Sherrod Brown will let us down

[bluestateguy]

He's an old time backroom, blow dried politician. Not a DLCer, mind you, but still an establishmentarian.

I imagine he will run a very blow dried, Bob Shrum like campaign that takes no risks, uses very cautious staff-written rhetoric (lest anybody be offended, we certainly wouldn't want that in a campaign!) and does little to stir up the grass roots.

I predict he will lose 52%-46%.

[Auntie Bush]

1. I sure hope you're wrong for our sake.

[MercutioATC]

2. I'm not going to go that far. He's actually good on the issues.

I'm concerned about his ability to get crossover votes (which he'll NEED) and I'm very disappointed in the part he played in the Hackett ouster.

However, Brown is a solid progressive candidate. I just hope that's enough...

[FreedomAngel82]

13. What do you mean on crossover votes?

Shouldn't he vote how he belives in and not to please other people?

[MercutioATC]

29. Of course he should vote how he believes.

My point is that his votes, combined with his demeanor and the fact that he's a career politician, alienate a lot of moderates who would have voted for Hackett.

[liberalnurse]

24. I'm totally fed-up with these betrayals!

I might just vote for DeWine....tit for tat I say.

[still_one]

3. For me it has less to do with brown, and more to do with the party

and what is wrong with it

They could have let them deal with it through the primaries, but no, in their infinite wisdom they decided it was best for them to choose. After all Hackett is too much a "loose canon" Funny, I heard them say the same thing about Dean, not only when he campaigned in 2004, but when he became DNC spokesperson, and they didn't appreciate him talking truth to power

I can hardly wait until they decide that Hillary should be our nominee in 2008... NOT

[FreedomAngel82]

14. Exactly

[WI_DEM]

4. I'm disappointed about Hacket too, but Brown is a very strong

liberal in his own right. You can be sure he would have been against Alito and a very strong liberal voice in the Senate.

[cali]

5. This really pisses me off

Sherrod Brown has been fighting the good fight in Congress for years. He's solidly liberal, and his voting record reflects his words. Whatsmore, and I'm fully aware that this isn't a popular pov, he's paid his dues within the party system. Yeah, the process was fucked up, but if Hackett had wanted to, he could have just flipped off the establishment and run- others have.

[ROakes1019]

6. agree

I agree with you completely. I'm getting tired of people who seem never to have heard of Sherrod Brown bad-mouthing him. I've seen him on the floor of the House quite a few times fighting our fight for us. I think Hackett should have tried for the House again. Like Cindy Sheehan, he was going into deep territory jumping into a Senate race right out of the gate. Not that a Senate candidate has to move up through the House but at this important time, when we need every seat we can gain, we need tested politicians. DeWine won't be exactly a pushover, not like Jean Schmit, and our party needs to put forth as strong of candidates as we can.

[FreedomAngel82]

15. Or just told them no and stud up to them and had a primary

[blm]

30. He's a Kucinich-style Democrat - amazing that people are CHOOSING to dump

on him while they are completely ignorant of his record.

[Cocoa]

7. this stinks

imo.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

8. What You Are Stating Is Just Empty Opinion. Is There Substance Behind It?

Or is it just rhetoric?

I can see what position you are taking, but you didn't provide any context or factual statements for the reader to digest. Do you have any you can provide as to why you feel so strongly? Or is it opinion based solely on emotion as opposed to substance?

[Ignacio Upton]

9. If you keep saying he'll lose, then he'll lose

You create a self-fullfilling prophecy. As much as I'm unhappy about Hackett having to drop out, Brown should not be criticized for it, as he was not involved. We still need to support him in order to get another Democratic seat in the Senate in November's elections.

[AndyTiedye]

10. This is OHIO, Right? Who Counts the Votes in Ohio?

It doesn't matter who we run, because Blackwell decides who "wins".

[Hippo_Tron]

19. This is another problem

Hopefully Ted Strickland is ahead by 15 points on election day so that it can't be stolen. That way as Governor he can push to get rid of Diebold in time for the '08 elections.

[AndyTiedye]

20. 15 Points? The Referenda Were Ahead By Over 30, Yet They "Lost"

We saw last November the full measure of how much of the vote they can steal in Ohio.

The answer.

As much as they want.

And the media will still come up with some Rovian talking points to explain it away.

[applegrove]

11. Hackett seemed great. He was untested. Many people who get into

politics, like Clinton or Gore try and try again.

Because Hackett has not - he may not have had to stomach for it. I certainly do not.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. And you know this how?

Have you followed him throughout his career or even brushed up on studying him? Do you know how Ohioans vote? I still think it's wrong of what happened with Hackett and the people should always decide but I think it's wrong of you too to go and make a prediction without any type of citations.
What exactly are you basing this on? Just your personal opinions?

[KingFlorez]

16. Maybe you want him to lose

Sometimes I think people here would rather have a Republican win if they don't get their way on everything.

[LittleClarkie]

17. Dude, you're posting from Texas. Ohio folks have said he's pretty good

and that your description doesn't fit. He almost won against Taft when he ran against him. He's solid on the issues. I predict you are wrong based on what some of them have said.

[Hippo_Tron]

18. I wish that we lived in a country where Brown could be easily elected

He's a great congressman and he has served his district, his country, and his party very well. Unfortunately we don't live in a country like that and Brown will be easily painted as just another liberal democrat in a state that leans conservative and leans Republican. I'm not saying that he will definately lose, DeWine is unpopular and Brown has solid fundraising to take him on. I'm saying that this will be a very uphill battle.

The GOP has plenty of experience in beating politicians like Sherrod Brown. Paul Hackett, on the other hand, is someone that they haven't really faced before at least not outside of an environment where 70% of the people are Republican.

[eridani]

21. Anti-NAFTA labor people are not "blow-dried"

Ohio has a HUGE manufacturing base loss problem, and Brown will at least fight back against it.

[rucky]

22. He may lose, but that's not why.

election fraud & uninformed voters will sink him.

[Mass]

23. So Hackett should not have dropped off the race

If he cant even make it thru the primary and if he folds at the first suggestion of the leadership, how do you expect that he will vote against his leadership if the leadership is too timid.

BTW, Do you even know anything about Brown or are you just so impressed because he called Bush a SOB.

[VolcanoJen]

26. Can't make it through the primary?

How about letting him run through the primary? How about letting Ohioans decide who to nominate to run against Dewine?

I'm so beyond sick and tired of everyone from outside of Ohio telling us how to win elections.

Ain't working.

Permanent Republican Majority.

[Mass]

27. He could have stayed against the leadership

Nobody could compelled him to leave.

I disagree with Reid and Schumer pressuring him (and have been saying for weeks that Reid was a poor leader), but at the end, he could have stayed. Pennachio in PA is still running, for example.

As for letting people from Ohio decide, I could not agree more, but I guess it goes in all directions and for all states.

[VolcanoJen]

28. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

He was pressured by the DCCC to leave the race. It's just a fact.

He could have stayed? Wouldn't you have crucified him for that? For forcing a "bloody primary"?

I'm confused, frustrated... and I live here.

[VolcanoJen]

25. I'm listening to the Ed Schultz interview right now...

... was salivating, but it came on just as I had to go in to work.

One thing is for certain... the DCCC has abandoned southwestern Ohio Dems.

I'm responding accordingly.