Paul Hackett--""I'm in. I'm not going anywhere."

[ohio_liberal]

Hackett is not dropping out of Senate race
With Brown in race, too, Dems will have a primary

Indian Hill attorney Paul Hackett said Friday he has no intention of dropping out of next year's U.S. Senate race now that U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown has entered the Democratic primary.

"I'm in," Hackett said. "I'm not going anywhere."

(snip)


Hackett said he did get some calls from national Democrats after Brown's announcement. No one asked him to drop out of the race, he said, "but the distinct impression I got was their lives would be a lot easier if I hopped out of this. I basically said, 'I'll think about this.'"

"I've thought about it," Hackett said. "There are pluses and minuses with a primary. The minus is we spend a lot of money in the primary - both Sherrod and me. The plus is Ohio has a choice in the primary, and neither Sherrod nor myself gets anointed. Choice is good. That is what democracy is all about."



http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051015/NEWS01/510150337

Cincinnati Enquirer says Paul Hackett will formally announce his candidacy on October 24th. :thumbsup:

[Eurobabe]

1. Why sir, yes you are going somewhere -- to the US Senate!!

Signed, a Warren County HACKETT BACKER!!

[obietiger]

2. I agree with you

Signed, a Stark County Hackett Backer!!

[ohio_liberal]

4. Belmont County Hackett supporter in the house!

:hi:

[XOKCowboy]

3. Good for Paul!

We need that seat and we need a man like Paul Hackett in the seat. He'll be a great addition to the Senate.

[Divernan]

5. Either way the primary goes, Dems lose one excellent candidate.

I personally think Hackett has a better chance to beat Dewine. But all the DUers who have been in favor of a primary between these two seem unaware of the fact that this means the Dems may lose Brown's congressional seat, and that however the primary turns out, one of the two candidates is out of the running before November. This of course is in addition to the money spent fighting another Dem in the primary that will not be available to fight the well-funded Dewine in the November election.

Then we have the whole issue of negative soundbites from the primary which the republicans will capitalize on in their advertising in the general election. I don't know what differences there are between the candidates on various issues, but since they can't run on the platform that "I want it more than the other guy", there will be differences highlighted. More fodder for the Rs. In the best of all possible worlds, $$$ spent on campaigns, as well as the length of campaign periods would be legislatively limited, as they are in some European countries. However in our lobbyist driven/funded campaigns,(by lobbyists, I refer to the "forces of evil", ie., Big Corporate Anything), the Rs end up with a lot more $$$ to influence all those pathetic voters who don't look any further than the 15 second sound bites on the tube. So too bad the Ohio Dem party isn't more practical and diplomatic so it could broker the race for both Hackett and Brown to end up on the state ballot in November.