This *is* a victory.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

For a man like Hackett to get this close to winning in such a heavily Republican district, is proof that a candidate who supports progressive values, and isn't afraid to stand up and speak his mind, can win the hearts of the American people.

Remember, the elections of 2000 and 2004 weren't decided by Claremont county; even without rigged voting machines, there was never any question of what colour that place would be on the Big Map. Elections on the state and national level are decided in the swing districts, where the Democrats and Republicans are about evenly matched, and a single soundbite can tip public opinion for one side or the other.

Paul Hackett, by being up-front with the voters and sticking to his progressive guns, just claimed (at least) forty-eight percent of the vote in a district where no Democrat has won more than thirty percent in over two decades. If the candidates in the swing states acted like him, the Dems would sieze a majority that no amount of box-stuffing could obscure.

[Teaser]

1. At least

it's a really good sign for '06, if not a victory.

[still_one]

2. how long can we keep saying that close elections are a victory?

[ThumperDumper]

4. Exactly. I wanna win in the red states. n/t

[UrbScotty]

7. This one wasn't supposed to be anywhere near as close.

A Democrat almost won in the most right-wing district in Ohio!

Any other seat in OH, Hackett would likely have won.

[still_one]

9. The people in the second district of Ohio should be ashamed

of themseleves

Frankly, the country said the same thing in 2004, and the people in the U.S. should be ashamed of themseleves also.

[Justitia]

17. I hope that crooked witch ROBS THEM BLIND. -eom

[still_one]

19. well it is a good start with their state pension

and coingate

[theHandpuppet]

25. No, the voters in Hamilton, Warren and Clermont should be ashamed

The voters in Pike, Scioto, Adams and Brown counties went for Hackett and frankly, I think its about time these Appalachian Counties demanded secession from the 2nd District.

As a born and bred Scioto County Dem, I am damned proud of how my county voted tonight. Don't blame us for the fascists to the west.

[Justitia]

27. My condolences. I live in TX, I know how you feel. I hope she

doesn't rob YOU and YOURS blind. But I still hope she robs all those other ignorant assholes blind.

}(

[UrbScotty]

36. I have an idea: Don't blame everyone for Schmidt's win.

Why should those who voted for Hackett be ashamed?

[DS1]

20. That's a really good question

[dave502d]

3. I agree with you.n/t

[Mz Pip]

5. I wish I felt that way

I just see it as another loss in an election with a low turn out.

People actually voted for a crackpot Republican over an Iraq War Veteran. They got out of their houses and into their cars and drove to the polls to pull the lever for a woman who has about as much appeal as a Banana Slug. People voted for her.

Hard to cheer aboaut even coming close in this one.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Teaser]

6. Low turn out?

Not what was reported at mydd.

The GOP has a 30 point advantage in this state. 30 points?

Why did you EXPECT to win?

[Mz Pip]

10. Why?

Because Bush has failed, the Republican agenda is a failure and anyone with the IQ of Cool-Whip can see that.

Best advice I've ever received was: "If what you're doing isn't working, stop doing it." Bush never got that advice. Or he refuses to take it.

How blind do people have to be to see that BushCo is a disaster for this country?

I guess I see things in a different light. I live in a very Blue section of a Blue State. Barbara Lee is my Congresswoman. Maybe I just don't get out of here enough to really understans how anyone can vote for someone like Schmidt.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Teaser]

13. It's different in the really red counties.

It really is. These people are completely propagandized. You can't deprogram them. It's impossible. And yet, we almost deprogrammed half of them.

This is a warning shot. I made sure going into this race that I viewed it as part of a wider strategy of bleeding the GOP dry and showing the Dem establishment that we can contest every seat.

On those counts, my goals were more than achieved.

[Norquist Nemesis]

37. Absolutely on the deprogramming!

It IS impossible. I saw one "Republican supporter" interviewed who made the statement, "I'm not voting against him. I'm voting against what his policies are." The fact is, "Republican supporters" claim to be open minded and part of the 'big tent', but they will often vote for one issue (usually taxes or abortion) with an (R) candidate, and forgive the rest following with blind loyalty.

Then, just to be "fair", they will be present if the opportunity exists to be 'informed' on the opposition. In reality, they selectively listen for a position they disagree with then paint the Dirty Rotten Liberal Commie Bastard brush all over the candidate with a (D).

[alcibiades_mystery]

30. Hey man...Cool Whip is pretty smart

Cheez Whiz, on the other hand...;-)

[CAcyclist]

39. Actually The Independents Dwarfed Both

Republican and Democratic parties. The independents decided this race and almost handed us a victory.

[Eric J in MN]

8. I feel the same way. I refuse to cheer a loss. (nt)

nt

[derby378]

11. It's only a victory if Hackett takes the oath of office

Otherwise, the rule still applies: WIN OR GO HOME.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

12. How about "significant progress"?

Even if it's not a victory by your lights, can you at least concede that making the GOP go all the way over one of the reddest districts in the US is a *something* in our favour?

[derby378]

15. "Significant progress" will not pull our troops out of Iraq

Nor will it help strengthen health care or keep sociopathic corporate behavior in check.

But yes, I'll concede that it's a start. However, unless we start actually winning elections, all is still lost.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

24. Yeah, but this one was a long shot from the beginning.

If the Democrats try the same thing in a swing state, then we should get something that we can all agree counts as a victory.

[beaconess]

28. A Hackett win wouldn't have pulled our troops out of Iraq

It would have just meant there was one less Republican vote in the overwhelmingly Republican House. Nothing to sneeze at, but hardly a sea change.

As it stands, the 2nd District has replaced an extremely popular, powerful, senior, well-connected House member (Portman) with a low-level political hack who barely scraped her way into office, has no seniority and little respect at home, and who will have to run again in a year.

On the other hand, however, the fact that Hackett came so close in such a heavily Republican District is a remarkable feat and bodes well for the immediate future. Not only does this mean that the tide could be turning (if the the reddest section of the state almost went Democratic in a very short term race, we've got some fertile ground to work), it also sets up Hackett for greater things. He could give DeWine a run for his money next year and a switch of one Ohio Senate seat COULD result in a sea change in Washington.

Keep hope alive - this IS significant progress.

[derby378]

34. "One less Republican vote..."

Just let that sink in for a moment. One less. The GOP neo-cons got where they are today by saying "It's just one more vote...and one more...and one more over here..."

Remember that in politics, it isn't whether you win or lose - until you lose. And in the case of Hackett vs. Schmidt, the American people lost.

[Mr_Spock]

16. We got some simple views here tonight - I hate when people get emotional

during something so serious as this. What the fuck good are all the naysayers anyway? You can't bring people back from the dead - magic is for Republicans to believe in.

[derby378]

23. Sometimes it really is just that simple

The people of Ohio's 2nd Congressional District are now going to be disserved by a party-line GOP soulless freak and her fake "family values" campaign manager who's own definition of "family values" means not pouring candle wax on his S&M slave against her will. I'm not knocking the S&M folks on here, mind you, but at least you folks are honest about it. Joe Braun will lie through his teeth about who and what he really is.

[Mr_Spock]

14. This is an excellent sign. People in the middle aren't buying *'s hogwash

That's what it says to me - and they punished Sh(mi)it because of Bush. I like this turn of events!

[Dr Fate]

18. The GOP cant back up their threats: "We will bury him"

So much for that- they barely squeeked by- and then there is "the humidity."

[Teaser]

22. Exactly.

Their $300,000 dump barely bought them a win.

[Dr Fate]

26. The spin-masters are losing their touch...

...folks have their BS detectors on these days- this is exciting.

[union_maid]

21. I think it's pretty good sign

They certainly didn't "bury" him. I hope he runs again, or for something else. I hope we see a lot more of Paul Hackett.

[BigBearJohn]

29. imagine if Schitt won by a WIDE margin,..Talk about ammo for the GOP

this was a SIGNIFICANT event --- you just watch the change it engenders.

[loyalsister]

31. Totally agree!

It is an encouraging result and a lesson learned.
We are on the right track and we know where we are going. We should feel good about 2006.

[formernaderite]

32. Okay, if you werent a voter closely listening to the election issues

and you had only seen his campaign ad....would you know he was a progressive? I'm finding this very confusing...either he ran as a progressive or according to his ads..he ran as a stealth democrat. He doesn't even mention he is a democrat in the ad, and feature Bush at the forefront. Sorry, I am not over the moon at this tactic. It won't work over and over again...This guy had all the right stuff, and still he was running away from the "D".

[rocktivity]

33. DING DING DING! C_eh_N_eh_D_eh, you're our grand prize winner!

Paul Hackett...claimed (at least) forty-eight percent of the vote in a district where no Democrat has won more than thirty percent in over two decades.

THAT'S the bottom line, folks--he came within FOUR POINTS of victory in a 70% Repub district! Stop and think about how well a Hackett could do in a district with FEWER Repubs and MORE grass-roots work on our part! Now that we know what it takes to win, it can be ALL DOWNHILL from here. So friggin' SNAP OUT OF IT and let's get to work on the 2006 elections NOW!!!


rocknation

[Orion The Hunter]

38. RE: Lessons learned from the Ohio Vote

Paul Hackett...claimed (at least) forty-eight percent of the vote in a district where no Democrat has won more than thirty percent in over two decades.

THAT'S the bottom line, folks--he came within FOUR POINTS of victory in a 70% Repub district! Stop and think about how well a Hackett could do in a district with FEWER Repubs and MORE grass-roots work on our part! Now that we know what it takes to win, it can be ALL DOWNHILL from here. So friggin' SNAP OUT OF IT and let's get to work on the 2006 elections NOW!!!

Rocknation highlights the real takeaway from this election. Going into such a heavily Republican-voting district, Paul Hackett never should have stood a chance to win to begin with. And yet, even with the GOP pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Schmidt campaign, Hackett almost won. What many people need to realize is that for a lot of red states coming up for 2006, with districts that are not nearly so heavily Republican, the lessons learned here can take away some Republican seats in 2006 in other red states that do not have so much historical sway for voting Republican. Hackett showed you can be a Democrat and win in red states by telling the truth and being hard on the administration when you have to.

[rhett o rick]

35. I m sorry, but if this is a victory, our goals are WAY too low. nt