In it, but not of it. TPM DC
Davis's idea would make for an interesting scenario -- what if a House election ended with no single party having a majority of seats, and a bunch of Southern independents holding the balance of power and able to extract various policy concessions (and pork for their districts)? Then again, if they all voted to organize with the Dems, the voters would just catch on after a while.
Davis gave up his safe Democratic House seat this year in order to run for governor, but lost the Democratic primary after voting against health care reform and otherwise distancing himself from the national Democrats and African-American organizations. The Democratic nominee, state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, then lost in November to Republican Robert Bentley.