Veepstakes: The Case for Sherrod Brown

The presidential campaign season has reached a point where each of the party nominees need consider their most important decision of the entire campaign: whom to choose as their running mate for a position that is one heartbeat away from the presidency. Potential names are being floated currently in the media and personal info is being vetted by the campaigns. Both nominees will announce their running mates at or before their respective conventions in July. For a number of reasons, Secretary Hillary Clinton, the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party, should strongly consider tapping Sherrod Brown, the senior Senator from Ohio. Here’s why.

 

1. Geography. The Electoral College works in a different manner than a typical election decided by popular vote. Rather, the general presidential election campaign is waged state-by-state in a dozen or less battleground states in an effort to win at least 270 total electoral votes. And no battleground state is more important than Ohio. Simply put, because of the electoral math, it is nearly impossible to win the White House without carrying Ohio. A Republican candidate has never done so; a Democrat hasn’t achieved that since 1960. Even though there is evidence that a running mate does not help carry their home state in the November election, it is possible that in a close election they could make a difference. Having won two elections for Secretary of State, as well as two U.S. Senate elections, Sherrod Brown has proven throughout his career that he is able to run an effective statewide campaign in Ohio.

2. Ideological-Counterbalancing. Secretary Clinton is disliked and distrusted by many in the progressive base who support her primary rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, and who view her as a conservative. Many Sanders’ supporters have indicated through polling and an unrelenting social media campaign that they will not vote for Clinton in the general election. Picking Sherrod Brown as running mate could help salve the wounds laid bare during a rough and tumble primary campaign. Despite being a loyal party insider, Brown is well-known, well-respected, and long supported by the Democratic Party’s progressive wing. He also has high name recognition, not only in Ohio, but also in the country among progressives as he is a frequent guest on MSNBC. Besides being popular with progressives, Brown is beloved by the blue collar and union crowd—a demographic presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has made inroads with during the primary season.

3. Background. Does the person being considered as running mate have the necessary experience, intelligence, and temperament to be an effective president from Day 1? This is the most important question any presidential nominee should ask but often they and the media fail to ask it. By virtue of his educational background, his years spent in both state and federal elected office, and his decades spent under the glare of the klieg lights on the national stage, Sherrod Brown is well-prepared to be president. With eight years in the Ohio legislature, eight years as Ohio Secretary of State, fourteen years in the U.S. House of Representatives, and nine years and counting in the U.S. Senate with membership on some of that institutions most influential committees, Brown’s credentials far surpass that of most recent presidents, vice presidents, and potential VPs being discussed in the 2016 election cycle.

For all of these reasons, Sherrod Brown would be a stellar pick for vice presidential running mate. This choice does not come without costs, however. Brown has repeatedly and publicly declared he does not have vice presidential aspirations and wants to remain in the Senate. Also, were the Clinton-Brown ticket to be successful in November, Brown would have to vacate his Senate seat by January 20 thus almost assuredly ceding the seat to a Republican who would be appointed by Governor John Kasich. However, surrendering one Senate seat to the Republican Party would be worth it for Democrats if it means that Brown could help Clinton carry Ohio and, more importantly, a highly-qualified individual would be serving as vice president. Protestations aside, I suspect that if asked, Sherrod Brown would do what he has always done during his long career in public service—serve the people of Ohio and the country as a whole and say yes.

This op-ed originally ran on Cleveland.com on May 13, 2016, and in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. You can access the original here.

Newt for Prez?

Politico Arena Topic: Should Gingrich Run?

Well it’s not my place to tell any politician whether he should or should not run for office (I’ve tried that in the past and it hasn’t worked out so well). However, I think if Newt Gingrich does run for president, he will have trouble.

Many forget that he had quite a few enemies in his own House caucus during his four years as speaker and was challenged outright for the speaker’s gavel. He also has a propensity to say controversial things bordering on the outlandish such as when he reportedly called first lady Hillary Clinton a not-so-nice name and suggested that a large percentage of President Clinton’s White House staff used drugs. Much more recently, Gingrich suggested that President Obama can only be understood by understanding the president’s “Kenyan, anti-colonial” world view thus waving the flag of the Birther movement.

Perhaps Gingrich’s lust for political red meat would play well with his base and the tea party folks, securing him the nomination. However, as the GOP nominee, Gingrich would stand little chance. General presidential elections are usually won in the middle of the ideological spectrum as undecideds and independents tip the scale one way or the other. A Gingrich nomination would tip those folks in the middle to the Obama side.

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Obama Pulling for Pittsburgh

One thing I like about this new president is he's not afraid to openly root for a sports team for fear of angering the other team's fans. One need only remember the cringe-worthy moment in Hillary Clinton's first run for the U.S Senate in 2000 when she announced that she loved the Yankees but liked the Mets too. Any real sports fan could immediately see what hogwash that was as a true Yankees or Mets fan could never love nor like nor respect the other team.

Unlike most politicos who are loathe to profess their love or hatred on any professional or college sports team, President Obama has no problem telling the world. He is an unabashed Chicago White Sox fan and proves this with his open disdain for the Cubs (which may explain his carrying Missouri and performing well in St. Louis...). In an ESPN interview last summer, Obama openly derided the Cubbies: "I’m not one of these fair weather fans. You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there. People aren’t watching the game. It’s not serious. White Sox, that’s baseball."

So, when asked about who he was rooting for in the upcoming Superbowl, Obama did not hesitate to pick a side: "I am a longtime Steelers fan. Mr. Rooney, the owner, was just an extraordinary supporter during the course of the campaign....Other than the Bears, the Steelers are close to my heart.” So there you have it. Of course it doesn't hurt that Arizona is the land of Barry Goldwater and John McCain.

Now as a lifelong Green Bay Packer fan, I have a problem with the president rooting for the scourge known as the Bears. However, that is a post for another season...

Upstate New York Congresswoman to Fill Clinton's Senate Seat

Kirsten Gillibrand, a 42 year old Congresswoman from upstate New York, has been tapped by Governor David Paterson to fill the seat vacated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Gillibrand represents New York's 20th District and had just begun her second term.

The pick is surprising on two counts. First, Paterson's choice of a person who received the NRA's endorsement has already enraged Representative Carolyn McCarthy who has pledged to challenge Gillibrand in the 2010 Democratic primary if she was indeed the choice. Second, what happened to Andrew Cuomo, the popular New York Attorney General and son of the beloved former governor? And of course, all this follows an ugly back-and-forth in media reports of Caroline Kennedy's withdrawal from consideration of the seat.

Regardless, Gillibrand seems like a compelling choice and story--she is only the 6th woman in Congressional history to have a baby while serving and currently is married with two small boys ages 5 and 6 months. A perceived centrist on many issues, Gillbrand appears positioned well to retain the seat in 2010 given that she is reportedly an effective fundraiser and aggressive candidate.

Caroline, JFK Jr., and Twists of Fate

Reports abound that Caroline Kennedy, the oldest child of President John Kennedy and the niece of Senator Robert Kennedy, is interested in being appointed to Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat when she vacates it to be come Secretary of State. Her cousin, Robert Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer, withdrew himself from consideration a few days ago.

Politics, like life, is driven by individual human decisions, actions, and external happenings. Often, it is the twists of fate that shape the political and societal landscape. Earlier events and decisions affect everything that comes after. An assassination, a decision to go to war, a stock market crash all impact decisions and events which come after. In this context, the potential of Caroline Kennedy to hold a senate seat from New York reminds me of events which occurred almost decade ago.

On July 16, 1999, John Kennedy Jr., Caroline's brother, decided to fly his wife and sister-in-law to his cousin Rory's wedding in Hyannis, Massachusetts. They never made it--the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean killing all aboard. The 38 year old Kennedy was primed to enter the world of politics at the time of his death. In 1995 he had launched a chic political magazine, George, and was very much in the public eye.

About the time of JFK Jr.'s death, Democratic Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan announced he would not seek reelection to the New York Senate seat he had held since 1977, and Kennedy was a presumptive front-runner to replace him (a Guardian article reported a 65% approval rating for Kennedy at the time). Based on his family name and lineage, his popularity, his comfort in the spotlight, he would have been a shoo-in for the seat, even if Hillary Clinton had decided to challenge him in the primary (which would have been doubtful she would have even considered it if JFK Jr. were in the race). Assuming he would have won the seat in 2000 and had a scandal-free eight years, it is conceivable that Democrats would have looked to him in 2008 to run for president. Perhaps we would be discussing Kennedy's transition right now and there would be umpteen stories about the third son to follow a father to the White House.

Instead, on that foggy night almost 10 years ago, the world of politics--and perhaps the world--changed when John Kennedy Jr's plane plunged into the cold waters of the Atlantic. Rather, we are talking about his sister Caroline being appointed to the seat John may well have won in 2000 and used as a stepping stone to the presidency.

Trouble Up North

It is amazing that citizens in the United States could be unaware that Canada, our friendly neighbor to the north, is going through historic tumult with regards to its political system. Of course, the American media has yet to really focus on the crisis as it dissects every last angle to the Hillary Clinton nomination as Secretary of State.

Seven weeks ago a national election was held--in Canada. The conservative party won a plurality of the vote, 38%, and Stephen Harper became prime minister. Now, the minority factions have banned together in a coalition to unseat the prime minister and call for a no confidence vote. Harper has responded by suspending parliament.

These maneuvers make the 2000 Fiasco in Florida look tame in comparison. The coalition is composed of the Liberal Party, the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois, a fringe separatist party bent on independence for Quebec. Polls are showing that 3 in 4 Canadians are nervous about the situation and about half would vote for the beleaguered prime minister if the election were held now, significantly up from election day.

I'm guessing that some in the United States are secretly hoping for Quebec to split off and for Canada to break up. I have long heard of American secret and not-so-secret plans to annex parts of Canada should this happen. In fact, this is not recent, post-9/11 exercise. Plans have existed for decades. For interesting reading on the topic, check out the following WaPo article titled "Raiding the Icebox."