Who is this guy?

After graduating from the University of Kentucky with a mechanical engineering degree in 1974, Fletcher became a fighter pilot in the Air Force, a first step to going into space. Based in Alaska, his job was to intercept Soviet jets that tested U.S. defenses during the Cold War.

Amid military cutbacks during the Carter administration, Fletcher left the Air Force, returned to Lexington, enrolled in the UK medical school, graduated in 1984, and became a family-practice physician.

Fletcher was ordained and served as a pastor at a Baptist church in Lexington from 1989 to 1994.

Fletcher has never been shy about his Christian faith.

Who is this guy? The new governor of Kentucky, that's who. (Emphasis in following quotes is added, as a gentle tap with a clue bat to my Democrat readers.)

Rep. Ernie Fletcher easily won the Kentucky governor's race Tuesday, becoming the first Republican to lead the state in 32 years...

...With 55 percent of precincts reporting, Fletcher -- who got a big campaign assist from President Bush in the campaign's final days -- led with 54 percent, or 339,688 votes, to Democratic Attorney General Ben Chandler's 46 percent, or 285,941 votes.

Note to Democrats, the following strategy won't work (It's okay, they won't listen):

Chandler has tried to link Fletcher to Bush administration policies he says have cost Kentucky 67,000 jobs since 2001.

Now here comes the excuse-du-jour (drumroll please):

But polls suggest Chandler may have been hurt by his closeness to Democratic Gov. Paul E. Patton, who is finishing his term despite a scandal involving an alleged affair and charges of misconduct.

ohhhhhh...

Watch out next year though, when the Democrats bring out their genius fighter pilot-turned-doctor-and-pastor types. Cause I'm sure they've learned from this one...