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OH-Sen: Brunner Won't Campaign for Fisher if She Loses

by: DavidNYC

Sun May 02, 2010 at 1:59 PM EDT


Jennifer Brunner says that she won't help Lee Fisher if she loses:

It's customary in a primary election for the losing candidate to campaign for their party's nominee in the fall.

But if she loses Tuesday's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner won't be telling Democrats to vote for the party nominee in November.

Asked by a Dayton Daily News reporter last week how much she would work for Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher if he wins and she loses, Brunner held up her hand and formed a zero.

No word yet if Fisher feels the same way.

(Hat-tip: AC1)
DavidNYC :: OH-Sen: Brunner Won't Campaign for Fisher if She Loses
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OH-Sen: Brunner Won't Campaign for Fisher if She Loses | 173 comments
This
put the final nail in the coffin where the chances of me supporting Brunner is in. Go Fisher!  

17, Gay Male, Democrat, NJ-8  
I
think this will hurt her a lot. The undecided voters in the primary could swing more in Fishers direction if they see this attitude on part of the Brunner campaign. The best thing Fisher can do is say that he would support her if she won the nomination; it would make him look like a team player, and her, a bitter loser. I know I would support Brunner if she won the nomination, and hope the majority of Brunner supporters would do the same for Fisher.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
I agree

I think she must reconsider this position. That only dammage her image.
[ Parent ]
Some of us will be glad to return the favor to her
for the rest of eternity.

Way to end your career as badly as possible.

[ Parent ]
Yup, talk about PUMA on steroids
And IMO, it's almost a given that such people will have to --ah-- get jobs outside of politics after the 2010 cycle is complete.

Even in the best case scenario for Ds (lose 2-3 in the Senate, 20 in the House), 2011 and 2012 (sadly) will be the years of the Rahm w/r/t Ds in elections. There will be no place for such candidates in D primaries in the next cycle, as the focus turns to President Obama's re-election campaign.

[ Parent ]
According to...
a Brunner supporter, Brunner said she wouldn't work for any other candidate so as not to sully the Secretary of State's office.

She has made it clear she intends to maintain her 2006 campaign promise of not CAMPAIGNING for ANY issue or candidate while secretary of state because Ken Blackwell wrecked the trust of the office by doing that for Bush and the anti-gay-marriage amendment in 2004. Of course, she will not "work" for Fisher - that would be a betrayal of why she was elected. She won't "work" for anyone else on the ticket either because it's a conflict of interest. But did you know that she is committed to going to a unity event after the primary? Oh, oops - that doesn't fit you trumped-up smear, does it?

Take it FWIW.  I'm still somewhat skeptical; after all, if she won the primary, she'd obviously be campaigning for that Senate office, just like Blackwell did while Secretary of State and running for Governor at the same time.

[ Parent ]
Campaign promise in 2006
This poster has been a regularly supporter of Lee Fisher.

What he doesn't tell you is that Fisher asked her the same question at the only debate, and Brunner answered she cannot support Lee because in 2006 she promised not to be involved or supporting other candidates' partisan elections.

She has NEVER endorsed anyone or any issue while serving as SoS.

This diary is misleading, and intentionally so.

[ Parent ]
By poster
I didn't mean the comment I was replying to but the diarist.
[ Parent ]
How do you know David is a Fisher supporter?
Just criticizing the Brunner campaign for lacking the ability to raise funds (and don't give me the "Strickland/Fisher took all the donors" BS again) doesn't automatically translate into being pro-Fisher. I too am critical of her campaign's inability to raise funds in spite of plenty of sources out there such as Kos, ActBlue and MoveOn (and am a woman to boot), and am actually neutral in this race.

My blog
Twitter
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28, New Democrat, Female, TX-03 (hometown CA-26)
[ Parent ]
Accusations about motives
without evidence, are not acceptable here. This is the second warning we've given to you about your conduct -- I don't think you can expect us to spoon-feed you many more. If you want to contribute to the discussion here, you must do so civilly and productively. Provoking flame wars, which seems to be your specialty, is unacceptable.
[ Parent ]
way to be mature brunner
n/t

Top ten signs you're an SSPer #1: your favorite song is "Panic At Tedisco" and no one understands what you mean.
this represents leading edge in DC reform
Yeah, it's going to piss some people off, but ask Governor McDonnell whether that made a difference for Creigh Deeds.

Not just on the left, same thing on the right in places the NRSC chumps are making fools of themselves in primaries.

This is the Pottery Barn view of primaries, DC broke it and DC can own it.

Good for Jennifer, more proof why she'd actually represent reform.

Ridiculous

[ Parent ]
Ditto


Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
you may dislike, but it's a growing trend
Dems were insulted from such a tactic as long as we were in the minority, and then another two years because of a once in a generation situation with Obama. But what since? First VA-Gov and then MA-Sen, Democrats lost because they nominated a candidate nobody had interest in showing up to vote for.

The answer to such a dynamic is to avoid at all costs candidates like Old Man Fisher, not have DC get involved propping up such disasters in a way that leaves a bad taste in lots of mouths. We're seeing the exact same dynamic on the right, same thing in England.

[ Parent ]
Her campaign has been beyond awful
That isn't Lee Fisher's fault. It isn't Ted Strickland's fault. Neither is the Ohio Democratic party to blame nor the DSCC, the DNC, Barack Obama or anybody else. She isn't obliged to campaign for Fisher you are correct. But if she doesn't she has no class. See Clinton, Hillary.
[ Parent ]
WTF
Bob, I'm sorry, but that is beyond dumb. Ask Bobby Bright whether it made a difference for him that Republican loser Harri Anne Smith campaigned for him. Just to be clear: It made enough difference in her base to put him over the top.

And reform, schmeform, this is proof enough to me that Jennifer is an insanely selfish, egotistical scumbag. Frankly, "DC" has been admirably neutral in the face of Brunner's INCREDIBLY AWFUL CAMPAIGN...even if logic said they shouldn't. Sure, fundraising isn't everything, but Brunner has set a new standard in suck on that front. Honestly, I'd been pretty neutral on this entire race, kinda even admired Brunner's pluck, but now, Brunner can go jump in a lake for all I care.

Also, she appears to be a moron in all areas of her campaign:  http://www.dispatchpolitics.co...

It's a primary, you're campaigning for Democratic votes--you don't visit places where they aren't any Democrats. She's just inept and trying to cover it with homespun folksy BS....kinda like Sarah Palin, actually.

Kansan by birth, Californian by choice, and Gay by the grace of God.

[ Parent ]
Brunner is but one voter proving a larger trend n/t

[ Parent ]
Lol yep
when I think Jennifer Brunner, the first thing that comes to mind is "average Ohio Democratic voter."

21, dude, RI-01 (registered) IL-01 (college)
please help Japan. click "donate funds" in upper right and then "Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami." http://www.redcross.org/
[ Parent ]
Yes
Of terrible Democratic campaigns this cycle. Moran, McAuliffe, Deeds, Coakley.
[ Parent ]
Yup, and Brunner is actually the worst of them all......
At least the other 4 raised decent money.

McAuliffe actually ran a good campaign, there was nothing wrong at all with his execution.  He was just a bad candidate for the office he was seeking; he would've been better off seeking Lt. Gov. or a Congressional seat.

It's amazing to me that Brunner actually got elected to a statewide office in the first place, as poor a campaign as she's run this time.  And her sycophants, e.g., Bob here and a bunch of folks on DailyKos, are exposing how clueless they really are.

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10

[ Parent ]
McAuliffe
Yeah, probably true. Actually, Corzine had a reasonable campaign too but just couldn't get over his bad incumbency numbers.
[ Parent ]
Corzine ran a spectacular campaign, seriously......
It's pretty rare for a personally unpopular incumbent Governor during a bad recession to outpoll his own job approval rating.  But Corzine did just that.  His job approval always orbited 40%, with no improvement at any point, and that he got to 45% speaks to the quality of his campaign.

Also, kudos to Democratic strategists in that race who anticipated that Daggett needed to break 10% for Corzine to win, as their math was dead-on right.  Christie got 49, and Daggett got 6.  If Daggett breaks 10, Corzine wins.  But enough Daggett voters got strategic at the 11th hour to keep Corzine from getting reelected.

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10

[ Parent ]
Wow
I missed that story and dislike her even more now.  Since my last comment about her seems to have been removed from this site I will sum it up again.

The OH democratic party should by this woman a one way ticket to Guam or some other place with no electoral significance.

She is wasting the DSCC's money, wasting Fisher's money all while Portman just piles up cash.  Am I in love with Fisher, no but at some point you've got to be a team player.

Her real crime though is giving up the SOS seat when we are going to need it for redistricting.  Maybe if she thought of someone other then herself she would have raised a decent amount of money, but instead she is nothing but a joke.

There remove me again SSP.

[ Parent ]
Your last comment was removed
Because you used derogatory language toward women in describing Brunner. Don't do that again.
[ Parent ]
It wasn't against woman
It was against Bruner.  It's true she is.  It was also censored like this #%@, but yet you let others on this site write out full expletives?  What gives? Are you Bruner supporter?
[ Parent ]
It's no different than removing the "N" word, n/t

[ Parent ]
Brunner might be pissed
at the Fisher campaign locking down donors, but there are more than a few examples of the underdog winning Democratic primaries with little establishment support. It can be done, and the reality is that Brunner doesn't appear to have run a strong campaign. We'll see how the primary turns out.
she has run very poor campaign
But look how silly Labour appears complaining about people not voting tactically and instead going all in on Lib Dems. It's only kept more people from viewing Labour as a vehicle for reform.

We're going to see more of this as long as more blue jerseys fails to be viewed as having a direct relationship to better policies that improve people's lives.

By expanding the window for evaluating success beyond any given election, it changes all of the dynamics.

[ Parent ]
Not sure if I'm the only one
But what are you talkng about?
[ Parent ]
Again,
Ditto.

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
it makes no sense to assume an obligation that isn't there
It is silly to assume Jennifer Brunner has an obligation to campaign for Lee Fisher, just as silly as assuming voters will show up and so there's no need for GOTV.

Idealogy: Brunner's a progressive reformer, Fisher's a traditional technocrat. Why would anyone assume she should be expected to help him?

Electability: The voters don't like Fisher, .333 is only a good batting average in baseball. With Portman having a fuckton of money and the DSCC playing defensive (probably blowing most of their money in NV-Sen), why would anyone assume that people should be expected to spend their time on Fisher when it is so easy for them to conclude it would be a waste?

[ Parent ]
"The voters don't like Fisher"
What nonsense.
[ Parent ]
so you're granting everything else...
...and instead only arguing that the voters like somebody who has repeated lost at the statewide level?

Fisher lost the Attorney General's office for the first time in two decades. Fisher was again rejected when he lost the gubernatorial race to Taft. This November's election marks the 20th Anniversary of Lee Fisher's one and only win.

I don't want to see Portman win, but I'm not fool enough to think there's an expectation that people support Fisher.

[ Parent ]
Have to win the primary first
Jeez, I feel like I'm in a time warp arguing with PUMA types. From the Suffolk poll - "Brunner voters report that, if Fisher wins the election, 74% will vote for Fisher and 8% for Portman." I'm sorry but this hatred for Lee Fisher is just not borne out in the data.  
[ Parent ]
this entire debate is about enthusiasm
Brunner didn't say she wouldn't vote for Lee Fisher, she's within the majority on the poll you cited. She just said she wasn't going to spend her time campaigning for him.

The problem isn't that voters don't agree more with Fisher than with Portman, the problem is that Fisher fails to inspire. That's a problem when it comes to Fisher's huge campaign disadvantage against Portman, and it's a bigger problem when it comes to who is going to show up.

[ Parent ]
you yourself suggested
it's silly to assume people will show up to the polls without GOTV--don't tell me you think brunner and her empty coffers will have a good ground game?

21, dude, RI-01 (registered) IL-01 (college)
please help Japan. click "donate funds" in upper right and then "Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami." http://www.redcross.org/
[ Parent ]
it isn't about Brunner, she has zero path to nomination
There's a reason why we're talking about what happens after Fisher's the nominee.

Brunner's poor campaign does nothing to change the dynamics that it is a silly assumption to expect there's an obligation for people to help Fisher, whether through campaigning or showing up to vote.

[ Parent ]
She is a frickin' Democrat!
You support the nominee of the party.
[ Parent ]
there is no such obligation
There's a growing trend away from such thinking and assuming there is such an obligation in the face of evidence to the contrary just makes you look ridiculous.

People have free will. If people decide that they should spend there time campaigning for Fisher, the will. Obviously, one Ohio Democrat has concluded there other ways of spending their time that they value more.

Same dynamic when it comes to who does, or doesn't, show up to vote.

[ Parent ]
Sigh
You can't wait to say "I told you so" can you. Thus not much of a Democrat either. Laters.  
[ Parent ]
I can't wait to see better Democratic Party
I care for more about the dynamics that effect every single election than I care about any one seat.  
[ Parent ]
There's no "evidence to the contrary," you're making shit up......
As I said in a comment above, Brunner sycophants are really exposing how clueless they are in this primary campaign.

Never have I seen such a bizarre loyalty.  With Hillary it made perfect sense, she had built up a huge following over many years, and was well-liked by Democrats across the board even while losing to Obama.

But Brunner is nothing like that, and she's not remotely capable of drumming up support to compete financially or for votes.  And yet she has bizarre sycophants making noise for her as if they're on another planet.

It's a given that Ohio Democrats, Brunner voters included, are set to line up behind Fisher.  The primary will have done its job, to give everyone a voice, and once it's settled, people get behind the nominee.  That's just what happens, and the few stray Democrats who don't do that are among the 10% or so who always cross party lines on election day, not anything more than that.

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10

[ Parent ]
Is Brunner like a family friend of yours or something? n/t


CO-02 (college)/FL-15 (home).  
[ Parent ]
'06 campaign promise
She promised not to endorse other candidates while serving as SOS after Ken Blackwell was viewed as helping the Bush '04 ticket while serving as both SoS and Ohio Chair of the Bush-Cheney Reeelect Committee.  This poster leaves that rather significant fact out
[ Parent ]
Brunner doesn't have any claim to the high ground
As she is a candidate in an election which she is overseeing, ergo any promise she made regarding supporting any candidates in elections becomes moot as she's already committed, by the logic of this insane position, an action which breaks that promise.

Politics and Other Random Topics

24, Male, Democrat, NM-01, Chairman of the Atheist Caucus, and Majority Leader of the "Going to Hell" caucus!

[ Parent ]
Why always make it about Fisher?
If Brunner "inspired" she would have raised money in spite of any roadblocks. It doesn't matter how many liberals she gets to the polls when she can't get a message out to the entire electorate. I agree Fisher will find that hard himself and part of that is her fault too. Neither are particulary strong but it has been clear for months he was going to win the primary and would be the lesser of evils for the general. Nothing has dismayed me more this cycle than the cognitive dissonance of Brunner supporters. Nothing.
[ Parent ]
you can complain, but it's a trend
Martha Coakley can spend all the time she's not spending as a Senator complaining about the "cognative dissonance" of the people who didn't vote for her. I hope she invites Creigh Deeds, I'm sure he has some thoughts on it.
[ Parent ]
Coakley didn't campaign
Brunner can't campaign. Simple as that.
[ Parent ]
Yeah,
I have a question. If Brunner is sooooo much better at inspiring voters to show up to vote, then why is she more than likely going to lose the primary. Obviously if she managed to win the primary despite the polling I would agree with you.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
Let's be fair
Idealogy: Brunner's a progressive reformer, Fisher's a traditional technocrat. Why would anyone assume she should be expected to help him?

I like Brunner. She would make a good Senator. But in all reality there is no evidence that Fisher would be more moderate than Brunner. Also it's ideology not idealogy.  

Electability: The voters don't like Fisher

Funny cause he does better in the polls.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
sorry for typo
I don't think you can judge the first question just along the left-right axis. A three dimensional view of the candidates by adding an axis for top-down vs. bottom-up and another for where they are on the historical progression of forwards/backwards (aggression) leads to a more developed analysis of the difference. While there's obviously a lot issues they are going to agree upon, they are coming to those conclusions from quite different world views. Still, point stands there's zero reason to expect she has an obligation to support somebody she obviously disagrees with.

The polls are more of a reflection upon Fisher's supporters than due to any inherent strengths he has a candidate. If anything, I'd hope a generic Democrat would be doing better with the degree of establishment backing he's received. Look at the polls, but also look at his history of failure and his huge cash disadvantage (which won't be bailed out) and it is silly to assume nobody will come to the conclusion he's likely to lose.

[ Parent ]
Right
because Brunner definitely has no huge cash disadvantage.

21, dude, RI-01 (registered) IL-01 (college)
please help Japan. click "donate funds" in upper right and then "Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami." http://www.redcross.org/
[ Parent ]
Brunner isn't going to be the nominee n/t

[ Parent ]
but I thought
the people will show up for her because she's a reformer?

21, dude, RI-01 (registered) IL-01 (college)
please help Japan. click "donate funds" in upper right and then "Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami." http://www.redcross.org/
[ Parent ]
And she inspires!
This whole thing is a joke.
[ Parent ]
obviously she doesn't inspire
There is zero logic behind concluding that means Fisher does inspire.
[ Parent ]
Are you being deliberately obtuse now?
No, he doesn't inspire. He is far from a perfect candidate. But Brunner's kamikaze campaign has made it even harder for him. She should support the nominee of her party whatever but perhaps even more so because of this.
[ Parent ]
Look
if Fisher is the nominee support him. I would do the same with Brunner, so let's move on and focus on beating Portman in November.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
Primary voters rarely seek inspiration......
Real life politics is not about candidates "inspiring" people.  That's a childish view of elections.

People who vote regularly in primaries, by nature the "supervoters" of society, understand perfectly well that candidates are merely human beings trying to do the best they can as candidates and as elected officials, and that most of them are not and cannot be expected to be "inspirational."  Primary voters vote for a set of values and priorities consistent with their chosen party, and if a particular candidate excites them, then all the better, but not necessary.

Methinks some people might be a bit spoiled from our having had a pair of superstars, Obama and Clinton, to choose from in Prez-08.  It's uncommon to have even one inspirational candidate running for President, let alone anything downballot.

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10

[ Parent ]
I'm glad you feel the same way
"Inspiring" primary voters doesn't happen often at all.  I would have no problem if someone says that a candidate offers "hope" or even "encouragement" to the primary voters.

Having lived in the South, I'm always wary of these "inspirational" candidates anyway (not referring to the Prez-08 primary contest, for that was in a league of its own).  I've seen too many candidates in the mold of George Wallace "inspire" hatred and fear within the public instead of taking the route of "hope", "opportunity", and "prosperity".

40, male, Democrat, NC-04

[ Parent ]
Do you understand the dynamics of NV-SEN?
Reid has tons of money for his campaign and expects to raise and spend 25 million in a state where his closest challengers are in the 1-2 million range. This one race where the DSCC, the DNCC and everyone else can let Reid take out his own cash.

28, Liberal Democrat, CA-26
[ Parent ]
Chicken Lady is leading Majority Leader by dougle digits
Theoretically, it is possible they'll let Reid "take out his own cash" which would really just be cutting their losses, but the odds of that are so tiny it would be foolish to expect otherwise.

This is a defensive year, at it's heart the DSCC is an incumbent protection organization. They're going to spend their money defending incumbents.  

[ Parent ]
"Chicken Lady"
Is also worth around 50 million. She can compete with Reid's money. Also, Reid is NOT on target to meet the 25 million goal.  
[ Parent ]
Have you seen the polls recently?
The latest Quinnipiac poll shows both Fisher and Brunner leading Portman with just about the same numbers.

It is silly to assume Jennifer Brunner has an obligation to campaign for Lee Fisher

Replace Brunner with Hillary, and Fisher with Obama, and you'd be called a PUMA, and for good reason.  Yes, she's supposed to campaign for the Democratic nominee in the general election, because she's a Democrat at the end of the day.

[ Parent ]
bruinkid has it exactly
It doesn't matter what state you're running in or what office you're running for, you support the nominee of your party because he/she represents the values you support, and will help to make the kind of policy you have been advocating for.

I think on almost any random 10 issues Brunner would support 9 of Fischer's positions and support 0 of Portman's.  This seat will be tremendously important and if Brunner doesn't understand that basic thing, she is probably unfit for the seat she currently holds.

[ Parent ]
'06 campaign promise
Sigh.  Again, you guys want to pretend like she didn't explain this to Fisher during their Senate debate weeks ago.

Fine.

She said she'd stay out of openingly supporting partisan elections of other candidates to combat the image Ken Blackwell created in her office.

[ Parent ]
Okay
But that thought out position is a mile and a half away from the childish holding up of her hands to make a zero.  If she wanted the high road it was easy to take: "As you know I made a promise in 2006 yadda yadda ... but I will be voting Democratic in the fall and I remained convinced I'll be voting for myself" or some such to show both loyalty and some confidence in herself.

Instead she chose to go the route of sore loserdom with the zero hand gesture.  It can't help her going into the primary.

[ Parent ]
um - so she wouldn't even be campaigning for herself
if she won the primary? another reason to be glad she won't win.

or was she suggesting that to support another candidate is dirty and below her but supporting herself is noble and pure?  a seceretary of state should know that politics and elections are not dirty but meaningful and make real differences in people's lives.

blackwell went out of his way to disenfrancise likely democratic voters.  that's what demeaned his tenure, not supporting a republican candidate.  

[ Parent ]
Sure.
By expanding the window for evaluating success beyond any given election, it changes all of the dynamics.

Which is why Brunner should support Fisher should she lose the primary.  
[ Parent ]
Gosh,
I can't believe I ever supported her. I hope she talks a different tone Tuesday, or she can kiss any political comeback goodbye!

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
OH
What a horrible candidate.

She's more in line with me on issues, but from day one I haven't liked her campaign.  This is the final nail in the coffin.  She has done nothing but make Fischer spend money early and probably help us lose the SOS.

29/D/Male/NY-01

I already voted for her.
While I can't reconsider that, I will DEFINTELY vote for Fisher in Nov.
Goddamn it
Why didn't Tim Ryan just run? That would have saved us so many headdaches.

Some Dude, 19, Democrat, NH-02 (residence), MA-08 (college)
I'm not a big Tim Ryan fan
Prolife.
-Went behind Sherrod's back and endorsed Hackett.
-Voted for Stupak.
-Worked for Jim Traficant.
[ Parent ]
Something odd happened...
When I tried to write prolife.  For some reason, the "pro" is crossed out.
[ Parent ]
You put dashes as bullets and in between pro-life
Like this

(dash before Like This and then dash afterwards)

[ Parent ]
one solution - the double dash
e.g. --pro-choice
[ Parent ]
Ah,
Well, regardless, Tim Ryan in pro-life.
[ Parent ]
So is Bob Casey

[ Parent ]
But we didn't have another (realistic) choice...
Abortion is not a deal breaker for me, but it makes it pretty hard to vote for a candidate.
[ Parent ]
Doesn't really matter
I don't think anybody can argue with a straight face that he hasn't been a reliable caucus vote on pretty much everything. Ryan would have been the same I'm sure.
[ Parent ]
"Preview" is your friend!

[ Parent ]
Agreed.
The surprising thing is that Ryan didn't run for Lt. Governor--and then Governor in 2014.
[ Parent ]
He worked for Jim Traficant
And then ran against him for his seat when Traficant ran from jail.  Holding that over his head doesnt seem very fair.  It's not like he is on any backroom dealings as far as I know of.
[ Parent ]
Amen

[ Parent ]
wow
thanks.

Libertarian secular Republican, MO-7
Ugh
This kind of ridiculous purism is the reason why I don't support her campaign.  
Sigh
"Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen."
[ Parent ]
It has nothing to do with purism
It has to do with a promise she made in '06 as SoS.
[ Parent ]
watch her complain
when Portman wins and then proceeds to vote with the Republican leadership 97% of the time.

disgusting.

21, dude, RI-01 (registered) IL-01 (college)
please help Japan. click "donate funds" in upper right and then "Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami." http://www.redcross.org/

Exactly
In the Senate, the difference between even Bernie Sanders and say, Claire McCaskill, to pick a centrist Dem senator, is effectively almost nothing.

Okay, yes, if Fisher was going to be a Nelson or Lieberman, then of course we wouldn't want him. But he's not going to be like that ... I don't think even Brunner's supporters argue that. He'll be a down-the-line D while Portman will be a down-the-line R.

Unless Brunner's "reform" characteristics include an ability to brainwash Ben Nelson and render Joe Lieberman mute, they won't make a whit of difference in the Senate.  

Kansan by birth, Californian by choice, and Gay by the grace of God.

[ Parent ]
I think your senate conclusions are backwards
In the Senate, the difference between even Bernie Sanders and say, Claire McCaskill, to pick a centrist Dem senator, is effectively almost nothing.

Senate rules allow any senator far more power than any Democrat chooses to exercise. Nobody thinks Fisher would be an exception. Which means more of the same that isn't inspiring people, which is actually a pretty great argument for Brunner's realization that her time is better spend doing other things. There's nothing to suggest Fisher would change the dynamics of failure, so what's the point in spending a bunch of time campaign for him?

[ Parent ]
Because
He's a Democrat and we are Democrats. We root for Democratic victories here and discuss horse race politics, not if the Senate functions correctly or not. If that's not your cup of tea, then you might consider finding another blog or keeping it to horse race politics and productive discussion.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
I'm fairly familiar with SSP
When it comes to horse race politics, what I'm talking about is the biggest trend in England just like it was the critical in MA-Sen and VA-Gov. You can stick you head in the sand, wishing this wasn't an important trend, but that doesn't mean it isn't one of the biggest developments separating this cycle from those past.
[ Parent ]
You're imagining a "trend" that doesn't exist......
Trying to tie together assorted isolated recent Democratic defeats is laughably absurd, but trying to tie together what's happening in the U.K. with anything in America acutally makes me laugh so hard it makes my gut hurt.

Everything happening in Britain right now is unique to Britain.  There's no "trend" that carries over to or from here.  You haven't even tried to make any credible argument otherwise.

Deeds' and Coakley's defeats had in common only that they ran bad campaigns.  Beyond that, their defeats diverged greatly; Deeds might have lost narrowly even with a good campaign, because McDonnell was just a better candidate and ran a perfect campaign, while Coakley would have won (narrowly) simply by running a competent nuts-and-bolts organization after her primary.  Coakley, too, would have won even with her bad campaign had there not been an anti-Democratic wind by January; Deeds, in contrast, complained and still complains wrongly and cluelessly about a national headwind that didn't exist in his case, all because he never has been able to see how incompetent and stupid a campaign he ran.  Deeds is a case study in "lack of any self-awareness at all."

And that you're somehow trying to tie all of this to Lee Fisher and contrast him unfavorably to Brunner is beyond bizarre.

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10

[ Parent ]
I agree with you...again
At the end of the day, good candidates/campaigners will defeat mediocre candidates/campaigner most of the time.  Exceptions will happen when a region is strongly tilted to one party of the other, but that doesn't always happen either.  I can think of ID-01, MD-01, TX-17, LA-02, MA-Sen as examples where a good candidate in an otherwise hostile region for his/her party defeated a mediocre candidate.

The UK elections has different hot-button issues that aren't the same hot-button issues as the US.  

40, male, Democrat, NC-04

[ Parent ]
Im sure McCaskill does plenty of damage
But she does it behind closed doors and does a make a show out of her wishing for more conservative leaning bills.
[ Parent ]
The two stories today are why people hate politicians
The vindictiveness of Brunner and Crist's mushy "I'll support whatever the polls say" attitude* really bothers people and causes them to tune out when elections roll around. While this is a pathetic reason to disregard your civic duty as a voter it is something that people use as an excuse when they don't turn out to vote.  

* I do think polls are important and that the government should to a large extent act in the way voters intend it too BUT voters can be too impatient and finicky at times to be taken literally (they even contradict themselves!) and therefore you shouldn't just move your position to remain "popular" or fail to articulate your position to avoid confrontation. These "tactics" when it comes to issue positions are a sure fire way to lose and it is what failed Democrats from 1994-2008 and I want to see it extinguished forever.

Brunner's attitude remains me so much of Cathy Cox post primary in GA in 2006 which was one of the worst statewide defeats for a top of the ticket Democrat in GA's history (Taylor underperformed John Kerry who had zero presence in GA).

I always feel like we have to work twice as hard as Democrats because of managing divergent views in our big tent and because of the difficulty surrounding Democratic turnout and this will obviously make things tougher for us in November.  

Interestingly
Steve Novick said this about Jeff Merkley about a month before their primary.  He said he'd vote for independent John Frohmayer rather than Merkley if Merkley won the primary.  It didn't seem to hurt Novick, since he still pulled in 44% of the vote (no reason to think he would have done any better without these comments).

However, I think the situation was different in several respects.  First, Dems in Oregon have proved that they can try to out-progressive each other in the primary and still win in the general -- Kitzhaber and Bradbury are doing the same thing right now.  That's not true in Ohio.  Second, Novick said that after Merkley had unleashed a barrage of attack ads against him, because Merkley was legitimately afraid of him, which isn't the case here.  And finally, everything Novick got in that race, he earned.  He was a short guy with a hook for a hand who'd never held public office, yet managed to raise enormous amounts of money and pull even with the State House Majority Leader.  Brunner, on the other hand, is a statewide officeholder who can't manage to raise enough money to compete.

So will the comment hurt Brunner?  I don't think we're ever going to find out, because I think the candidate's own woes are sinking her like a lead balloon.

The Crolian Progressive: as great an adventure as ever I heard of...

Actually, Novick DID endorse Merkley post-primary......
Whatever Novick might have said beforehand (which I don't remember), I remember afterward Novick pubilcly expressed support for Merkley.

If Brunner does the same, that's all that's required.  The thing is, saying otherwise beforehand looks bad unless and until she goes back on it.

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10

[ Parent ]
I diaried this on Kos
Any MoJo would be appreciated!

OH-Sen: Brunner goes PUMA

The usual blind leading the blind nonsense over there

[ Parent ]
They don't know how to pick their battles
Remember when they threw away like a half million dollars to that random activist Tom Geoghegan in the race to replace Rahm last year (in which every Democratic candidate was running from the left anyway)? It's ridiculous. What if they had given that money to Paul Hodes, get a huge headstart on that one early (might have even scared Ayotte away). I hate it when the netroots goes around backing shitty candidates. If all these Brunnerphiles instead spent their time on a progressive who actually knows what he's doing like Virg Bernero in Michigan, maybe he wouldn't still be jostling with that moderate Andy Dillon for the gubernatorial nod.

Some Dude, 19, Democrat, NH-02 (residence), MA-08 (college)
[ Parent ]
I probably would have chosen
A less incendiary title.
[ Parent ]
The responses
Would have been indentical whatever. There's none so blind as those who will not see.
[ Parent ]
If the shoe fits ...

[ Parent ]
That isn't my point
Sometimes, "rhetorical bombs" get in the way of productive discussion.
[ Parent ]
Sure. You're right.

[ Parent ]
This move by Brunner
Seems to suggest that she has a lot of bad blood pent up inside against the Ohio Democratic Party and governor Strickland.  I'm guessing that she is in a way blaming them for throwing the clamps down on would-be donors.  I see this as frustration over a campaign that, unfortunately for her, is going to be largely decided by her financial disadvantage.  

Of course, these reasons don't make it right.  But it's clear that she never liked Lt. Gov Fisher, and that she's very angry about things.  

23, Male, Democrat, OH-13

This is truly the stupidest primary of 2010.

Can't argue

[ Parent ]
Seconded.


Independent Socialist & Chair of SSP Cranky Indianian Hoosier Caucus, IN-09
[ Parent ]
I can't wait for Tuesday
For it to be over!
[ Parent ]
Agree 110%


Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
I have some hope
It is Hackett-Brown redux. The similarities are there.
[ Parent ]
Hackett dropped out long before the primary
So the similarities seem weak at best.
[ Parent ]
She was never gonna win the primary
Besides I was talking more about attitudes in the netroots.
[ Parent ]
Which was weird
the netroots faux outrage about Hackett being pushed out always left me clueless because Sherrod Brown was far more liberal than Hackett, who was a former Republican, and he was a stronger candidate with a more public profile.  
[ Parent ]
Deja Vu
At least for me. Arguing at Daily Kos about the less charismatic candidate being nailed on to win the primary.
[ Parent ]
I could sort of understand some of the outrage though
I mean they recruited him to run and then pretty much stabbed him in the back when Sherrod Brown jumped in.

That said, I'm glad the Democrats did do it, I definitely like ole Sherrod, he's been a kick-ass senator and I hope he has an obscenely long tenure :D

Politics and Other Random Topics

24, Male, Democrat, NM-01, Chairman of the Atheist Caucus, and Majority Leader of the "Going to Hell" caucus!

[ Parent ]
Me too
But that was partly Sherrod's fault for dithering. Tom Udall did the same to Marty Chavez but nobody shed a tear then.
[ Parent ]
Yes and no
Yes Udall was dithering a bit, but the DSCC never really recruited Mayor Marty (in fact, since Chavez had endorsed Domenici before he decided to retire, I doubt the DSCC ever even gave Marty the time of day).

Politics and Other Random Topics

24, Male, Democrat, NM-01, Chairman of the Atheist Caucus, and Majority Leader of the "Going to Hell" caucus!

[ Parent ]
No comparsion
Is ever perfect. Again, the reaction of the netroots was my main point.
[ Parent ]
Fair enough
Don't mind me, I'm a nit-picker by nature. But yeah, I definitely agree with you (actually, I was pretty damn vocal in wanting Udall to enter and for Mayor Marty to get the hell out of dodge myself so... :))

Politics and Other Random Topics

24, Male, Democrat, NM-01, Chairman of the Atheist Caucus, and Majority Leader of the "Going to Hell" caucus!

[ Parent ]
It was because Hackett was one of the netroots' babies
it was all about outrage at "their" candidate getting pushed out, it had nothing to do with ideology.
[ Parent ]
Just because this is a hobbyhorse of mine
I don't think there is any such thing as being "pushed out" of a race in this country. You are always free to run no matter what. People might make life difficult for you, but no one is bribing or threatening election officials to remove your name from the ballot, or threatening your family, etc. Those kinds of things do happen in other countries, sadly, and they legitimately constitute "pushing out" candidates.

To compare rough-and-tumble American political practices to outright corruption and violence I think does a disservice. I realize that you did not do so, but again I say, you are always free to run in this country. If you quite a race, it's because you chose to, not because you got "pushed out" by forces outside of your control.

[ Parent ]
Amen.
While party committees, stakeholders, political environment, and countless other factors matter, at the end of the day each individual candidate has to take responsibility for the campaign he/she runs.  
[ Parent ]
Actually, did Hackett ever decide to run at all?......
I don't think he ever filed any papers at all with the FEC, if my (admittedly vague) recollection is correct.  My memory is that he was publicly pondering a run, then Brown got in, and Hackett eventually publicly withdrew.  But I don't think he even filed paperwork to accept contributions.

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10
[ Parent ]
He did...
He had fundraisers in California.
[ Parent ]
Thanks, I stand corrected. (nm)
nm

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10
[ Parent ]
Thirded.


My blog
Twitter
Scribd
28, New Democrat, Female, TX-03 (hometown CA-26)
[ Parent ]
I think the challenges to Bob Bennett are
equally dumb. From the Democratic side, this definitely takes the cake.  
[ Parent ]
Disagree on Bennett, because you do whatever you can and still win......
The challenges to Bennett aren't dumb at all, from a hard right perspective, because the Republican nominee is a shoo-in in November, and that would be true even in a neutral political environment, and very possibly even in a strong Democratic year.  The only way a Utah Republican loses statewide is if the nominee is personally scandal-ridden and refuses to drop out.

If you want to draw a parallel to what Utah GOPers are doing to Bob Bennett, the best one out there is Lamont knocking off Lieberman in the 2006 CT-Sen primary.

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10

[ Parent ]
A one-word response from me:
Schmuck!

"I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!"
--  Will Rogers  
Your sig seems particularly pertinent
In this instance!
[ Parent ]
Yeah
Democratic politicians often take the opportunity to confirm the continuing accuracy of Will Rogers' remark.

"I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!"
--  Will Rogers  
[ Parent ]
Brunner
can bitch that the donors aren't behind her, as we've seen with Bill Halter, the netroots can raise a significant sum of change for her if she worked for it. Granted she didn't piss off the netroots like Blanche "The Liberals are out to get me!" Lincoln, but Brunner could of sold herself to Daily KOS/MoveOn/DFA, etc on her work from preventing voter intimidation by the McCain campaign/Ohio GOP in 2008. Instead she's running a PUMA like campaign instead. Also for a statewide official, you would think she has a few donor friends here and there, I don't believe for an instant that the entire Ohio Democratic Party is owned and operated by Ted Strickland.

19, Male, Independent, CA-12
It is quite strange really
I mean it hasn't just been bad it has been darn right awful. The other example is Joe Sestak. Surely Rendell has far more power in PA than Strickland has in OH. Not mention the WH. Yet he has raked in big bucks. Brunner has raised less than the no-name Republican running against Mikulski in Maryland for goodness sake!
[ Parent ]
no, she worked it.
But only Halter received the full across-the-board MoveOn/DFA/blogger push, as far as I can tell.
[ Parent ]
She did?
How do you know this? I know her campaign posted a lot of diaries at DK, but beyond that?
[ Parent ]
Th diaries only really started
At the turn of the year. Certainly in volume. Which was far too late. A compentent campaign would have gamed all this out before even announcing.
[ Parent ]
She spent significant time at NN last year.
Even gave me twenty minutes of one-on-one time.  I just think we're seeing the enthusiasm manifest itself among the netroots as well.
[ Parent ]
Kinda kills the argument
About the national enthusiasm gap being about base disappointment doesn't it?
[ Parent ]
Doesn't that prove the argument? nt

[ Parent ]
whoops
I left out the word "gap" from my initial post.  I do think there's a marked lack of netroots primary activism this cycle.
[ Parent ]
Some obvious
targets too this cycle. With the exception of AR-Dem, instead of backing the obvious progressive in races where the progressive can win the general, the netroots have spent an inordinate amount of time complaining about conservaDems who are the most progressive (or least conservative) Dems that can win.

There's no comprehensive strategy for "more and better" Democrats; it's more scattershot than anything.

[ Parent ]
No engagement with PA-SEN, NC-SEN ...
... PA-GOV ...
[ Parent ]
PA-Sen
Engagement is a two-way street. Lots can be written about the lack of interest in Sestak's challenge to Specter, but Daily Kos and other blogs (including this one) backed him strongly in 2006, before he attracted the notice of the establishment. So it's not as though we haven't been there for him in the past.

NC-Sen, it's not like Elaine Marshall is some kind of progressive firebrand. And gov races simply don't work for the netroots model.

[ Parent ]
I notice...
from your link that Sestak hasn't posted a diary on DailyKos since September 2009.  That certainly doesn't help his case either with the netroots.  In his case, the one-way street seems to be the bloggers that are backing him.
[ Parent ]
That's true.
I guess Sestak just decided he'd come to NN again in 2009, folks would back him and he didn't have to do a thing.  I can't even name who his new media coordinator is.  Still, though, I'm surprised that folks haven't taken that race on despite the lack of outreach from the campaign; lord knows we Obama supporters didn't receive any help from that campaign throughout 2007.

On NC, I had gotten the impression (esp. from Pam Spaulding) that Marshall was the most progressive of the candidates, even if not a progressive plain and simple.  

[ Parent ]
asdf
PA-Sen: complicating factors. I assume the lack of enthusiasm for Sestak by local labor leaders meant that the lack of infrastructure to get Sestak over the top kind of held down enthusiasm for the challenge nationally. And national labor leaders don't go against the WH when it comes to anyone the WH actually cares about. I think it'd have been easier to drum up enthusiasm for someone like Patrick Murphy than Sestak.

NC-Sen: Oddly quiet race from both Marshall and Cunningham generally, but Marshall has made an effort to win netroots support.

I'm actually mostly surprised about NH-Sen -- not a primary, but Hodes is someone who deserves support early and often. There have been a few posts here and there, but it's obvious when the bigger voices in the netroots coordinate on behalf of someone to do some intense driving of message and fundraising. Not seeing much of it when it comes to NH-Sen or even places where there is no primary but there should be a priority on protecting incumbents who voted to the left of their districts. Early support matters and helping them raise money to fund oppo, lay the groundwork for a robust field operation, etc. is a great way of making friends, and supporting more and better Democrats. I know you had something going after the HCR vote, but outside of the established progressive orgs, there wasn't a heck of a lot of "getting the back" of these guys.

PA-6: another race where it's obvious who the better Dem is and where the better Dem prob. has a better shot at winning.  

[ Parent ]
"The netroots"
Gross overgeneralization. I consider myself part of the netroots. If you're referring to specific people, then refer to specific people.
[ Parent ]
fair enough.
There are diff. definitions of netroots. I'm referring to the most prolific, well-known bloggers at the major activist blogs that have allied with PCCC, DFA, FDL either unofficially or officially. Basically anyone who subscribes wholeheartedly to the mentality behind those driving the narrative in this well-intentioned but misleading and sometimes factually inaccurate article. (It's one thing if one thinks it's a valuable piece to read; it's another if one buys the spin wholesale from Grijalva and his 'allies.') I use them, because they're the ones used by the media as the face of the netroots.

I don't include MoveOn, even though MoveOn works with those groups frequently, because their membership doesn't quite fit the netroots profile. But MoveOn also has some of the same symptoms. The lack of fundraising asks for Dems who vote to the left of their districts is mindboggling to me. It'd be one thing if some of those Dems said no privately to that help but there isn't a chance in hell they all said no.

Complaining about having to water down legislation to get enough moderate and conservative Dems on board, and then, not taking an active interest in primaries where the progressive choice is also capable of winning the general or doing early fundraising for a Democratic nominee who deserves it (Hodes)... how f***ing stupid is that? I suppose it's easier to complain about Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Baucus, Ben Nelson, etc., than it is to make "more and better Democrats" a reality, instead of a slogan. Almost every single piece of legislation that has been watered down or delayed (including DADT repeal, energy bill, HCR) has been because of a handful of moderate-conservative Democrats, including a few who have gotten a ton of support from the netroots.  

[ Parent ]
Well
I still think you are speaking in over-broad generalizations. You don't like what a handful of loudmouthed bloggers, who may or may not buy into what may or may not be some questionable assertions in a 12,000-word Huffington Post article, have done. But this doesn't account for countless folks who consider themselves members of the netroots who have busted their humps continuously for the kinds of candidates you talk about, like Blue Hampshire.

Ultimately, though, I really don't understand what you want, or what you hope for. You are asking for extremely broad and diffuse groups of people to take some kind of coordinated action on behalf of select candidates (who themselves can't make a difference as long as the filibuster is still in place). And by the very nature of the netroots, neither you nor I nor anyone else can possibly know what is going on across the entire blogosphere, so it's too easy to wind up focusing on the handful of people who are most visible - but who are by no means representative.

But I still think a lot is happening that even you would approve of - given, for example, that Paul Hodes has raised over $100K on ActBlue (and he does not use ActBlue on his website). So isn't the "netroots" doing something right on that score?

[ Parent ]
There's been some work w/r/t defining
"the most progressive electable D" for many districts/states

but certainly, it hasn't been enough.

[ Parent ]
As compared to what?
First off, the netroots is such a diffuse concept, I don't think one can talk about the "netroots" doing X or Y. For another, even if you just look at the races Daily Kos has gotten involved in in the past, only a handful have been primaries. I don't think this cycle is much different.

What I do think is different is the mood. I'm depressed about our electoral prospects and have been so for the better part of a year. I think a lot of people feel very glum. It's just very hard to motivate people in an environment like this.

[ Parent ]
An enthusiasm gap is to be expected
But there's no accounting for the lack of strategy. It's not just primaries.

Basically the netroots is insufficiently supporting allies and/or attacking/misfiring at allies, and focusing all of their energy on influencing people with bad tactics/messaging who the netroots have the least amount of leverage over. That's when folks put the netroots on the 'ignore' button or the 'we'll call you, don't call us' line.

And I think this is generally true when it comes to issue advocacy and elections.

I'll post a more extensive reply later... it's getting late.  

[ Parent ]
Adam, "working it" means putting in "call time"......
Speaking at NN and posting a few DailyKos diaries is not "working it."  Internet fundraising takes a lot more than that.

And the more serious fundraising means hitting the phones and calling rich people, and buying donor lists if you have to.

I've worked with candidates before, it's no mystery why the ones who don't raise money, don't raise money:  they're unwilling to sit by the phone and call strangers to ask them for $1,000 checks.

Especially today, there's more money out there than ever.  The increase in individual donor limits helps, as does the internet.  But ultimately the candidates have to do the work.

Brunner just doesn't have the work ethic to run a serious U.S. Senate campaign, which is bizarre since she ran a successful statewide race once already.

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10

[ Parent ]
I'm not going to disagree with much of that
Other than to say that these things can take off online regardless of whether the candidate "gets it" or has any direct interaction with the netroots.  At least, it used to work that way, that independent enthusiasm was enough.
[ Parent ]
As Brunner rode her school bus across the state
she needed to spend every second of her time either (a) calling in to talk radio or (b) calling donors.

She just didn't do the work.

[ Parent ]
About
a month ago the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme court died. I believe the Governor is given the job to find replacement. I don't believe he has announced an appointment yet. Any chance at all that he appoints Brunner? It would unite the base. I assume she would be qualified enough as well.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
He appointed Eric Brown
The Democratic Candidate for chief.
[ Parent ]
This makes no sense whatsoever...
Much like her Senate campaign. Staying in this primary this long and not dropping back to run for re-election is not only mind boggling, but incredibly selfish on her part. She's been in the race for a year and never managed to be competitive in fundraising or organization. It's not like we didn't know Rob Portman would come into this thing with buckets of money to spend on negative ads. Now she's put us in danger of losing the secretary of state's office as well as a crucial Senate seat.

If she's so great at inspiring the grassroots, as so many of her supporters love to suggest, why hasn't that translated into a serious campaign? Hell, Bill Halter is running against a two-term US senator of his own party and he's managed to translate grassroots enthusiasm into a serious campaign.

I'm pretty mystified about this
She was a great Secretary of State. Why was she unable to get untracked? I just don't get it.

"I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!"
--  Will Rogers  
[ Parent ]
It's sad
I so wish she was running for re-election instead of wasting resources on a fool's errand. I don't know a lot about the current race for SoS, but from what I've heard the GOP frontrunner is vastly outraising the presumptive Democratic nominee. I'm really worried that we'll lose that race.
[ Parent ]
I'm in Virginia, back in December 2008 I was wishing...
...Deeds would just drop out of the Governor's race and run for A.G.  He probably was a shoo-in with his razor-thin loss 4 years earlier and leftover name recognition and goodwill.  I have no doubt that coattails be damned, he would have beaten Cuccinelli even if McAuliffe (who would have crushed Moran one-on-one in the primary) got creamed by McDonnell.

And now we'd have a Democratic A.G., and maybe would have even saved a few Democratic Delegates.

But candidates follow their own ambitions, they have their own plans, they're not all about the party.

43, male, Indian-American, Democrat, VA-10

[ Parent ]
Maybe she can't
Because she is secretary of State, and as the elections person, maybe it would be best for her to be neutral. Does anyone know if the State SOS has to stay neutral because he is the elections leader (Of that particular state?)

28, Liberal Democrat, CA-26
I'm sure
Her predecessor Ken Blackwell was neutral during every race. /s

20, Male, Democrat, CA-44 (home) CA-12 (college)
[ Parent ]
I highly doubt that
The fact that she was so theatrical in her gesture to the reporter has me convinced that this is all about sour grapes. She's been nothing but vocal about how the establishment has purportedly been driving the major donors away from her. This has everything to do with bruised egos because she hasn't been able to run a competent campaign for the nomination.

From her attitude, I'd imagine she'd like Rob Portman to defeat Fisher just so she can have the satisfaction of saying "I told you so." Maybe if she'd have run a better campaign, she wouldn't be puttering around the most Republican parts of Ohio in a school bus looking for Democratic votes.

[ Parent ]
Let's have the election first before asking her to bow out gracefully.
It's the end of a heated tough campaign.  Emotions are running high.  And she's just had the DSCC run a barage of ads to her chagrin that if current polling is correct might be the final nail in her coffin.

Let the people vote.  Give her a little time to get her emotions in check (after all it is only May) and then let her give her endorsement.

Only thing this shows is she still has fight in her in a hihgly fought over campaign.  Let's not make a mountain out of nothing.  It's not like she's threatening to pull a Charlie Crist or something.

NY-13, Democrat. Blog @ http://infinitefunction.wordpr...

Brunner and bad politics
Brunner should reconsider her position.  Does she want a Rob Portman to be the next US Senator from Ohio?  I doubt that she does.  Portman, at least to me, is a symbol of what is wrong with the US economy.  As SOS, Brunner should know this better than most.  Brunner should put aside petty differences and focus on the big picture.

40, male, Democrat, NC-04
OH-Sen: Brunner Won't Campaign for Fisher if She Loses | 173 comments

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