Sherrod Brown vs. Paul Hackett

[ShaneGR]

This is not a thread to bash Paul Hacket with, this is a thread to set the record straight on Sherrod Brown and the state of Ohio. I'm reading a lot of misinformation on Brown, so I thought I'd post up some Bio info on him.

http://www.house.gov/sherrodbrown/bio.htm

One of the funniest things I'm reading is that Brown is a "Cleveland liberal" and can't win statewide office because rural Ohio won't vote for him.

<snip>
Born and raised in Mansfield, Ohio, Brown achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. He graduated from Yale University with a degree in Russian studies and later earned master’s degrees in education and public administration from Ohio State University. He served two terms as Ohio’s Secretary of State and four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives.


Not to mention he's NOT from Cleveland, he's from Akron and his district comprises a huge section of suburban and rural and northeast Ohio. He's well liked by both sides of the political spectrum, mostly because the guy is just flat-out honest. He stands up for what he believes in, and he's been VERY active on the ground here for years. Heck, when it wasn't fashionable to protest Bush, Brown was leading a few thousand people in the rain to march against area Bush speaches. When no one in Washington was talking about the Central American Free Trade Agreement, Brown was holding rallies on the capital steps to oppose it.

That's just a tiny fraction of the things this guy has done, I just urge people to stop and learn about Sherrod Brown before you bash him. It's ok to support Hacket, no problems with that, but don't go around trying to destroy another viable candidate, with far more experience both locally, in washington, and statewide.

[cmd]

1. Very good point, ShaneGR

I'm a great fan of Sherrod Brown and admired Paul Hackett's moxie in the last election. Either man would serve me well as my senator. I understand people's great enthusiasm for Hackett, but if they would take time to learn about Sherrod they would find that he is an equally great person.

[ohio_liberal]

2. I don't see too many people bashing Brown

I think he's a fine representative. I just don't think he can win a Senate race right now.

[mod mom]

3. Sherrod Brown is a good man, a progressive but Hackett can get a portion

of the Repub vote, (just look how well he did in a district that went 70% for bu$h) were Brown can not. Dewine has not been directly tied to the many scandals, so the repubs will vote for him. If Hackett is on the ticket we can carry the DEM vote and also a portion of the Repub vote.

It doesn't take a genius to see this is another example of poor decision making within the Dem Party.

Hackett brings an enthusiasm, similiar to Howard Dean did, but better because he can pick up repub votes. This is very important in southern Ohio (repub stronghold).

The Ohio Dem Party has been disasterous in the past decade. when I moved to Ohio to go to grad school in '84 we had 2 very distinguished Dem Senators, Glenn and Metzenbaum, a Dem governor, and total control of the state. It is time for the Ohio Dem Party to clean house and re-build the party!

Hackett can win against Dewine. Brown is a crap shoot. Too much is at stake for business as usual.

[curt_b]

4. "Myths of Free Trade"

ShaneGR
I agree.

I think if progressives read Brown’s “Myths of Free Trade” they would come away very impressed. Here’s Brown writing about the Seattle WTO action:

“That kind of concern saw its ultimate in Seattle, when more than 30,000 mostly middle-aged steelworkers, machinists, and Teamsters joined 20,000 college students, environmentalist, religious leaders, and human rights advocates in opposition to the World Trade Organization’s version of globalization. They walked together through the streets of Seattle peacefully and passionately. Peaceful in their belief that direct, nonviolent action might indeed wake up the country to trade injustices. Passionate in their opposition to a World Trade Organization that operates in secret and fails to consider labor rights and environmental standards. As I spoke at rallies, marched with demonstrators and got a whiff of tear gas, I knew we were making history. As I met with trade ministers, other members of Congress and U.S. trade officials inside the barricaded hotels, I knew they did not understand.”

Brown “gets” the big picture of globalization and has been a leader in the fight against neoliberalism for years.

[Divernan]

5. Impressive/indecisive.

I used your link to read his official bio and it is very impressive. But he caused this problem by his indecisiveness - telling Hackett that he (Brown) was not interested in running for the Senate and then changing his mind AFTER Hackett announced. I think were it not for Hackett's very impressive showing in the earlier race, and the enthusiasm with which his announced Senate candidacy was greeted, that Brown would not be running for the Senate. He is a career pol, and he has a very safe Congressional seat. I worked with state level politicians at every level for 10 years, and I know that they don't risk losing a safe office and try for a higher level position unless they see it as a very safe bet. To the extent that being the Democrat candidate in the Ohio Senate race has good odds, it's because Hackett fought the good fight there earlier this year.

I think Hackett's status as a wartime vet will draw a lot more national money and news coverage to the Ohio race, and will continue to get support from a lot of veterans. He represents the NEXT GENERATION of Democrats, and as we have seen in recent polls, many Republicans are concerned that the country is headed in the wrong direction. New faces will fare better around the country in the next round of elections.

Let's face it. Only people & media in their home states pay much attention to Congressmen. It's much easier for Senators to get national coverage. Hackett's already getting national coverage. Get Hackett in the Senate and he can help Obama push more Repubs out and get control back in Democrat hands.
We had a problem in Pennsylvania with two strong candidates interested in a Senate race - Barbara Hafer and Bob Casey, Jr.
Hafer had the class to bow out early. I hope that the DNC can broker some arrangement with Brown and Hackett such that they both end up running in Ohio. Hackett didn't run on Brown's coat tails, but Brown can run on Hackett's.

[VolcanoJen]

17. Brown posted on his website that he would not seek the Senate seat.

He announced his intention to seek re-election to the House, and said he was encouraged that there appeared to be several strong Democratic candidates who could run for Senate.

Those paragraphs have since been removed from his website... it's as if he never made his intentions clear, and I find that to be disingenuous.

I think it's important that Sherrod Brown address his change of heart.

[MercutioATC]

6. Agreed, Brown is a good candidate.

...and, honestly, Hackett could use some experience at the state level before running for U.S. Senate.

I still think it would be cool to see Hackett win.

[mod mom]

8. Yes a good candidate, but won't carry the red southern portion of OH!

[MercutioATC]

9. I don't know that Hackett would, either.

He's sure as hell got a better chance of it but a loss, regardless of how small the margin, is still a loss.

[mod mom]

11. He was neck and neck in District 02, a repub stronghold.

[MercutioATC]

14. Yes, he was...and he lost by a slim margin.

Again, a loss is a loss. There are no points for coming in a close second.

[iconoclastNYC]

15. Bullshit.

Look at the polling. Anyone can beat DeWine.

[Divernan]

12. State level experience does not prove very useful on Capitol Hill

It's more important for Congressmen and women who have a lot more contact with state and local officials on day to day matters than do Senators. Senators operate at a national level and focus, or should focus more on federal level agencies, policies, practices, etc., than in dealing with local issues back home.

As the first Iraq vet elected,Hackett would have a much more prominent bully pulpit and exercise more influence than the average new Senator. Perhaps it's the Marine training and background and experience, but I see in Hackett an aggressive man who will go toe-to-toe with the GOP. Brown has an impressive record as a solid public servant, but if he really had that fire in the belly for the kind of confrontation that goes on at the Senate level, he would have run before now. Since he initially declined, sounds like someone is pushing him to run, and I prefer candidates who don't need a push.

[MercutioATC]

13. I was speaking in terms of how to run a campaign.

His one and only campaign to date was a special election (not a full-length campaign).

I think that the experience would be valuable.

[goclark]

7. Sounds good to me nt

[moobu2]

10. I'm supporting Sherrod Brown

I like Hackett but he has no legislative record and no record of winning anything. Hackett came close but it wasnt a win.

[LSK]

16. its just a shame that 2 good candidates are running for 1 seat n/t