tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post112232252978423562..comments2023-10-30T11:13:44.310-04:00Comments on The Ethical Werewolf ‡ by Neil Sinhababu : I am giving Paul Hackett moneyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1122578949697405972005-07-28T15:29:00.000-04:002005-07-28T15:29:00.000-04:00Then you disagree with Howard "we need to get guys...Then you disagree with Howard "we need to get guys with Confederate flag bumper stickers on their truck voting for us" Dean. It's been my impression that the strategy is to get districts who have economic interest in Democratic policies. Which includes most of LA and SD (both of which have pretty vibrant state Dem parties, btw). So you can see why I thought you were on that line of logic. Indian Hill (Hackett's neighborhood and mine) has every reason to be laissez-faire capitalist, and most of the district is suburban middle/upper class.<BR/><BR/>Of course if we could win a culturally conservative and economically libertarian district simply with good national security rhetoric and an attractive candidate, well, it'd be a goddamn miracle. (And any connection between an area's elected representative and their policy positions would be out the window.)Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14667147687700902147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1122572477565113812005-07-28T13:41:00.000-04:002005-07-28T13:41:00.000-04:00Ok, there's no way I don't like this line:Republic...Ok, there's no way I don't like this line:<BR/><BR/>Republican nominee Jean Schmidt, a former state representative, has criticized Hackett for saying several weeks ago that Bush was a greater threat to U.S. security than al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. “The people of this district couldn't disagree more,” says Schmidt, 53. <BR/><BR/>Hackett is unapologetic. “I've said that I don't like the son-of-a-b---- that lives in the White House but I'd put my life on the line for him,” he says. <BR/><BR/>http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050728/a_iraqvets28.art.htm<BR/><BR/>Now if only he was running on OH-1, a district initially designed to be a union stronghold and has been held since 94 buy a guy who's claim to fame was being a House Manager in the impeachment trrial.Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14667147687700902147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1122572332497689752005-07-28T13:38:00.000-04:002005-07-28T13:38:00.000-04:00Tony, did I ever claim that the people of OH-2 wou...Tony, did I ever claim that the people of OH-2 would vote for Hackett on economic grounds? I'm not going Tom Frank on you here. National security is where I think Hackett can press an advantage. I should have clarified -- the guns, church, and family stuff is valuable not because it pushes toward "I'm just another trailer park boy like y'all" but because it pushes towards "I'm not a hippie."Neil Sinhababuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15672033745772751532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1122568275635732092005-07-28T12:31:00.000-04:002005-07-28T12:31:00.000-04:00Yes well getting the DCCC to spend money that won'...Yes well getting the DCCC to spend money that won't win an election is also bad. And blaming the DCCC for not doing something when they know damn well they shouldn't, is also bad.<BR/><BR/>As for GOP spending money, well that's good I guess. Though in a war of monetary attrition they win. And (I wish I could find the post regarding it, but I can't, it's somewhere on TPM), our current fund raising strategies of internet and the populace are great for high-profile things, but bad for our low-profile things. Ie, the DCCC has less money to spend.<BR/><BR/>But I don't think you're even listening to me, and you really believe that eastern cincinnati is the same type of "lower class, cultural conservative, rural" district that actually has Democratic economic interests as what Dean is championing. I will say once again: it is not.Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14667147687700902147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1122543452887159022005-07-28T05:37:00.000-04:002005-07-28T05:37:00.000-04:00I don't think the netroots will turn against Hacke...I don't think the netroots will turn against Hackett if he loses. They will blame the centrists for not supporting him with more $, though. <BR/><BR/>In other news, Paul may have just eaten up <A HREF="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/27/211833/649" REL="nofollow">285K</A> of Republican money. Chomp! Chomp! Aroooo!Neil Sinhababuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15672033745772751532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1122526090046513932005-07-28T00:48:00.000-04:002005-07-28T00:48:00.000-04:00Looks good, though I am irritated that TAP would p...Looks good, though I am irritated that TAP would print the sentence “The guy looks more like a Republican than a Republican does” in an article in support of a Democratic candidate, even if it's only a quotation.<BR/><BR/>Ah well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1122490691638961982005-07-27T14:58:00.000-04:002005-07-27T14:58:00.000-04:00My point was that SD and Louisiana are actual fert...My point was that SD and Louisiana are actual fertile ground, not OH-2.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, you're right that Hackett is a good guy, with a good message, about how Dems should take back moderate areas. He's becoming all things to all people, actually. And this is part of the problem.<BR/><BR/>Hackett is going to lose. He just is. It’s nothing wrong with him as the candidate, the district is just too rich and too socially conservative with too well organized a Republican party. And WHEN he does, this will become another tool that Democrats will paint their inter-necine enemies with. <BR/><BR/>The DLC will say “see, this means we can’t just inoculate ourselves with war heroes, we need real change. And abortion has to go.” The netroots will say “see, moderates still don’t play well”. Everyone will say Dean sucks. I mean basically the in-biting we’ve had the past two post-elections.<BR/><BR/>Which is what is so sad about a lot of the context free discussions of “what’s wrong with the Democratic party.” Sometimes you just run a great guy (not perfect, but great), but the factors are stacked against you and you weren’t meant to win. That may or may not have been true last November, but I believe it was. And I certainly don’t want libertarian democrats to suffer when things really get going because of too much attention to this one race.Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14667147687700902147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1122394169998157752005-07-26T12:09:00.000-04:002005-07-26T12:09:00.000-04:00No doubt it's going to be hard to win. But the pa...No doubt it's going to be hard to win. But the party's done well in special elections lately, even in such unlikely places as South Dakota and Louisiana. <BR/><BR/>Another nice thing about running Paul Hackett in an Ohio special election is that -- compared to November elections -- we're in a relative news vacuum right now. So you're likely to see more coverage in the region. It's just the time when you want to run a charismatic candidate who will cast the party in a good light, even if he ends up losing.Neil Sinhababuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15672033745772751532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345275.post-1122353726227951812005-07-26T00:55:00.000-04:002005-07-26T00:55:00.000-04:00Dean is right that there are a lot of district tha...Dean is right that there are a lot of district that Dems should be winning because of ur substantive policy concerns, where we aren't even COMPETITIVE because how cultural issues get framed are kicking our tail.<BR/><BR/>OH-2 is NOT one of those districts. I lived there for 18 years and interned for that Congressman. I liked Rob Portman a lot (asst majority whip, btw), because I knew he was the best that district could get. It is a very rich, very suburban district.<BR/><BR/>I'm glad you put your money where your mouth is, but I just don't see that this is the place to do it.Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14667147687700902147noreply@blogger.com