Everybody, chill out.
Chill Out!!
Ok, Hackett's out, due to some back room King-Making shenanigans. Sucks, but it's a fact. And although he got pushed out, he still remains a class act and I hope that in the near future he finds a position where he can re-enter politics.
And while Brown's men may have done the pushing, and Brown may have even been personally involved, he is still a great candidate and will be a great Senator. We're talking about politics here, not a game of checkers. If you aint at least a little under-handed & ruthless, then you aint got a job. Which is why, in my opinon, Hackett is dropping off the scene. He won't sacrafice his character for the game. And I respect that.
So now your pissed off, but your venom has poor aim (like a certain Vice President.. I'm sorry, cheap shot...)
What, you're pissed at Brown for either his or his campaigns moves to eliminate a competitor? Last time I checked, the goal was to win, and while we here in la-la land may view his tactics as underhanded, they are par for the course in politics.
Oh, wait, maybe your pissed at Hackett for quitting on you., What the fuck was he supposed to do, run a campaign against a well funded experienced politco with no money and no support from the Democratic Party? Just magically win the primary with no campaign whatsoever? Good luck with that.
Or are ya pissed at the party leaders? People who have a very sticky situation on their hands and must try to make the best of the cards they were dealt. They got 2 great candidates vying for the same office. One of them will get it, the other will sit. So they decided their best bet was to avoid the tough primary, move the underfunded & underexperienced candidate to a smaller race, and kill two birds with one stone (must ... resist ... lame Cheney joke) They just didnt count on the rookie to keep his word not to run for the race they chose for him.
So now you're pissed at Kos for agreeing with the decisions made? Yeah, it's a tough pill to swallow, but he's right. Hackett was, most likely, not going to win the primary. I would have loved to see him run for it, and would have rejoiced if he was able to pull it off. But most likely, he would fall short, probably far short, because Brown knows how to run a campaign. At that point, Hackett's political career would be questionable, whereas now he could make a strong retrun any time he decides he wants to. And if the primary turned ugly, then DeWine may have had a chance to stay in office.
So don't start spitting venom at people that don't deserve it. Well, maybe some people deserve it, at least a little, but it won't help matters. Don't get pissed at the guy on the other side of the circular firing squad. Get pissed at the system that set everybody up with guns and lined them in a circle in the first place.
The system is the problem here. The fact that the Democratic Party cannot figure out a way to beneficially select their candidates through democratic means. The fact that the primary battles always end up causing more pain than gain. This should not be so. Primaries should be a well intentioned arena for the party to work out it's identity issues through direct appeals to the voters.
The system needs to be refined to avoid these clashes. To lessen the power that the leaders exert over choosing the candidates for office. To decrease the ill effects of primary battles and increase the beneficial aspects that they could generate. Don't focus on individuals, for they change over time. The system is what needs to be examined. Rework the state and local parties, redesign the manner in which primaries are handled. But basically, just chill out.