There is no doubt about it - tonight's results represent a tidal wave in Ohio (and perhaps national) politics. In 2004, the Democrat running in OH-02 lost by
44 points. Tonight, the Democrat, Paul Hackett, lost by a mere
4 points - just 4,000 votes out of over 114,000 cast. That's
one-eleventh the prior margin, and that's fighting against one of the most corrupt state Republican parties in the land.
Tonight's results exceeded my wildest expectations. Don't get me wrong - I would have been overjoyed had Hackett won. But I am still thrilled, and his tremendous showing in an incredibly red district should buoy the hopes of Democrats everywhere. Tomorrow, we can begin the important task of dissecting the Hackett campaign's operations in fine detail, to figure out what contributed most to its success - to see what results this extraordinary lab experiment yielded.
But tonight, we should celebrate an amazing, against-all-odds showing by a strong, fearless Democrat. We all owe our thanks to Paul Hackett and to all the people who joined in this effort.
So, with that I say: Thank you, Maj. Hackett, and everyone who helped you reach this day.