Hackett should run for Attorney General and start building a democratic bench.

Brilliant stuff. Oh yes, please. Let's piss away as much cash as we can on a bitter primary fight so that we can ask the internet to donate twice as much money. Let's make sure that we are broke assed poor when we go up against the Mike DeWine's millions.

Brown would have been a great candidate for Senate. Hackett will be a great candidate for Senate. Brown said no. Hackett is saying yes. NEXT.

We have ZERO time for this crap. Leave it to Democrats to fuck up the biggest opportunity to create positive change in decades.

Brown needs to tell his people to get in line and SHUT THE FUCK UP. The last thing we need is Representative Hamlet poisening everyone on the stage.

I hope that Brown and Hackett sort this out between themselves.  We have the Repugs on the run now, especially in Ohio, and there should be a number of opportunities for rising stars to grab seats, rather than getting involved in a circular firing squad.      

Ohio needs NEW BLOOD in the Democratic party, and Hackett brings that to the table. What the Ohio Dems SHOULD do is thank their lucky stars they have a viable candidate for a change and throw open their machine's support.

Sherrod Brown might have been around the block a few times more than Hackett, but he can't win Ohio.

Pissed Off Democrats fight harder, longer, and meaner.

I will leave it up to you to decide which of the two is the Pissed Off Democrat.

If anything, Hackett, despite being a political novice, has the edge on "electability" whereas Brown gets my nod for being a bona-fide progressive who could win a Senate seat.

I will take either one, but Brown shouldn't have waited. Right now I lean Hackett just because I think he can wrestle the seat away, and I don't think calling Bush names will hurt him given Bush's current state of approval in Ohio (what is it --36% ?)

This isn't a bad scenario as having Hackett challenge to help take back the House and Brown challenging on the Senate side would be win-win... but don't degrade Hackett for waiting for other, more senior members of the dlegation tomake their decision... jumping into a vacuum... and then being challenged by one of those who earlier had been asked to challenge for the throne.

If they work it out so Brown runs for Senate and Hackett for an OH-02 rematch, that would be great... but if after deferring at first to more senior dems, and letting them pass, Pauly hackett now has decided to challenge DeWine, then he should be supported.

this is getting embarrassing

Which makes recent events all the more difficult to understand.

My guess? The DC establishment is afraid of Hackett -- unknown and inexperienced (what did he get, several thousand votes in the Democratic Primary before the netroots gave him a two week crash course in politics?) -- and worked the phones to get Brown to reconsider.

That being said, Brown is an experienced pol and a true progressive. Hackett is neither.

I cast my lot with Brown. (For very different reasons than Jerome).

Between Warner and Brown I guess it is easy to buy your endorsement.

Given, Hackett is a political novice. He had a brief stint as Milford City Councilman; however, he has never held an office that has significant political implication. In this sense, Sherrod definitely has the leg up. Additionally, Sherrod has both the infrastructure and money in the bank to begin campaigning effectively immediately (whereas Hackett will be focussing on raising a warchest quickly). Additionally, Hackett is much less experienced than Brown, so he is more gaffe prone. We witnessed this in Ohio-2 (not the S.O.B comment, that sort of straight shooting will aid him, I mean rather missing out on campaign opportunities and genuine slips of the tongue). In all of this, Brown's got Hackett beat, hands down.

But, here's the big but. Don't forget that Ohio is a midwestern state of epic magnitude. Much as Mr. Frank talks about Kansas as a simple plains state in What's the Matter with Kansas, Ohio has some of the same motiffs at play in it's social mentality. Allegiances to Ohio State football run deep, small suburban areas thrive off of the community created in the high schools, and academics are distrusted (see Ohio Rep. Mumper's Academic Bill of Rights). Brown is a legitimate academic. He's a Yale man. Additionally, he's been insulated in comfy Cuyahoga County (the democratic stronghold of the state) for over the last decade. Despite all of Hackett's inflammatory comments towards the right, I know he'll be able to connect with the majority of Ohio in way that will elude Brown. Also, Hackett's a shoe in for the NRA's endorsement (he didn't get it during the OH-2 race, but the NRA has stated recently that they will not be endorsing DeWine). Brown almost certainly couldn't garner support from the NRA, while Hackett would be a strong contender for it. Endorsements like the NRA's that go a long ways in shoring up support in the elusive southeastern portion of the state.

Long story short, Brown looks good on paper, but Hackett's got more of an intrinsic ability to connect with "ordinary Ohioans."

Brown has the money ($3 million in the bank). Al Gore was just in Cleveland raising $500K for Brown asking him to run. Hackett next to zero money, and few connections in Ohio to raise money either. He will be totally dependent upon the netroots and the DSCC for money, which means that they will control the consultants that work his race.

Brown has the organization connections, having won statewide, and traveled in the state; he's been working it the whole year. Hackett didn't go around and see what Ohio Democrats said about him running, he went to DC to ask. Hackett will be owned by the DSCC consultants, which will make it tougher for him to win.

Nothing about which candidate beliefs best reflects his own. Nothing about which candidate can best articulate a progessive message in a way that will appeal to the voters of Ohio. Nothing about which candidate will do more to build the party in Ohio. Just who will be able to run more commercials in Oct-Nov '06 and has the beltway buddies to suck cash from.

I am not saying that financial viability and strategic considerations shouldn't be an important, or even top concerns when selecting a candidate. But when they are the primary rationale for a campaign, it is just a short slide to permanent minority status.

Avoiding fights just makes democrats inexperienced when they come across them.

Brown's pussy-footing around made me go on to the moveon.org site and give to their already setup Paul Hackett for Senate donation fund.  I will not be giving to Brown.  He has turned me off bu his bullshit.  My money will go to McCaskill and Pederson and whoever wins the primary in MN instead.  Just my rant.

We had a candidate who repeatedly said NO to running despite appeals from everybody, rank & file Dems in Ohio, Netroots, other elected Dems.

Now that a Fresh face comes in with a real shot at winning & decides to run after careful evaluation, WE ONCE AGAIN ARE DOING the RHODE ISLAND FIASCO all over again!

This is the SAME scenario in the Lincoln Chafee episode. Poll after Poll were showing a decisive win for either Kennedy or Langevin.

The confidence among Democrats couldn't be better! Across the country, activists could smell a sure sure Democratic Party win! The chance to take a much needed Senate seat.

Lo & Behold, Kennedy gives way, Langevin decides to run BUT is PRESSURED by Pro-Choice Democrats to WITHDRAW because he happens to be Pro-Life.

Fast Forward today, Chafee is now leading in all the polls against any Democrat who is running & WE WILL NEED LOTS OF LUCK to PULL THIS ONE OFF!

A FREEKING POSSIBLE BLOWN OPPORTUNITY because of intra party Idealogical differences!

Today, we are AGAIN AS CONFIDENT as can be that Ohio will Vote Democrict this time ( despite years of consecutive disappointments & a state party in disarray)

CAN OUR PARTY PLEASE COME TOGETHER BEFORE WE BLOW THIS AGAIN! It's hard enough to win by defeating ANY INCUMBENT & we are acting like we are in the majority!

It sucks that there's going to be a competitive Dem primary...would much prefer to have a cleared field.

Hackett can win, but let's not kid here. Putting aside Zogby's internet polling numbers, it's a longshot. He's not going to win on organization, but on the luck of television ads to be funded later. Dewine has $7M and a script of Hackett calling Bush a "son of a bitch." Heck, even a nimrod could turn that into a serious definitional problem for Hackett right off the bat. Would I support Hackett for the Senate? Heck yea; better him than about anyone else. But if Sherrod Brown decides to run, there is no question that he is the choice for a statewide run.

You a Buckeye, Jerome?  That's a lot of certainty that this Buckeye totally rejects.   Brown lost his last statewide race in 1990 to a man (Bob Taft) who now enjoys approval ratings below 20%.

There is no question that Brown is NOT the choice for a statewide run.  Paul "Bush is a son of a bitch" Hackett is a far more exciting candidate.  Hackett would get my vote; Brown would have me voting independent or sitting on my hands.

Sorry, that's the way it goes.

Paul Hackett may not be my ideal candidate on the issues but he displayed guts in the way he went after Schmidt and I think he's also got that intangible "folk hero" quality, a little bit of that McCain "straight shooter" effect.  I'll take the rookie with raw talent and leadership over the established pro who couldn't make up his mind.

Hackett AND Brown in '06!

He's not going to win on organization, but on the luck of television ads to be funded later. Dewine has $7M and a script of Hackett calling Bush a "son of a bitch." Heck, even a nimrod could turn that into a serious definitional problem for Hackett right off the bat.

Brown has no organization outside of his distrcit anymore either, not without county party support. Hackett has a boat load of people who will sign up the minute his website goes live, all across the state. I live in Central Ohio and we sent a BOATLOAD of people down to OH02, the same can be said of the entire state.

Those activists came back and talked to the rest of the party faithful about Hackett- around the state he is now well known in the party - that cannot be said of Brown.

How is Brown even going to get out of a primary ?
you mention the "SOB" quote like that was a negative. you honestly think DeWine is going to want to tie himself to Bush whose numbers are crumpling before our eyes ? Man I hope he tries.

Here is the ad you will see in the primary, if you are attempting a hit on Hackett...
Hackett : bush is a SOB
Brown :I was for running for senate before i was agaisnt it
Tough Democrat or flip flopper - you decide.

you think rank and file are going to want to relive the flip flop national nightmare again ? LOL.

So then you talk about money. Yes the DCSS is going to play a part - for whomever wins. This race is going to cost a shitload of money. The DCSS is going to want the same commitments from either - they have said so publically. Hackett looks strong enough to say no and still get the money. Schumer is no fool. either way it is moot. Brown is the DC insider here, not hackett.

Brown is a tired weak candidate, who takes good policy decisions. Hackett fights.

If Brown decides to run, there may not be a primary. Hackett will either drop out, or he would run with no money and no organization and get beat 75-25.

You think the Big Dem donors are going to miss out on this race and not fund hackett ? What do you think he has been doing in DC these last few weeks ? LOL

Brown would organizationally push us over the top. There is a ton of organizing going on in the state among Democrats. I know for a fact that the organizational leadership put into place by Brown will run in every county a race like Democrats haven't seen in Ohio in decades.

the organization will be there for either candidate because we have a Senate and Gov race on top of everything else. All the county parties and activists will be out for all the candidates.

This diary is nonsense and smacks of a hit job - a poor hit job.

either candidate beats DeWine at this point. Hackett whomps Brown in a primary 57-43.

and I aint worknig for any campaign - I turned em down too.

IMO instead of taking sides in Ohio, Jerome should instead be blogging about who his boss is backing for the Senate race in Virginia in 2006.

Then the people at home will be thinking, "Hmmm...that Bush really is an SOB. And Hackett isn't a career politician? All the more reason to vote for him." Most people aren't too thrilled with Bush, so Hackett's comment won't hurt him. Sorry Jerome, you're really off the mark here. And what makes you sure that Sherrod Brown is really running and not just playing Hamlet again, only to drop out?

But they sure as hell will FUNDRAISE from people outside of Ohio.  I am not from Ohio, but I will max Paul Hackett out when it comes to donations.  With or without Brown in the race.

It's gotten raucous, passionate and even personal, just like you'd expect from politics.  The three positions concerning the race for DeWine's seat seem to be "Brown is great, Hackett sucks," "Hackett is great, Brown sucks" and "I'll back either against DeWine."

Within those divisions, we have those who say Hackett is an amateur who should stick to OH-2 or disappear altogether and those who say Brown is an indecisive wimp who lost his last battle for statewide office.

It will be interesting, as Jerome says, to see how this actually goes.  

I will say one thing, Jerome, I think you seriously underestimate the raw passion of Hackett's supporters.   What you identify as a crippling faux pas by Hackett ("Bush is a son of a bitch") is ironically the same thing many think is the perfect metaphor for a statewide  campaign in Ohio in 2005.  Raw passion can be messy and it can fizz out, but I think this has staying power.  But as you say, we will see.

And a note to carsick:  there are simply too many recent examples of "amateurs" who have been elected in statewide elections, even the US Senate, on their first try and without the seasoning you insist is needed for me to accept that Hackett won't be a good candidate, and a better one than Brown.

Your insistence that it's manifestly obvious that Hackett has a better shot at OH-2 than at US Senator is flawed, as was pointed out to you by others above (and you ignored).  OH-2 is much more Republican than the state as a whole.  Hackett starts from a better base statewide than he does in OH-2.

I see Hackett as a modern John Glenn in terms of his appeal to Ohio voters.  There is absolutely no such passion for Brown.