A Key Sherrod Brown Ally Has Launched "The Committee To Draft Sherrod Brown For President 2020"

[brooklynite]

Source: BuzzFeed

A key ally of Sherrod Brown has quietly launched an organization designed to promote Brown as a presidential candidate, as the Democratic senator from Ohio contemplates a 2020 campaign.

The Committee to Draft Sherrod Brown for President 2020 was incorporated last week by Michael Wager, according to a filing with the Ohio secretary of state’s office.

Wager is Brown’s former campaign finance chair and a prominent Democratic attorney in Cleveland. He declined to comment on the record when reached Thursday by BuzzFeed News.

Brown has said he is thinking about running in 2020 but has set no timetable for making a decision. The draft committee’s existence is a sign that his supporters are preparing for a campaign. Once formally registered with the Federal Election Commission — a step that hadn’t been taken as of Thursday afternoon — the group could raise money to help elevate Brown’s profile nationally and in early caucus and primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.

Read more: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/henrygomez/sherrod-brown-2020-presidential-campaign-pac

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. This is excellent news. n/t

[NewJeffCT]

2. How soon till

Brown is attacked by some on the "left"?

[TheFarseer]

17. I'm probably one of those people you are complaining about

and I like Sherrod Brown. He's one of my top choices. The gripe that I most often hear is centrists complaining that we will be throwing away a Senate seat, which is a super weak argument IMO

[DrToast]

19. I don't think it's a super weak argument at all

I think Brown would be an amazing President. I like him quite a bit. But what happens if control of the Senate comes down to that seat? His agenda would go nowhere.

It has become quite apparent that in order for a Democratic President to enact their agenda, the party must control both chambers of Congress.

[NewJeffCT]

28. I'm not talking about losing the seat

but, some issue or two where he isn't "pure" enough for some folks on the left.

And, in googling his history, his first wife took out a restraining order against him because, at the time, she said she feared possible physical violence against her by Brown - while, she later toned down the physical violence threat, just the fact it is out there gives Republicans an issue to tarnish him with. (And, yes I know Trump, Gym Jordan and others have done worse, but the media does not treat Democrats and Republicans the same on these issues)

[pecosbob]

3. I'm kinda okay with Sherrod Brown

from an avowed lefty...

[in2herbs]

4. I've been following him for several years. I'd like to see a Brown/Harris ticket.

[Ohiogal]

6. Brown/Harris

Now you're talkin'!!

[Floyd R. Turbo]

13. Hell yes!

[monmouth4]

5. I like him a lot.

[Horizens]

8. Yes

Brown/Klobucher

[DrToast]

20. Love it

Even though I'm worried about losing that seat.

[ZeroSomeBrains]

9. I like Senator Brown a lot

I fear of losing that Senate seat as Ohio has gone pretty far to the right as of late but Brown would be a terrific President.

[LisaL]

10. OH has turned red but perhaps there are some other states we could pick up seats.

I mean, we just got one in Arizona.

[ZeroSomeBrains]

11. Hopefully

But in some ways being a great US Senator can be more valuable than a President. Brown would have his seat for six years as long as his health holds up. And the US Senate is so difficult to get a majority for Dems based on all the lowely populated states getting as many reps as Illinois California and New York. I dunno. Either way I wish him great luck. He's been one of my favorite dems for years.

[DrToast]

21. Exactly. If he wins the Presidency, it's almost pointless unless we control House & Senate

[Trump Must Go]

14. He was just re-elected, does he have to quit

in order to run? If not, either he becomes president (a trade I would gladly make) or he returns back to the Senate to serve the rest of his term.

[ZeroSomeBrains]

15. I'm conflicted

I'm not sure about having to give up his seat to run but the problem is if he became the nominee then that would be another seat to defend when we are already down 3 seats to gain the majority. Plus he would be from a red state making it that much harder to get the majority.

Brown is a terrific candidate for President and is a terrific Senator. No Democratic President would be able to nominate Supreme Court judges or pass anything substantial without a majority in the Senate. That's the conundrum.

[Trump Must Go]

18. If we want to win in red states, we must meet their needs

When was the last time we ran a candidate from a northern red state? When have we made the permanent replacement of striking workers an issue? Is it any wonder that real wages have not gone up since PATCO in 1981? What have we done to protect the small family farm from corporate industrial farms? What kind of program have we introduced to undercut the need for abortions?

[ZeroSomeBrains]

22. I don't disagree

But it's hard to appeal to a lot of rural white voters. You're right about the need for raising wages and that it is making it difficult to make it in today's society. I saw a lot of joe donnelly ads and claire mccaskil ads and thought they did well but lost. And I don't know how a hiedi heidkamp could win realistically in north dakota.

[Blue_Tires]

12. Not the worst idea I've heard...

Nevermind the fact that Sherrod Brown has always been the greatest of Reggie Cleveland's All-Stars!

[Honeycombe8]

16. I like him but don't know that much about him.

But...I hate to mention it, but it's a reality: his voice is hard to listen to. Listening to him makes me want to clear my throat. Maybe I'd get used to it, but I don't know. Things like that do make a difference, just like other superficial things: appearance, height, voice.

But I do like him a lot.

[GulfCoast66]

23. Been my choice since early 17.

I do not think Brown/Harris can be beat.

Both because they are liberal and very accomplished.

And let’s not forget, in many of the states, including mine, African American females are the true base of the party. Having Harris on the ticket acknowledges that fact.

[Bayard]

24. Brown is a winner

Solid mid-westerner who is very pro-worker. Beto would be an exceptional VP pick, and would get 8 years of seasoning for a Prez run.

And I think Brown has a great voice, especially compared to tRump's hit-the-mute-button voice.

[Philostopher]

25. I love Sherrod, he's my senator, but everybody needs a reality check.

First off, let me say I am not trying to discourage anybody, or say I don't think he could prevail - if Sherrod wants to toss his hat in the ring, it's his hat. I can see pros and cons to the idea, I'm not for or against it.

Sherrod isn't a newbie - he's had to win at both congressional and senatorial level, so he's seen a few campaigns, and I've watched him run a few times. If they could be considered weaknesses, here are the things the GOP could throw at him, because they've done it before in Ohio:

First, he had a contentious divorce at the end of his first marriage. His ex-wife is a supporter now, but Renacci hammered pretty hard on the hearings from decades ago, where she said he was nasty to her in the breakup.

Second, Connie Schultz, his second wife, is a very liberal journalist/columnist. She is outspoken and has no problem taking Republicans to task. They do not like her, with good reason - she's good at that shit.

Also, he's been somewhat supportive of Tariff Man's tariffs. If they blow up in Trump's face, he'll have to explain that.

There may be other things they could dig up, too - Republicans in Ohio can't get a handle on running against him, because he's appealing and honest, and a lot of so-called "Reagan Democrats" still vote for him when they won't vote for any other Democrats. Do not doubt they will dig up every single thing he ever did since high school, and make it sound like a deal with the devil.

I don't think he'd be a weak candidate - he'd be a good one. But I don't know how well those things that aren't great could be played against him. The Ohio GOP doesn't have to be strong or good at what they do, they've had the levers of power in Ohio for a long time. They don't try very hard to beat him, it's not worth throwing that much money at it. How hard would a cornered, shrinking national GOP go at him?

I hate the thought of losing him as an Ohio Democratic senator, but it is what it is. Just be aware he's been in government for somewhere around thirty years, and I'm sure there's plenty they could smear him with, just like anybody else who's been in government for decades. There's probably shit out there about him I don't even know, and I've been a political junkie since I helped my dad deliver Carter yard signs in '76, as an elementary school student.

[LisaL]

27. I don't think we should be selecting candidates based on whether republicans like their spouses.

Or ex-spouses. His ex-wife supports him fully, and one would hope people could understand that in contentious divorce from decades ago things could have been said. Who are we going to fund purer than a driven snow?

[emulatorloo]

26. Sherrod Brown is great, I hope he runs!

Thanks for the link.