Fund raising was key to Hackett departure

[Algorem]

http://www.cleveland.com/open/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/isope/1140006767212100.xml&coll=2

Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Elizabeth Auster
Plain Dealer Bureau


...“Here’s my take on it,” Hackett said. “I’ve got six weeks to raise 3 million bucks. And the hard-core reality is I’m probably not going to do that. That was my analysis.” ...

However, there were indications Tuesday that some Hackett aides were taken aback by the way he handled his decision to quit. Though Hackett said in an interview that he informed his senior staff Monday night of his decision, an e-mail obtained by The Plain Dealer suggests that his campaign manager and others were caught unawares when the New York Times released an article Monday night quoting Hackett announcing his decision to quit the race.

The e-mail, from campaign manager David Woodruff, was sent at 11:36 p.m. Monday to key campaign aides and advisers and began with an apology “for passing this information onto you all in such an impersonal manner.”

It continued: “Unfortunately, I am also learning about what appears to be the end of our campaign through the newspaper this evening.”

[madfloridian]

1. Hard to raise money when your donors are being called to stop.

Which appears to be the case. This happens a lot, it is happening now, it happened in the primaries 04. Calling those who back certain candidates and asking them to switch. If that call is from party officials, then most listen...as they know the candidate is going down.

[Punkingal]

2. They, meaning Reid and Schumer, could have

Gotten him money if they wanted to. They didn't want to.

[Algorem]

3. did that really happen,or was it like how he supposedly informed his staff

that he was stepping down but they really saw it on the New York Times?

[Kelvin Mace]

4. Hmmm... who to believe

Hackett or the New York "Iraq has been very, very bad to us" Time?

[Kolesar]

5. It sounds plausible to me ... calling his funders &pressuring them

It's over now, though.

[liberalnurse]

6. Thank you for the quick feedback.

Algorem has been trying to douce Hackett with swiftboat rehetoric over in our Ohio Forum. It sure has soured the milk for the remaining candidate, Sherrod Brown.

[Algorem]

10. I'm considering the source.

[brentspeak]

11. Plus, it's only the middle of Febuary

We're still two months away from any serious campaigning. Hackett was able to raise a ton of dough from out-of-staters in just a few weeks for his race against Jean Schmidt. That would likely have repeated itself this time as well.

[Algorem]

12. so you're saying Hackett was wrong,he would've raised the money?

[Larkspur]

7. I have mixed feelings on this situation.

I like Sherrod Brown and he has a proven track record as a PROGRESSIVE Democrat. We need more Sherrod Browns in the senate to combat the Lieber-bushes.

But Sherrod Brown screwed up when he initially passed on this senate race and then changed his mind to re-enter it. He should have said intially that he would form an exploratory committee to investigate whether or not he should run for the senate. Hackett had been preparing to run against Schmidt again and stopped that when he was asked by the grassroots and Schumer to run for the senate after Brown and other OH Dems had initially passed up this opportunity.

I also like Paul Hackett and his outspokenness.

But Sherrod Brown was blowing Hackett out in the Dem primary polls. Being a military person, Hackett should know the proverb "Discretion is the better part of valor." If Hackett was really interested in being a politician, he should have faced the reality and withdrawn graciously and run for the US Rep seat.

Hackett has every right to be mad at Sherrod Brown, but Brown is the better candidate. We don't know the whole story and I'm sure there was some underhandedness but Brown is not a Lieberman Democrate. He's a real progressive and that is why progressive bloggers and writers, like Markos and David Sirota backed Sherrod Brown over Paul Hackett.

[saracat]

13. Brown might be a better candidate for progressive Dems but

that is not necessarily a way to win in Ohio which is NOT a progressive state. I think Hackett was more of a fit for the people who catually matter in such races, those people who vote. I wish it weren't so, but progressives often don't vote.

[Larkspur]

14. I saw a post on Daily Kos yesterday that showed Brown had just taken the

lead over DeWine.

Brown also had support from the major bloggers, like Kos, and progressive writers, like David Sirota, because he is the kind of Dem progressives want in the senate. Brown has a proven record of supporting progressive bills even when his leadership wants Dems to vote for corporate interests. Hackett does not have a progressive record to boast.

Hacket has a right to be ticked off at Brown for how poorly he handled this situation.

[bucklebone]

15. DeWine is seriously damaged goods on the right. eom

[wiley]

8. Third Party? Now how insignificant was Nader when he lost

the race for Gore and allowed the Corrupt Republicans to take over everything. Just think about it. I'll take some sour milk from my Party rather than live with these lying, greedy, indifferent, heartless pieces of dookie who call themselves leaders. Every one of them should be forced to wear the corpses of the dead around their necks. Gulf Coast deaths, medicare and medicaid Deaths, soldiers and civilians, veterans deaths... Let them smell and deal with what they have done to this country.

[VegasWolf]

9. I may support Nader next time though. nt

[Dems Will Win]

16. Then the blood will be on your hands...

[IndianaGreen]

17. The blood is on the Democratic leadership!

Russ Feingold, Robert Byrd, and Jim Jeffords were the only 3 Senators to vote against the PATRIOT extension. The rest of the Democrats did what they have done so well since 9-11, they bent over and let Bush assume more dictatorial powers.

It is for reasons such as these that so many progressives have given up on the Democratic Party, a party that has become a rubber stamp for the Bush dictatorship.

Our Republic is mortally wounded, and few of our politicians in Washington seem to care at all!

[greenohio]

18. Mother Jones on the issue.

Apparently though, this article is only allowed in politics discussion. Not sure why.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2006/02/hackett_drops_out.html