The Questions That No One Wants to Ask

It strikes me that as all the whining and crying by supporters of Paul Hackett continues, there are a few questions that no one is asking - likely because no one wants to face the hard truth. So I'm just going to ask them.

So let's say it actually is true that Sens. Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer called a couple of big donors to tell them not to give any more money to Hackett and instead give money to Brown. Remember, they have denied doing that - but let's just take Hackett's conspiracy theory as fact for a moment. Here's a question: if Hackett was such a strong candidate building such a national movement with such devoted supporters as he purports - why would those donors listen?

I mean, come on folks - the idea that these Senators have that much control is terribly naive, especially at a time when most people admit that one of the big problems plaguing the party is not enough unity. Sure, they might have some sway - but again, if Hackett was such a strong candidate with such a fervent national following as people purport - why would those donors listen to a call from Schumer or Reid? The answer, as anyone who has ever worked in the political fundraising world, is that they wouldn't listen. And that means what really happened was Hackett didn't have the fundraising base he would need to begin with.

Second question: if people are angry about there now not being a primary, and thus voters aren't going to make the decision between Hackett and Brown, why are people upset with everyone other than Paul Hackett for that reality? Last I checked, he was the one who decided not to take the question to voters. So if people are going to be mad at anyone about the "let the people decide" issue, shouldn't they be mad at Hackett?

What I find particularly disgusting about all of the attention Hackett's decision got is the utter lack of issues being discussed. Its just disgustingly pathetic. There is no discussion of the two candidates' differing positions on Iraq, no discussion of the candidates records on issues that would be voted on in Congress - nothing. It's all horse race crap - and it is a sad, sad commentary that such a loud part of the supposedly progressive "base" is so comfortable following cults of personality, and appearing not even interested in the actual issues. For me, that's what this has always been about - issues. Here we have an extremely rare chance to put a proven progressive champion into U.S. Senate - Sherrod Brown, a guy who has championed the progressive agenda in Congress for years. And yet here we have many people in the blogosphere - people who purport to be part of a progressive base - simply uninterested in that. It is, in a word, pathetic.

Here's the cold, hard truth: Paul Hackett was going to get crushed by Sherrod Brown. Paul Hackett's internal polls showed Paul Hackett that right before Paul Hacket decided to leave the race.

Those poll numbers were not surprising - Sherrod Brown has been a progressive champion building grassroots support around Ohio for years, while Paul Hackett had been on the political stage for less than a year. That doesn't mean Paul Hackett isn't a good guy, with a lot of potential - it's just political reality.

Paul Hackett saw those poll numbers, didn't want to get embarrassed on election day, and bailed out. People shouldn't be bitter about that, and they shouldn't be sore losers. And Hackett supporters fueling a false media story about Democratic leaders "forcing out" Hackett do nothing but undermine a good, solid progressive who is still in this race against Mike DeWine.

Paul Hackett got beat, and he got beat badly by a better candidate and a more proven progressive who had far stronger statewide support and appeal. You can cry, whine, and make up conspiracy theories all you like. You can throw a temper tantrum, stomping your feet, screaming that "it's unfair!" It's a claim I used to make when I was 12 years old playing Nintendo against my brothers and they would beat me. I would claim the game was "unfair" - when in fact it wasn't - I just lost.

I sincerely wish Paul Hackett had decided not to get out of politics altogether so quickly - I honestly thought he had more mettle than that. I thought he would lose the primary, and then go on to run again. But he didn't and that's really sad. The the facts about why he decided to get out are the facts. They are reality. And you either come back to reality and we win this Senate seat, or you continue living in a fantasy world of your own creation.