Liberals’ unsung hero: Sherrod Brown explains how to win over Republicans

[DonViejo]

Ohio senator Sherrod Brown tells Salon how Democrats can win red states -- and details his vision for liberalism

BY JOSH EIDELSON

First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992 and then the Senate in 2006, Ohio’s Sherrod Brown may be the most progressive senator representing a purple state in America. In a Thursday interview, he spoke with Salon about Republican debt ceiling brinksmanship, his efforts to push the president, and the lessons of his electoral success.

You got re-elected repeatedly in a battleground state, while championing collective bargaining rights and running as an unabashed progressive. Does it bother you that more of your colleagues don’t take that approach? What do you think they should learn from your example?

It doesn’t particularly bother me. I mean it’s not really my place to be bothered by how my colleagues run their campaigns.

I think, though, that I’ve tried to show a path: in a state like Ohio, which is obviously a state that probably is slightly Republican, you can run as a progressive – if you talk to people, and you talk about everything from access to college, to manufacturing, to trade deals, to healthcare and giving people opportunity.

full article
http://www.salon.com/2013/09/27/most_underrated_liberal_hero_the_sherrod_brown_interview/

[Laelth]

1. Excellent, excellent point. Yes. Hear, hear!

(Was that too much?)



-Laelth

[stuckinodi]

2. I'd Like to See Him as VP in '16 nt

[Proud Public Servant]

5. Rather see him as POTUS (nt)

[JustAnotherGen]

3. Love this guy

I know he's not a popular pick around here - but he's mine after Biden.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. For my part

Sherrod Brown is several places ahead of Biden in that race.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. He's not popular?? Why?? Not that it should surprise me, but why? Love Sherrod!!

[JustAnotherGen]

9. Now now l

LS . Don't bring out the haters on a beautiful Saturday morning.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

10. That's amazing! PM me when you can. I'm really curious. Enjoy this gorgeous day. I'm watching

college football and eating greasy pizza.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. Love this . . .

I just find it curious too that for three years, in ‘9, ‘10 and ’11, I hear Republicans all of the time saying that the Democrats are creating so much uncertainty in the economy with all their new ideas and new laws and new regulations, and that the most important thing is a more predictable business climate. And you know, they’re sort of the king and queen of uncertainty, in terms of just continuing to force us to lurch from crisis to crisis. It’s just immoral what they’re doing – fighting over if you don’t do Keystone, or you don’t privatize Medicare or Social Security, if you don’t rescind Obamacare we’re not going to do what we ought to do. It never happened ‘til this crowd came in.

Because it's true. That's why my head explodes with the idea of floating the implementation of ACA for another year. . . when we will AGAIN encounter debt ceiling and budget and mid term election issues.

Enough. Move forward.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

7. baffles me why he's never touted for 2016

He can win decisively in a battle ground state, has working class appeal and is unapologetically liberal.

But he always gets overlooked and I rarely see his name come up.

I love Elizabeth Warren, but here's a guy whose won two elections in Ohio solidly. I'd love to see him run in 2016, or at the least, be someone's veep pick.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. He is a serious man, with excellent ideas. I would love to see him run for higher office. n/t