Last night Paul Hackett wrote a diary asking for our support that immediately turned nasty in a fairly predictable way. But it got me thinking about the Ohio primary, and why it's been so hard for me. After all, I went to Ohio and canvassed for Paul Hackett. But you can't do any campaign, be it special election or presidential, in Ohio, without eventually befriending at least one Sherrod staffer, and I have. So this primary, to me, is a bit like picking who you want your maid of honor to be when all of your sisters have already claimed the bridesmaid slots. Both are your BFFs. Both are near and dear to you in their own way. And your bound to hurt one of their feelings when you pick the other one. So how do you choose?
So, I've thought it out and come up with what I need to hear from both of the candidates before they can count on my support. And by support, I mean my resume and a commitment to go back to Ohio for the cycle, which is quite a lot of "support" beyond the traditional ATM role.
First off, it has to be said, bad-mouthing my other BFF is not going to improve your case. It's just going to upset me that you're dogging on one of my buddies. So the negativity needs to stop. And this goes for you supporters out there who think that because you are not the candidate yourself your bad behavior does not reflect poorly on your candidate. It's unprofessional, in the least. I would generally say that Hackett folk have been a little bit worse, though Jerome was tart on the thread last night, and getting paid by the Brown campaign, which is utterly unacceptable.
Secondly, I have not heard enough from either campaign to warrant my support one way or the other. As of now, the only one receiving my donation is the Ohio General Election Fund. To get beyond that level of suppport, I need to hear the following:
What I need to hear from Sherrod Brown:
- I need a mea culpa. Better than anything I've heard yet. I need an honest reflection on why you changed your mind about this race despite the clumsiness of doing so. I'm a pragmatic person. I'm okay with a pragmatic answer. It doesn't have to be some sort of idealist change of heart. And it should be done with the acceptance that some people just aren't going to forgive you on this one. I am not one of those people, but I still need some sort of explanation as opposed to the non-answers I've heard as of now. It has to be more than Ted Strickland, etc. encouraged me to.
- I need to know you can be competitive in Dayton and the Southern half of the Ohio sixth, and hold over a 1:1 margin in Franklin County. You're from Cuyahoga, and even though you have run for statewide office before, that was awhile ago, and the situation in Ohio politics has changed vastly. I need to know that we're not foolishly running another Cuyahoga Dem that can't compete downstate.
- I need to now who will be taking over the OH-13. It's not as solid blue as other people tend to think. We should be able to hold it, given the political winds, but I want to make sure we have a strong person there, who will lead similar fights to yours in the House. I don't want some wishy-washy replacement.
What I Need to Hear from Paul Hackett
- As previously mentioned, I canvassed in Hamilton County for you and I can probably rattle off all of your positions off the top of my head. This is not a good thing. You must realize that your positions on the issues are under-developed and don't include a vast array of topics. This is fine for a special election where you don't have an excessive amount of time to develop talking points and stances on every subject. It is unacceptable in a Senate race, however. I need to know where you stand in relation to CAFTA, bankruptcy bills, appointments, and energy policy (beyond it's good to have a hybrid car).
- I need to know you can fundraise in the traditional way. The netroots can't support a 2006 Senate race with the same gusto they can a 2005 special election. There's other races that divert our resources and attention. It's hella expensive to run for Senate. Count on the net roots for $700,000 tops for your entire campaign. You're going to need millions more. I need to know you will not be a drain on the DSCC's resources.
- I need to be confident that it's okay that you don't have any political experience and haven't been in Congress before. I believe in seniority, to a certain extent, and I believe that the Senate is a damn hard thing to jump into with any background.
What I Want to Hear from Both:
Why are YOU the best candidate to challenge DeWine?
What assets to you bring to the table that your opponent does not?
What do you think DeWine's chief vulnerability is, and how are you apt to attack it?
How is your philosophy a better fit with Ohio?
Will you pledge to stand arm in arm with your opponent and campaign vigorously on his behalf should your primary bid prove unsuccessful?
So, that's what I need to hear. Until then, neither can receive my support. And I want to support this race.