(Lately I’m finding that my writing is being polluted more and more with unintelligible Wrestling lingo. I fear that if I don’t nip this in the bud eventually I’ll be writing the blog in Carny. We beg your forgiveness.)
Yesterday’s Plain Dealer has an interesting article on how Sherrod Brown’s victory has turned out to be a huge tectonic shift in American politics. Sherrod Brown’s issues are now the Democrats issues, and Democrats are the driving force in politics across the board.
What’s interesting is that in typical Sherrod fashion you’d never know it by watching him in action. He’s one of the worst workers (hype… working a crowd into a frenzy) I have ever seen. And yet somehow he’s quietly managed to completely change the debate with every person running for President doing the work for him.
My big problem with Sherrod Brown and other old guard Democratic Party loyalists has always been that they don’t know how to work. In the past they’ve been much better at being right than they have at moving the ball towards the goal posts. And yet all of a sudden Sherrod has seemingly turned political reality on its head. Could his quiet style suddenly have teeth now that he’s armed with the power the Senate? I’m thinking yes. The Senate is the perfect forum for behind the scenes hardball power plays and watching all the legislation that’s coming through with his hand on it, he certainly is working it.
The thing that I worry about is if it’s enough. The problems are so vast and the opposition forces so powerful that without a strong center of true believers keeping the debate honest it’s going to be easy for sell outs to coopt the debate passing themselves off as champions of issues like education, the environment, universal health care and fair trade; all the time making sure that Wall St. is given priority over Main St.
I’d like to see Ohio really own this debate, and rightfully demand the changes that Americans overwhelmingly want. As I keep saying, it’s not enough to be right, you also have to win. SF, LA and New York have gotten more than their fair share from the prosperity of the modern economy. It’s Ohio’s turn… it’s average America’s turn to reap some of the rewards.
I’m beginning to think that a big part of the problem is the huge riff that exists between much of the Ohio progressive blogosphere and Sherrod over the melodrama of the Senate primary. The reason why the blogosphere has become such a significant force in politics is because they are perfect for working. Unfortunately, many are busy licking their largely self inflicted wounds marking out to themselves (vain self obsession) instead of using Sherrod’s victory to leverage the power that every Ohio voter has in promoting progressive values.
(via DaytonOS)
UPDATE: Matt Stoller @ Open Left has an interesting diary that dovetails with this called ‘Betrayed Voters’: Preparing for a Landslide.
Seriously, Connie provides a unique perspective to the Senate race, and it’s refreshing how honest she is about things. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a 
