Sherrod Brown should run

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Paul Hackett defeating Mike DeWine in the Ohio Senate race if it comes to it. But I can't help but think that Hackett is a novelty, a candidate propelled to greatness on the basis of his close defeat in Ohio's 2nd District.

I see that once again I'm a little late to the party, and Jerome @ MyDD has already minced many of these arguments, but I think he skips over the fact that this guy has little experience. His main asset is the hero worship that many on the left blogs have given him for almost defeating Jean Schmidt in Ohio's 2nd District. And I doubt that DeWine's campaign, with years of experience and money, will be quite as inept as she was, although I could be wrong.

Hackett's campaign in the south of Ohio was a perfect storm of politics, one that would have to duplicate itself (I think) to see Hackett have a serious chance. The thousands who threw money into one small corner of Ohio will have other races to consider come 2006. Bob at Swing State has a map, and I can guarantee those pins in California will be busy funding whoever runs against Arnold for Governor, Pennsylvania's pins will be donating to Bob Casey, Floridians will be bankrolling Ben Nelson, etc. That confluence of cash simply will not be there come 2006.

Ohio 2nd is reporting that Sherrod Brown is reconsidering a run for Senate. If that's true, consider this one former Daytonian's endorsement of Sherrod Brown for Senate. But if Hackett is the man, I'll endorse him as well. Either one will be better than Mike DeWine.