Constitution Party alternative.

I empathize with Mr. Clymer, but in reality his party’s actions moved the liberals a step forward while true Republican conservatives in Congress have taken a HUGE step backwards due to an even more LIBERAL candidate inheriting the seat in the Senate. How could anyone be proud of being directly responsible of placing an ultra-liberal Democrat into the U.S. Senate? I have lost some respect for Mr. Clymer — Your vision is self-serving and will have a neverending negative impact on our society as a whole. By trading away a semi-conservative U.S. Senate seat for an ultra-liberal, well, may I suggest next time you try a positive political strategy, one that actually takes the conservative movement forward? Good grief.

And another morale to the story… Oregon is allowing a non-majority candidate (one who received less than 50% of the vote) represent its constituents in the U.S. Senate. All states should rally behind this lesson to NOT allow it to happen to them! Individuals should demand to have their representation only go to Washington, D.C. with a majority vote! Why would a state not sponsor a run-off between the two leading candidates whenever a majority vote is not obtained?