Hackett Announces Candidacy
by Ann Driscoll, Mon Oct 24, 2005 at 06:05:00 PM EDT
Paul Hackett's speech wasn't nearly as incendiary as his Warren County Dems dinner speech. That night, a somber-yet-passionate Hackett went for broke, as his political career hung in the balance. Today, a candidate emerged, ready for competition. The ill feeling between Hackett and Sherrod Brown is still there, but confidence has made it less stinging, and you can sense Hackett ascending from his underdog status.
Paul Hackett communicated several themes, perhaps the most central of which is his status as a political outsider, or a "citizen legislator." This, in contrast with a "career politician"- words he reiterated copiously throughout his speech. The outsider vs. insider theme targets both Mike DeWine and his primary opponent, Sherrod Brown rather obviously. But, more subtly, it creates a strength out of a potential weakness- political inexperience. He argues that politicians haven't been doing their job- not the Democrats nor the Republicans- so it's time that ordinary citizens do theirs and serve in public office. In a response to a question by AP writer Dan Sewell, he said that it is un-American and aristocratic to only deem the politically experienced qualified to legislate.
The other significant theme was limited government, a key element to his congressional campaign. Directed towards moderate Republicans and liberals alike, Hackett generally outlined his support for gay rights, abortion rights, gun rights, and freedom of religion. He derided Terry Schiavo, the Patriot Act, and the "religious extremists" of the Republican Party and presented himself as a new embodiment of conservative civil liberties principles. His calls for freedom of religion were curious because of the hijacking of the phrase among the right wing to mean public (and government-sanctioned) displays of religion. Though Hackett probably meant just the opposite: a healthier respect for the Establishment Clause, I can very well see religious voters nodding in unison with ACLU-ites at this point, as their interpretation dictates. At any rate, civil liberties is the great political goldmine that Democrats have yet to fully tap into. It's a win-win way to approach social issues where nobody gets hurt.
The question on my mind, and I'm sure on others' was Iraq. Where was it? Hackett barely mentioned the largest issue facing the country and the issue on which he has the most credibility as a Vet. My sincere hope is that the campaign realizes that public opinion has reached a turning point after Katrina, and a credible anti-war voice is possible and victorious in this race. The economy and civil liberties, as important issues as they are, are nothing without the weight and guts that a strong position on Iraq brings to the table. As Hackett demonstrated in his Channel 9 interivew, he can be that voice.
In terms of the primary, I have gleaned a few bits of information/rumor. If you, the readers, have any information on which is factual and which is rumor, feel free to post. 1) Sherrod Brown is waiting until after the elections to formally announce his candidacy due to the manner in which RON affects redistricting in his district. (I'm not sure exactly how this even makes sense considering he already has announced that he is running and has started a campaign effort but then why not announce until after the election?) 2) The national Democratic Party is not picking sides (How this fits in with Ted Strickland's purported Sherrod Brown recruitment, who knows) 3) Significant support for Paul Hackett will emerge across Ohio relatively soon.
If any or all of these are true, I can't imagine Brown's commitment to this race being able to withstand Hackett's. Then again, at one point, I was convinced Hackett would drop out, so my speculation can be unreliable.
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