Ohio: Brown vs Hackett - Which is better on the issues?

[genius]

Brown of Ohio has a pretty decent record. I just looked at Brown's record. Brown hasn't voted for anything reprehensible like Pelosi has. Brown opposed the Real ID Act the first time around and missed the vote when it came back. Brown's record indicates that Brown opposes the war but has supported some of the war giveaways to Halliburton. Brown also voted to fund Star Wars. Brown is a co-sponsor of the Department of Peace bill. All but about a dozen people voted to fund Yucca Mountain (as part of the Energy and Water Development Bill) and Brown was one of those who voted for the bill. I don't know that Hackett would do any better. Brown's record indicates Brown is an environmentalist (except for the one vote) and opposed to free trade, which is a big plus in a Senate candidate. Does anyone know where Hackett stands on the trade and environmental issues? Does anyone know where either of these two stands on Universal Health Care? Also, has Dennis expressed an opinion on the two candidates?

[genius]

1. Does anyone have a comparison of their positions?

The only thing I know about Hackett is that he's anti-war and a vet who served in Iraq and he narrowly lost a Congressional race last year. This is why I'm asking.

[Carolab]

2. This is a good summary of Hackett's race & positions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Hackett

This is a wrap-up of Brown's record:

http://www.issues2000.org/OH/Sherrod_Brown.htm

[genius]

3. Ohio has two Republicans and both Dems look good.

Brown's positions look great. It's hard to create a proven track record in Congress when there is so much pressure to move to the right. It's easier to get a House seat than a Senate seat. How about if Brown takes DeWine's seat while Hackett takes a House seat and then clobbers Voinovich in the next race?

[safi0]

4. I have talked to

Some Ohio 02'ers on other boards and they say that Hackett can't win in 06 in that district. His race was the perfect storm in July, but in an election where there will be normal voter turnout, and Schmidt will have the big I next to her name, he won't be able to win.

[gulfcoastliberal]

8. Eeww! People voted for this abomination over Hackett?!

Vile!

[Carolab]

11. And that's a good picture of her!

She's a real witch!

And she DID NOT win. There is a LOT of weirdness around that election, too. Computer "glitches", "humidity issues" and ONLY in ONE CRITICAL county!

[sendero]

5. Who cares?

Which one has the best chance of winning? Because frankly, either of them will be tons better than a Repug.

[Awsi Dooger]

7. Exactly; we'll never win on issues in Ohio

The state defaults maybe 2-3 points Republican on base instinct. Here is the Ohio presidential voting breakdown to verify:

Ohio:
'88: Bush (55.00 - 44.15) = + 3.13% Republican
'92: Clinton (40.18 - 38.35) = + 3.73% Republican
'96: Clinton (47.38 - 41.02) = + 2.17% Republican
'00: Bush (49.97 - 46.46) = + 4.02% Republican
'04: Bush (50.81 - 48.71) = + 0.36% Democratic

The number at right is the net in relation to the national popular vote average. Notice the state was always 2-4 points GOP leaning until 2004. I tend to discount the 2004 number because the Ohio state economy and unemployment rate was horrid leading up to that election, much worse than the national numbers. We missed a golden opportunity in Ohio in 2004. I severely doubt the partisan index tilting slightly Democratic compared to the nation itself will hold in 2008. We'll probably have to win the nation by roughly 2 points to capture Ohio. Just my opinion, obviously. Perhaps our increased emphasis and Bush's incompetence will pay more long term dividends in the state than I'm estimating. Gore pulled out early in 2000, so that +4 Republican was likely skewed high. That's why I'm estimating 2-3 points GOP leaning.

So we're facing a senatorial incumbent in a state that tilts against us. And we're trying to nominate a Democrat like Sherrod Brown just because his policies are more liberal than Hackett's, and therefore more to our liking? Sorry, are we trying to win, or feel good about what our candidate says on the stump? I've been surveying all the lefty sites like Kos and MyDD, etc and the ingrained support for Brown over Hackett is widespread and mindboggling. I'll just repeat my ongoing frustration: our handicapping sucks. We never seem to adequately differentiate what it takes to oust an incumbent and to win an open race. Unless it's a state that tilts significantly in our favor, you need a special, charismatic different type of guy/gal to evict an incumbent, someone the apolotical types will gravitate toward based on first impressions alone, no knowledge of trivia like issues. Yet we remarkably ignore that and choose the likes of Kerry and Sherrod Brown. If my friends and I handicapped sports at that level, we'd be diving for pennys in the manmade lakes outside the Mirage.

[sendero]

9. Thanks..

... for fleshing out my intuitive point.

It's not just Ohio, EVERYWHERE Democrats need to focus on candidates who can WIN, not just who have the closest match on our pet issues.

Ok, I'd draw the line at a DINO like Lieberman, but pretty much anyone to the left of him is ok, so long as there is reason to think they can WIN THE FREAKING ELECTION!

And Hackett has already shown he has juice. This other guy? Probably cold cereal who'll get his ass kicked.

[WCGreen]

12. If you really want to look at it, forget the presidential years...

And focus on turnout in non presidential years...

That would be a better indicator than using presidential elections..

Also, please mosey on over to the Ohio forum...

There is a lot of stuff over there...

[tritsofme]

13. The Coin Scandal is ripping the Ohio GOP to parts

Their governor is struggling to keep his approval rating in the double digits.

Conventional wisdom may not apply in 2006.

This will probably give Democrats an opening rarely seen in Ohio next year.

[genius]

14. Dennis wins by a landslide in a 50-50 district on the issues & his record

in Ohio. The issues are all that really matter becasue we might as well close our eyes to vote or roll dice or something if we don't care about the issues.

[Ikonoklast]

6. Sherrod Brown is my congressman

and I applaud his decision to run for the Senate. His timing was unfortunate in that his camp should have informed Hacketts' people that he would indeed keep his options open. Brown is a liberal, but he votes the wishes of his constituency.

Mr. Hackett is a little bit more conservative on some issues, but well within left/centrist Democratic thinking.

We need both men to represent Ohio, and I hope that the turn of events hasn't soured Mr. Hackett on serving us in some elected capacity.

Oddly enough, Sen. DeWine can be construed as a centrist, but unfortunately he caves to the money interests almost every time. I believe that if he voted his conscience and the best interests of his state instead of toeing the party line, he would be a hard man to beat.

[genius]

15. Brown is sounding better and better.

Thank you for the information.

[Armstead]

10. Brown isvery progressive on trade and other economic issues