@Derek Bradshaw. Are you saying that Sherrod Brown is "more of the same"? with the same being trump? Hardly. And I am puzzled by the mention of "exciting progressive Dems like Kamal Harris who would be a much better candidate." This dyed in the wool Bay Area Democract (used to be called "liberals", now pushed to the side by the "progressive" moniker.) and various friends find Harris doing a good job as US Senator but she is not "presidential" material. Not "likeable enough" (echoes of Obama to HRC, I realize), that whiny sounding voice, prosecutorial demeanor. Nope. I'm in a blue bubble, that's for sure, but I can see clearly that a woman, an ethnic/racial minority as top ticket candidate is a losing proposition anywhere outside of this and other "bubbles". These "ever more important" Western states that you mention? If you mean CA, OR, WA, and now Nevada turning fairly blue, then those are reliably able to contribute electoral votes. Keep that in mind. Smaller Western states may turn out the vote but .... since we don't have a popular vote type of election, that will not help.
Let's take a more "realpolitik" view of this and not get all starry eyed by talk of "Medicare for All" (not going to happen any time soon, let's fix the ACA first and make sure that actual Medicare is there for all of those who have earned it.) Like other commenters, I've been watching Sherrod Brown for a few years and also like what I see.
1
It's time for the Democrats to field a presidential candidate that does not fit the Mad-libs template:
"Democrats make history nominating the first __________, ____________, ____________ and _____________ presidential candidate in US history.
3
Winning the election is all about getting out the vote. Maybe he would help win Ohio, but how would he dare in the ever more important Western States. We need someone who is energetic like Obama. I do no think we need more of the same. There are a number of exciting progressive Democrats like Kamala Harris who would be a much better Candidate.
Why abandon the Senate for the Presidency? Likely, Republicans would flip his potential successors seat. Democrats in particular need to consider a likely scenario of controlling Congress or losing it to gain the Presidency.
We have failed to learn from Trumps short lived success. People will vote for an outsider as President since the Congress has been so ineffective for too long. I doubt any member of Congress would fair well in 2020.
Hopefully, Sen. Brown and the other Democratic "hopefuls" will remain in their respective offices while the party focuses on retaking the Senate.
Yes go for it. I am a fan. There is also talk of Deval Patrick former MA gov.
I am really happy that someone is taking him seriously. I think he can unite all of the elements to the Democratic Party and not turn off too many people. He is a real genuine progressive who remembers that it is the regular people not those of us in fancy positions for whom the Party and the government must work.
1
I really like Sherrod Brown.
Before this last election, he would have been my preference for the 2020 nomination.
However, it would probably be in the best interest of the party to go with Kamala Harris.
It's clear as day that women and minorities bring people to the polls. We can't afford to blow this,
Brown would bring a nice balance as V.P.
1
Aside from anything else, it would be refreshing and energizing to have someone in the race who is a champion for unions and working people.
1
The democrats are going to blow it by insisting that their next candidate be a woman regardless if a woman is the best candidate or not. If they truly want to be non sexist the gender of the candidate should not be a factor.
I thought in 2016 that Sherrod Brown would be an excellent candidate for President. He wasn't nominated then, and look what happened. I fully support him as a candidate for the 2020 presidential election. I think he is someone who could beat Trump.
I grew up in Ohio. It’s a great place to be from! Sherrod Brown is a great guy, he’s been a good Senator, and he would be a fantastic choice for the Democratic Party for President. Brown/O’Rourke 2020!
While I would love to see a woman, or someone of color, (or both!!) I think we can see from the “results” in 2016, and GA and FLA now, that there are still plenty of people that just won’t pull the lever for a woman or for a black candidate. Democrats need to take the identity politics out of our choice, and pick the right person who can speak to the middle of the country’s voters. All the other candidates are from the liberal elite coasts, and the attacks just write themselves. Run, Sherrod, run!!
1
Sounds like the person for the job. We Democrats are crazy if we think Warren, Harris, Booker or Clinton can beat Trump. They can’t. Biden is too old. This guy sounds like the real deal. Pair him with Klobachur and we will have a winning ticket.
4
OMG- I grew up in Ohio and spent my adult life trying to get out. We do not need a authentic rumpled populist in the White House. I am a progressive and while there may be affection for Brown, his list of achievements during his lifetime as a politician are small. He may be a great guy but choosing a president is more than liking to have a beer with him. Just look at W.
If this is the best the Dems can do, I am becoming an independent.
1
Yes. Sounds good. An authentic, low key mid-westerner seems like the way to go. Always in the back of my mind - how to counter bombast and insults that will be forthcoming in 2020 - Sherrod Brown seems like a perfect foil to those tactics.
His other attributes are impressive - democratic values, Yale educated, sensibly progressive, steady common sense - are valuable, and being "rumpled, unvarnished" has its own appeal.
Now all he has to do is say yes, he's in.
I feel Sherrod Brown would definitely be a frontrunner amongst the Democratic candidates, and I would definitely vote for him. I have seen and heard Brown on quite a few occasions over the years and have always found him to be genuine , sincere and thoughtful. I like his views on different policies, he seems to have the passions and empathies of a good leader, and he has a calmness that's reassuring. YES, Sherrod go for it.
3
Brown has always been a big favorite at our house. We could not do better. He's probably too good for many right wing voters who really like Trump/Pence insanity.
1
A decent man with a rumpled look and a progressive agenda probably wouldn't play well on the national scene. Look how the democratic party and the media treated Bernie Sanders. And Sherrod has to get a spine and support Medicare for All; this will be the top issue for Democrats in 2020.
3
I’ve been watching Sherrod Brown for a few years, and I like what I see. He seems authentic, articulate (despite that voice!), and reliably centrist. The last quality is what the Democratic party desperately needs. If we go too far left, it’s over. And being over is not an option in the age of Trump and worse, Pence. Biden, whom I like tremendously, is too old. Beto is too young — at the moment. Elizabeth Warren, comes across as too much a humorless scold. The other candidates scrambling for the top seem unseasoned, but clearly eager to run. I shall continue to watch Brown attentively.
36
I live in Ohio and have watched Sherrod Brown in action for many years. He is the real deal - a smart, compassionate and very effective Democrat. He has fleshed out well thought-out positions on both social and economic issues - very solid. He is ready for national consideration and would have strong bipartisan appeal. (And, as an extra bonus, his wife Connie is one of the most insightful journalists around.)
8
We need to choose a Democrat that shares most Democratic values and has a chance to win. I will support him, or any other Democrat.
I’m a Sherrod Brown supporter for President. He’s everything a thinking Democrat should be. I fear that the recent election of a GOP governor in Ohio will preclude many Democratic officials from backing him because if he wins the Presidency, the GOP Governor will appoint a Republican to his vacant Senate seat. In a crowded primary field that could be enough to defeat him. Nonetheless he’s the best hope for victory in 2020. Mazie Hirono for VP.
2
I'm a 73 year-old white male. I e-mailed Sen. Brown last year, begging him to go for it. He's a player in the Heart of Gold Band. We need a guy with his common sensibilities who also happens to possess the smarts (a Yalie). He can lead toward real progress on behalf of ALL of us . I'm proud to be still swinging a hammer at my age, and lucky enough not to need anything beyond what I got -- but it isn't about just people like me. He not only talks the talk -- he walks it, lives it. He's got the right stuff for right now.
5
Per progressive Rebecca Katz:
“He’s a traditional Democrat,” she continued, “and I think in the post-Bernie era, it seems that Democratic voters want more than that.”
2020 can be the year of turning the presidency around only by attracting millions of Trump's 2016 voters. Why? you ask?
Relying on those who see themselves as "progressives" was certainly one of Ms. Clinton's strategies in 2016..
They abandoned her because they wanted to send some sort of message. Their "message" helped put in someone who is steadily turning the presidency into a dictatorship.
I'll put my hopes on a candidate, (even if his gender and race are seen as a liability), who can pull in millions of independent voters who reluctantly voted for Trump in 2016 but are quietly looking at a new face for 2020.
That is political reality folks, save your idealism for other causes.
4
Someone needs to introduce this fine presidential candidate to Tulsi Gabbard. What a ticket that could be.
1
Any one notice that these comments are the polar opposite of the comments on the article that floated the Clinton run? Brown comes of genuine, the polar opposite of Clinton.
1
FINALLY! The Times political writers get a clue about who can actually win the Electoral College vote!
The presidency is won by getting a majority of votes in the tossup states: Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, and a few others. Massachusetts, New York, California, and Vermont will be carried by the Democratic nominee.
Sherrod Brown refused for 18 years to enroll in a congressional health plan, saying he would not accept federally subsidized care until the American public could also avail itself of the same option.
That's the kind of integrity the country is hungry for.
Rather than pushing Medicare for all, he favors a properly run & funded Obamacare, with a public option; similar systems are used in several European countries, and they achieve universal coverage just as well as single-payer countries.
Amy Klobuchar would be an ideal running mate.
17
Im from Indiana, I'm retired from GM and I grew up with the UAW... I worked for GM for 30 years and Dad worked for nearly 40. My family is made up of retired GM workers.
Darned straight I'd like to see Brown run for President, and I'd love to see Amy Klobuchar running with him. Heck, reverse the ticket and I'd be a happy retiree.
Make no mistake... Sherrod Brown is my kind of Democrat. I'd contribute as much as I could toward getting him elected.
11
I'm not always a fan of Sherrod Brown but I voted for him. he hates trade agreements, supports Trump's tariff on steel and aluminum, and has prevented some jobs from leaving Ohio.
part of the reason brown won was that his opponent Jim Renacci, was so freaking awful. If Brown had issues decades ago with his ex-wife, Renacci blocked oversight legislation on nursing homes because Renacci owns nursing homes and didn't want to deal with the added cost or potential liability if wrongdoing was found!
Never once
during the entire campaign did I see a political ad for Renacci that stated what Renacci's views were on an issue. His ads slammed Sherrod Brown and had nothing else to say.
Sherrod Brown understands how government works, is willing to adopt bipartisan policies if he feels it will benefit his constituency, and as a Democratic senator I'm confident he will stand up to Donald Trump if the situation requires it.
I just wish he would lighten up on flavored e-cigarettes lol... I like 'em and I'm over 21! They got me off a 31-year habit that was threatening my life.
3
Sherrod Brown and Amy Klobuchar for VP. They would TROUNCE anything the Repubs put forward. Of course Dem establishment and "the left" will turn up their noses at the thought. It's depressing to contemplate how these two will/would be chewed up and spit out by the lineup of party favorites currently jockeying for position.
3
I would be hopeful for the fist time since I last voted for Obama if Brown were our nominee. I was deeply concerned that Trump might win when all my friends thought I was crazy. The issue many swing voters have with so called elites on both sides of the isle is their perceived snobbery. No one enjoys others condescending to them. Brown’s sincere lack of snobbery could be just what we need to both win the Whitehouse and work toward less polarization.
4
He may not be as progressive as some but he's certainly left of most others. Beto for VP might round the ticket nicely. There's his name recognition.
Now please excuse me, I'm off to check his voting record.
Just last week on Real Time, they talked about the fact that early front-runners in presidential races never wind up being the candidate (of course, pronouncements like this are meant to be refuted), but for this reason, I’m kind of hoping we can keep a lid on this early Sherrod Brown enthusiasm, because I really think he could do it. Earlier this year, the Times had an opinion piece, “Build a Better Biden,” and I was shocked at how many commenters, not from Ohio, suggested we already have a better Biden—Brown!
I got to meet both him and his wife Connie Schultz when she was a keynote speaker at a writers workshop I attended this summer. By the way, she is a force and talent to be reckoned with on her own—a charismatic, dynamic speaker. Sherrod was in the audience and their interactions were funny and endearing. While Connie signed books, Sherrod engaged with all of us nerdy writers and it was so cool. As we were being ushered into our next workshop, I saw them heading out to their car together. I’m telling you, they have the kind of warmth, intelligence, and authenticity that doesn’t exist in Trump-world. They are the real deal. He could do it.
63
I'm not sure I can stand another "rumpled and unvarnished" candidate, even if he is a Democrat. Why do Americans look down on someone who wears clothes that fit, and is articulate, bright and witty? Why do candidates assume "working people" are dullards who will only respond to folksy simple pablum? Part of Obama's appeal was that he didn't pander to working people. He treated them like intelligent, thoughtful human beings, capable of understanding complex issues and intricate policy questions. Trump (and possibly Brown?) seem to think working people can't understand words of more than one syllable (or maybe in Trump's case he doesn't know any). At any rate, after Trump and his garbled and mashed syntax, can we please have a candidate that can speak coherently and eloquently to the electorate about his or her passions, policies and vision? And, just because we're working people doesn't mean we're slobs. Most of the men I know at least wear a suit that's pressed and that fits. Politicians should do the same.
17
@Ms. Pea
Agree wholeheartedly.
1
@Ms. Pea - Seattle is as rumpled as it gets.
I am rumpled.
I think it is refreshing.
5
@Ulko S
You know he's a Yale grad, right? He's just him.
6
As a person who has been an Ohioan for 53 1/2 of his 57 years, I have had the honor to vote for Senator Brown all 3 Times as well as Senator Howard Metzenbaum and Senator/Astronaut John Glenn.
Senator Brown would make an excellent president. He is as authentic and unarrogant as portrayed. His wife, Connie Shultz is a highly intelligent Pulitzer Prize winner who is almost Eleanor Roosevelt like in her ability to reach out to every day Ohioans.
As this article mentions, Senator Brown has always stood up for those of modest means and the middle class. He has stood up against racism, xenophobia, religious discrimination and homophobia. He was in Cleveland this week discussing security with Jewish leaders. It is noted that he voted against the Defense of Marriage Act 20 years prior to Obergfell. I believe he voted against approving the Iraq war also.
I am a member of Connie Schultz’s public Facebook page. On this page, she posts pictures of my senator leading his everyday life. Multiple pictures of him relaxing with Franklin or and/or playing with his grandchildren. As any family man would do. There was one posted picture of my senator on his couch reading the newspaper. He was wearing socks, one with a large hole in it. Ms. Schultz made certain we knew that she threw the sock out.
His opponent this time was an dishonorable mini Trump. The race result was never in question. Governor Kasich refused to endorse him. Only Trump did. Renacci lost.
41
Brown-O’Rourke 2020 is a winner. Imagine that ticket in Ohio and Texas, along with all of the coastal states, plus Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. It adds up ... to a number higher than 270, which is all we need!
11
I think voters (not Dems or Republicans), just voters, generally want sanity back in the West Wing. And voters, by and large, tend to support progressive-leaning policies. So, yes, give us someone from a key state that isn’t a nutcase and can push things towards a more progressive agenda...please.
17
Sen. Brown has what it takes to attract votes across the political spectrum. He is a thoughtful, progressive populist with the old lunch bucket attitude and vocabulary. He would shred Trump in a debate. Absolutely shred him, not only by winning the "debate points" but by laying bare the fraud of Don the Con for even the most obtuse to see. The Trump chumps will change their tunes in droves. The guy is a winner and will make a great president if given the opportunity. I live in Nebraska. I'm a Sherrod Brown (small) contributor. And I approve HIS message!!!
15
Hilary for President. (Internat'l & political expertise)
Brown for Veep. (Small Business & "a people person") )
Give Veep a stronger presence & many publicized examples of the two conferring on policies.
@goonooz - Hilary is a has-been and a retread. She will lose again. The Dems that voted for Trump last time will sit it out rather than vote for her. There are SO many people better equiped than she.
2
@goonooz
Hillary "sorry bubba that's just how the market works" Clinton? She is anathema to too much of the working class ever to put together 270 electoral votes. She needs to retire to some means-tested income qualified gated community somewhere, and make room for someone who speaks to the whole working class, in all its rainbow diversity.
@goonooz
No—I would have loved to have Hillary as president, but no. Time to move on.
1
Senators have not had much success running for president. Only one (Obama) has won in the last 50 years.
As for a senators chances at the presidency, the greater one's chance should be in the coming years. We really need experience in government to fix what has been done so badly by the current clowns in the White House. Let's look at those with a positive track record and a decent moral value set.
1
“He’s a traditional Democrat and I think in the post-Bernie era, it seems that Democratic voters want more than that” says Rebecca Katz. Brown seems to check all the boxes, unless Katz is saying opposing NAFTA is a deal breaker. We know she’s not. No, the dog whistling is clear “post-Bernie” means “not that intersectionality.”
I think this is my stop.
I guess the Constitution where I was born and live says I’ve got to have a president. Suddenly I know what Adam must has felt like once cast out.
1
I am surprised that the Times is just now discovering Sherrod. I hope you put someone on him who sees how great he is and not so surprised that someone this good could come out of Ohio. OK I am originally from Ohio, but that is not the point. There's lots of good between the Atlantic and Pacific and they don't need the coasts to verify that. You should get out there more, and not be so surprised, and be able to write well about it. His wife is a fantastic journalist too, a great couple.
12
I wonder why there is a need to put a label, such as progressive, on Democrats' next presidential campaign. Haven't they learned anything from the recent election? Such a label will be immediately exploited by Republicans, allowing them to call any Democratic candidate "socialist" or even "communist". Given how unsophisticated Mr. Trump's supporters are, don't be surprised if such labels will be widely believed by them.
The Democrats should campaign on "bread and butter" issues, as understood by the US public. Naturally, some of those issues will be progressive. And the rest will be issues that have always been part of democratic platform.
9
I like what I'm seeing and hearing from him. His message about voter suppression in the South and gerrymandering everywhere is on point. This Californian is optimistic.
7
If he commits to Medicare for All he would be a formidable candidate in the primary.
7
I have been annoying my friends for several years now by wondering when Sherrod Brown was going to have his chance at a national stage (and I live in NC). And I think this is his time and he is just right for this crucial election. And he has a terrific partner! The youngsters are too green, the elder statespersons are too "been there done that" and, more than anything, Americans want authentic. And Brown is that. He's walked the walk.
10
A smart pragmatist like Brown is certainly preferable to Sanders, who apparently (paradoxically, like contemporary conservatives) thinks America had a golden age to which we should return ( in Sanders’ case, to the issues of the 1930s, which he thinks we can “solve”).
Spoiler alert—there was no such golden age. Reactionary politics are not a solution to contemporary problems. A pragmatic approach to sensible and solveable problems is.
So listen up, Easterners and Californians, the majority of people in what you refer to as “flyover country” know this. Brown knows this. Us Midwesterners don’t think democracy only exists in European form, nor do we think Hollywood invents it. It’s just that sometimes some of us forget to vote—we forgot about that danged electoral college last time. We won’t forget next time.
1
Like a lot of Ohioans, I wasn't happy about voting for Donald Trump, but I honestly thought he was a better candidate that cared more about the middle class then Hillary did.
Trump's belief that he has Ohio in his pocket... I don't think he realizes how many people voted for him but weren't very happy to do it.
1
Slick got us to where we are today. So it only seems fair that strong consideration be given to Rumpled.
Who knows? It even could turn out -- in an unvarnished but refreshingly authentic way -- to be Trumanesque.
4
The country will be ready for the opposite of our current "leader". That means honest (but get real, politicians spin), solid on their ideas/policies and have a positive, hopeful appeal to the masses. And certainly not corrupted by greed.
I'm intrigued by Mr. Brown and want to learn more. Based on the comments of those who are more familiar, he seems like he'd be a great fit.
2
I had hoped he would run in 2016, and then hoped that he might be our candidate in 2020. He has the ability to connect with all Americans not just middle America. He's genuine and would fill the role of president extremely well. Tough, resilient and reasonable. Sen. Brown, please go for it.
7
I forgot Senator Klobachar and I am sure others, too. We are just beginning to turn over a new leaf in our party and in our country. This is going to be a long journey. We must behave in a calm and considered manner to make it work.
4
I love the idea of a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate from Ohio. I like Brown but I think Beto is better. I don't think rumpled and unvarnished will work and despite his ample charisma and Springsteen-like voice, Brown won't be mistaken for someone with a blue collar background. Beto is sharp and red hot, let's not stop him.
@Robert Strobel
Beto is too young and inexperienced, as are Kamala Harris and Cory Booker and I like all of them...but although I voted for Obama twice and liked his values, he showed his lack of experience too often by being too aloof, and more.
Experience matters.
5
I'm not sure he has the charisma in this grab the headlines era but I'm pretty sure he'd make a great president. Calm, reasoned, smart, what's not to like? I do think he should try, though, because after four - oh, please, not eight - years of what we have, he is a perfect antidote.
The next president will have a huge clean up job and I think Sherrod Brown is one of the few potential candidates that can do that effectively.
7
I grew up on Ohio & have followed Sherrod Brown for a long time. I would welcome the chance to vote for him. He'd make a great President.
4
If Senator Brown should run and win Mike DeWine would likely replace him with a Republican. As per Ohio’s rules for vacancies in elected office, a vacancy in the office of U.S Senator shall be filled by appointment by the governor.
Do we really want to lose another Democratic Senator? I think not.
3
@Lou
But what we REALLY don’t want is four more years of Trump. I don’t think our democracy could survive it.
@Lou - Are you saying that you would not trade off Brown as President for one Republican Senator?
Do you suppose it might have something to do with Sherrod Brown's basic integrity, something that seems to be sorely missing with the main herd of politicians?
6
Sen Brown is too anti-trade for me. He is just as naive on international trade as Trump. He and the unions he is catering to need to take a look at Sweden and its unions - which tend to be very pro-trade and well-educated on economics and trade. Trade is not something you take a sledge-hammer to, as Trump has. It takes nuance, smarts and honesty.
1
@Kevin
Here’s what I said as I canvassed for the Dems in Ohio—I don’t always agree with Sherrod 100% about everything. I’m not sure there’s anyone in the world I agree with 100% of the time, not even our beloved Obama. But I respect him immensely and I believe he works hard for his constituents which is what he is supposed to be doing. Please don’t make the mistake of making the perfect the enemy of the good. And btw, you are the naive one if you don’t think Sherrod Brown has the smarts to understand his job.
1
Jump in, Senator Brown. Exactly what the Democratic Party needs. The other candidates in waiting are plainly calculating politicians, often with an affinity for the powerful. We need grounded, authentic, clear values and smart.
Compare to Hillary Clinton this record: voting against the Iraq war, fighting Wall Street before the crash, decades opposing NAFTA and the guts to vote against DOMA. Run, Sherrod, run.
8
At least he talks about outsourcing, unlike Clinton, who stood mute while Trump hammered away hypocritically at the issue. But is he for actually banning the practice, so as to draw a contrast with nationalists like Trump who think that we lose jobs because of what other countries do, rather than what our own corporate overlords do? Sadly, he's not far enough left for that.
This country lost forty million jobs to outsourcing since 1980. To this day most Democrats barely say a word about the issue, and when they do they merely want to take away tax breaks from companies that move jobs overseas. As if that's why they move. It plays as an empty platitude, and this is the issue, more than any other, on which Trump won. He stole this issue from the left (see, Battle of Seattle, 1999), and the Democrats never tried to take it back.
So it's great that Brown speaks to the issue. Makes him better than the rest of the crowd, since Bernie is the only other major figure the Dems have that talk about this issue. If only Brown's proposals were not so empty.
1
i want a candidate in the Midwestern progressive tradition of "Fighting Bob" La Follette, who, by the way, was a Republican (except when he ran for President in '24 on the Progressive Party ticket).
Old school Democrats championed the “dignity of work” over the dole not as a populist platitude, but because welfare is detrimental to our soul. I wish he'd understand Medicare for all reinforces the dignity of work. Medicare won't be a platitude for millions of Americans when Medicaid merges into Medicare and they are never required to remain paupers for medical care anymore.
His message will resonate with my neighbors in the Central Valley of California, a region that would be the third poorest state in America. He will meet many hard working neighbors of mine who would gladly participate in Medicare knowing they can earn any salary outside the underground economy with the dignified assurance doctors can treat their illness. Americans decided public education is an inalienable birthright, and we pay for a system of free schools. We've recognized that birthright to a certain extent for seniors like me with Medicare, and it's time we extend that birthright to everyone.
44
Unlike the Wall Street wing of the Democratic party
Brown understands workers
NPR
Sen. Sherrod Brown On China's Trade Policies
Transcript
August 4, 20175:07 AM ET
"Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is a Democrat, and he supports this move by the Trump administration. He's on the line now. Senator, thanks for being here.
SHERROD BROWN: Good to be back, Rachel. Thank you.
MARTIN: This is a rare point of agreement between you and President Trump.
BROWN: Yeah, it's a point of agreement. I - two days after the election I wrote to the president's new transition - the transition person on trade and offered my help on renegotiating NAFTA and enforcing steel laws like Section 232 and other things."
"MARTIN: So - but if this investigation moves forward, I mean, this is something that experts say could lead to U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, which could in turn lead to a trade war that would then penalize American consumers. Is that concerning to you?
BROWN: Well, of course that's always a concern. But this crying out trade war every time the U.S. stands up for its interests - I mean, clearly there is no level playing field when it comes to U.S.-China trade relations. We back down time and time again. We say the right things and we back down. And I'm hopeful that's not happening here."
https://www.npr.org/2017/08/04/541538820/sen-sherrod-brown-on-chinas-trade-policies
8
@Woof how about Brown and workers understanding trade and how the world works. The alternative is to become isolated and regressive while the EU and Asia climb the heights.
We have always like Senator Brown and have contributed to his campaigns, as we have also done for Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon. These two strike us as plain-spoken men, very intelligent and hardworking. They are grounded in their work and ideas, and --most important -- not so flashy that they would take themselves seriously and begin to think of themselves as "stars". Former Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin is of the same cut. We're only now beginning to know Senator Kamala Harris. Personally, we are tired of "charisma" and opportunists whose every move seems calculated for the "big show". I won't name names but I think most people would recognize the type. P.S. I'm from the Midwest, my husband is from New Jersey.
23
I think he will be perfect VP to somebody with more progressive agenda, like Medicare for all. Same as Biden was perfect VP to Obama with his health reform.
4
He is the only Democratic candidate who could beat Trump. This would be a dream come true.
49
Would be very happy to support Brown. Of the 3 candidates most able to beat Trump - Biden, Brown, and Klobuchar - he's the most progressive.
19
@Joe Sweeney Oh dear God, please not Joe Biden. We really have to move on.
3
@Joe Sweeney great, two anti-trade people to choose from? No thanks.
Ohio has about an equal number of registered democrats as republicans. So it is not remarkable that a democrat can win the senate seat there. It's not remarkable that Brown the incumbent won in 2018, because 86% senate incumbents won. It is not remarkable that the republicans control the senate because the the democrats are concentrated in a smaller number of states. It is not remarkable that the republicans controlled the house for 3 elections because of extreme partisan gerrymandering after the 2010 elections in about 15 states. It is also important to keep n mind the fact that Trump won because he got 80,000 more votes in 3 states which gave him the victory in the electoral college.
One big reason Trump did so well in Ohio was not because he is overwhelming popular there but because the counties with the highest portion of democratic votes had below the state average voter turn out.
10
This is going to sound a bit harsh, but I wouldn’t read that much into being re-elected as a qualifier for a presidential run. His opponent was terrible with zero name recognition. If he’d been running for Governor, he’d have lost. Not charismatic or particularly inspiring from a presidential viewpoint.
His success is far more related to the term his office falls in and the circumstances at the time, otherwise I doubt he'd still be a Senator from Ohio. 2006 anti-Bush/Iraq, 2012, Obama re-election, 2018 mid-term/Trump.
5
He had a horrible opponent that run a bad Senate campaign
I like his statement about being "authentic about whom you fight for & what you fight for". It also said that he would have to outshine other candidates. Why? If is has a plan for the country, if he tells the truth, & presents himself as authentic & caring then he should have the front position. I am tired of seeing Bernie Sanders almost pop a blood vessel in his heat & anger. Hillary is no good for the country, she is damaged goods. Biden might be possible but he is getting old. Not sure a woman is possible at this time in history in this country. The list is many but narrow in mind set.
15
@Nostradamus Said So
Biden helped put Clarence Thomas on the court. I saw the whole thing and it is unforgivable.
If he becomes the nominee I will vote for him, but I am tired of old white men disrespecting women, so he is not getting any support from me.
Plus he has already failed even to get the nomination twice. Give me a break.
And what he did to serve the corporate interests in Delaware. Some of us were paying attention and some of us remember Mr. Plagarism
1
He reminds me of Peter Falk's Columbo. So understated, and so deep. I love Sherrod Brown.
27
Brown is an intelligent, thoughtful man truly concerned with representing voters.
It is unfortunate to see him cheaply stereotyped as "romped" and "unvarnished".
The media played their games with cute labels for Trump and have learned nothing.
We need the NY Times to get serious and set an example.
31
@Baba
And well, he’s really not all that rumpled. He just looks like a regular person. Look at Trump, with those giant suit coats and ridiculous long ties, for pete’s sake! He wouldn’t embarrass us at international meetings like Trump does. And I don’t even know what unvarnished means. The guy’s a Yale grad and no dummy—he couldn talk rings around Trump. But if people prefer rumpled and unvarnished to whatever image Trump is supposed to be projecting (paranoid middle-schooler in a constant snit), fine with me.
10
A candidate who doesn't put climate change and the environment front and center of his/her campaign might as well not run at all.
That, more than any other issue, yes, even more than healthcare, is THE issue of our time. This is about survival, folks. We can debate death and taxes and all that stuff later, but right now we need to ensure that there is going to be a Later. Unfortunately, hardly any politicians seem to have caught on.
I see a clear disconnect between verbiage and action.
Take John Kerry for example. I heard him in an NPR interview on the occasion of his new memoir. But the part I caught was about climate change. He was impassioned about it, I was quite taken by the intensity of his statements. So I thought, great, maybe he will come down here to Florida and give Andrew Gillum a hand, rouse the masses regarding sea level rise, an issue which keeps failing to get Tallahassee's attention (and funding).
But who am I kidding. He can hold forth about it with Terry Gross, but to actually show up where it counts and raise people's awareness that this vote for governor is about our very survival, and that Florida can't afford another Republican governor like Rick Scott - god no. Much better to sit in an air-conditioned studio and opine than to actually face crowds of people and tell them something they don't necessarily want to hear about. And this is an endemic problem in our political discourse and I'm afraid 2020 will be mirroring 2016 in that regard.
14
Brown or Klobuchar could win. They are both authentic, intelligent people. Slick coastal politicians, qualified and talented though may be, won't win over heartland voters.
A "populist platitudes" huh? Thanks for reminding me why I haven't subscribed to the NY Times post-2016.
16
Brown/O'Rourke 2020.
17
@marrtyy Great idea, one to set policy, one to bring out the crowds.
You’re kidding yourself if you think a Democratic ticket won’t have both a person of color and/or a woman.
@X
What the Dems don't realize is that there is no current Dem with the stature of HClinton or O'bama. But, sad to say, you may be right.
I'm not sure this article provides a complete portrayal of Brown's views on healthcare. I encourage people to look at Brown's own website (link below), where he has much more information available, on healthcare as well as many other issues.
http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Sherrod_Brown_Health_Care.htm
3
@J Jencks
Wow, that website doesn't distinguish "trade" from "outsourcing." To those of us on the left who believe that a job is a property right that belongs to a worker, this framing is biased. Sure, Brown agrees with Trump that trade deals have been bad for the US. But what distinguishes the left from the right on this issue is that we on the left don't believe that a company has the right to sell off and cash in, or move abroad. So look at the website: you can't find anyone's specific position on outsourcing.
Brown's own website says he's against tax breaks for companies that outsource, and against federal contracts for companies that outsource. Well, whoop dee doo. How 'bout something with actual teeth?
Dems can win presidency without Ohio. Can they win without CA, FL, NM or CO?
1
Decades ago, having the name Brown almost assured you of being elected in Ohio. Something about the name: Brown. Many statewide officials named Brown. The name Renacci? (Sherrod's last opponent) Maybe not so cool. Foreign sounding. Could the name Brown translate nationally? Hmmm...we'll see, maybe.
1
What do you call a white, centrist, upper middle aged Democrat? A DEMOCRAT!!!! That's what I am and resent the notion that somehow my ideas, positions and primary vote would count less than a progressive's.
17
@ Noa I agree. The ageism among so-called progressives is already wearing thin. Furthermore, their ideas are not young and new, they are old and true and true in the entire rest of the first world, enacted by people so old they are long gone. America, please catch up.
1
The Democratic Dream Ticket: Brown and Booker, a reverse Obama/Biden coupling!
5
I wasn’t really aware of this guy as a potential 2020 candidate until reading this article. And I like what I see - he could win with the right running mate, but getting through the primaries might be the most difficult. Brown/Warren, Brown/Harris, Brown/Booker - all appealing and could win I think.
8
He would be an amazing choice. There is a deep yearning in America for authenticity and honor....simple dignity and kindness. I think that is true not he right and on the left. Politicians all have a brand these days and one has the feeling that they are manufactured out of thin air, camera ready. Hope he runs !
41
As a Texas democrat I supported Beto. However, from the time I first heard him speak in Austin I knew in my heart that he wasn't the real deal. His appeal was simply that he wasn't Ted Cruz. That being said--Sherrod Brown is the real deal and I hope he runs so that I have the honor of voting for him for president.
37
I would happily vote for Brown.
He's got a lot of Biden's strengths in terms of proven credibility with working class voters, but he is younger.
He also does not seem desperate to be president as a matter of personal ambition--another big plus for me.
74
@Talbot
"He also does not seem desperate to be president as a matter of personal ambition--another big plus for me."
Colossal plus.
32
@Talbot Younger than Biden, yes, but still 66 as of last week.
What would be useful to the country, and perhaps to Senator Brown, would be to arrange early on a Democratic Debate between, say, half a dozen Presidential hopefuls including him. They might actually get to discuss some main issues we face, and perhaps the media would actually cover the debate, rather than fixing its attention eternally on Trump.
23
@Safirka - I like the idea of an early debate. But there's something else I'd like to see first. I'd like to see a coordinated program of potential nominees going around the country and doing "town hall" style meetings with the public, focused on specific issues, to give the public a chance to express its concerns and desires.
Then the debates... Then a presidential party platform that encapsulates it all.
Let the public know that it has the power, that it is choosing its next leader, not just from the 2 choices offered by the 2 parties, but from the start.
27
Looking through previous comments, I see support for Sherrod Brown from correspondents writing from every part of the country. That is an encouraging sign. I was particularly pleased to see some support from the Northeast, and New York in particular, as there is too often a disconnect between my home sweet home and the rest of the country. In 2020, Trump would have the advantage as the incumbent, but Ronald Reagan unseated Jimmy Carter, with the aid of the Ayatollah Khomeini and stagflation and we could get lucky too!
23
Speculating about 2020 candidates seems harmless enough, but emphasis on horse race over policy reporting deprives citizens of meaningful news coverage.
11
@Chris Johnson - I agree, although I think this article does devote space to Brown's views. I'd like to see more of that with all hopefuls over the next few months.
9
Brown earned the loyalty of his constituents over many years. I doubt that his victory reflects anything else about his ability to capture votes in other states. The important question to ask for Democrats is why Ohio went so heavily for Republicans and why Trumps approval rating is over 50% in that state. The Republican Governor has been an outspoken critic of Trump for over two years, now.
9
@Casual Observer I live in Ohio. The statewide races were, for the most part, disappointing. But the congressional seats are heavily gerrymandered. And Democrats haven't even been running against the Republicans for some years. There is a lot of ground to make up, and Fair Districts doesn't kick in till after the census.
12
Interesting. Trump has an over 50% approval in Ohio? That's hard to believe.
1
"He’s a traditional Democrat,” she continued, “and I think in the post-Bernie era, it seems that Democratic voters want more than that.”
Earth to the Democratic Party - Winning bigger in California and New York still equals losing the presidency. Maybe the goal is to win the popular vote by 5-10 million next time, and still lose critical states that decide the Electoral College.
17
Sen Brown has a wonderful record and is an authentic person, just what we need after the bombast and ignorance. I hope the democrats don't give in to all the egomaniacs who will crowd the debate stages as did the republicans last time. Let's really look at someone who cares more for our nation and the average citizen that the attention grabbers line Booker, Sanders or Harris. A charismatic authentic VP, as O'Rourke or Stacey Abrams would be a perfect balance, both authentic.
17
I think we are entering a time when the question is not "who captures my individual democratic values" but is rather "who is capable of defeating Trump"?
Trump has succeeded in keeping his base loyal. That combined with GOP gerrymandering and the Electoral College system, puts a huge pressure on finding a candidate charismatic enough to to both galvanize a high voter turnout among democrats and at the same time successfully eat into enough of Trump's base to successfully carry the election and defeat Trump.
Would Brown fit the bill? More so, I suspect, than some of the other names mentioned. I would keep an open mind.
33
As a Philly girl living in Paris, I feel hopeful for the first time in two years!
12
Yes!!I have been an out of state supporter for a long time. I think Amy Klobaucher and Sherrod would be a great team and great for our country. Two totally genuine public servants.
53
I really like Senator Brown. He is the polar opposite of 45. Intelligent, honest, hard working, cares about people, civil and well-spoken. The fact that he voted against one of the worst mistakes in my lifetime, the ill-advised Iraq war, means to me that unlike many politicans today he is a man of conviction and backbone.
68
#1 priority for presidential nominees is that they MUST be able to carry the swing states, which means they MUST appeal to the swing voters in those states. ALL presidential elections in our lifetimes have hinged on that reality.
OH, PA, WI, FL, NC ...
Brown appears to have the right kind of appeal. With Texas starting to shift maybe a Brown/O'Rourke ticket is the way to go?
18
@J Jencks
No.
1
@bse - I must say, "No" doesn't make a very persuasive argument. Where is the flaw in my suggestion that the Brown/O'Rourke ticket would not be strong in the swing states?
1
@J Jencks
Of course you are right about my non-argument, but I didn't feel like going on with it at the time. I think those two are good people but maybe not able to carry the whole country. Maybe Brown and a younger progressive woman veep? Or some other sensible combination that is a little more reflective of the population and where we are now!
1
Having perused the comments, I suspect that henceforth Ms. Ember will confine her use of "platitude" to discussions of greeting cards.
Ouch!
7
Get on board with single-payer healthcare and this Indy is all in, sir.
17
I have thought for years that Sherrod Brown would make a terrific president, especially with a female running mate...maybe Kamala Harris.
15
A little less snark by the columnist and more appreciation of the fact that, even in flyover country, otherwise so dominated by Trump's mindless mob, there are viable candidates with good, resonating messages. And platitudes they are not.
The writer should maybe leave his jadedness at home.
16
Brown/Harris 2020 for the win.
10
In the 70's, out of disgust with Nixon/Ford, the voters of this country went for the most extreme opposite person they could find...Jimmy Carter. Today Brown would seem to be an equivalent antidote to Trump. So would Amy Klobuchar.
19
Democrats need to get smarter about picking their battles.
Getting rid of Trump is more important than any other consideration at this point.
Here is the winning ticket for 2020:
Brown-O'Rourke
17
That's a GREAT idea - Sherrod Brown! Hillary and Joe, please step aside. I like Bernie, but I say it's time to turn the page completely on 2016 (Yuck).
I lived in Akron, OH when Sherrod Brown was congressman for that district. Voted for him every time. And was delighted when he won a seat in the Senate. Good man. I'm on board. Beto might be the sexy choice, but I have a feeling about Sherrod - the way I had a feeling about Barrack. Glad you planted the seed, NYT.
42
Run, Sherrod, run.
15
@Casey0211
Hahahaha...because Forrest Gump, right?
3
Yes the democrats should consider Brown as a possible contender for 2020. We need to realize that to win over the entertaining blowhard FOX/TV president requires winning the independents over. A female candidate would be a target for Trump to stalk and appeal to the male voter fearing the gains of women in politics and Metoo protests. The ideal candidate needs to appear strong ,rational and not take the bait that Trump the media pro will throw out. The TV president entertainer will try his 2016 act which he needs to be called out on including his divisive style ,his lies , the reveals from Mueller and The democratic House . Brown in the from the mid west can counter GOP claims of coastal elites ruling the democrats . Trump who was a millionaire at age 8 spoiled all his life living on 5th ave triplex with a trophy wife no. 3 and mistresses on the side is fighting for the forgotten man . Trump university scam artist will keep spinning false claims to his 40% rabid base. They are not enough to win now is the time to put up our best candidate to unseat this wanna be dictator.
69
Break with tradition and designate and campaign in primary season jointly with a VP choice as well. I would love to see a Brown an O’Rourke or Brown and Castro ticket as a primary campaign choice. While some may object to the idea of choosing a VP candidate before winning the nomination, I find it a powerful idea. Amps up fund raising power and puts a bigger team on the campaign trail. Make the right choice and the world will both thank you and address you as Mr. President in 2021.
12
As an Ohio voter, a Democratic voter in Ohio, I have deeply mixed feelings about Senator Sherrod Brown running for the Presidential nomination. Currently he is the only elected official who I feel represents my wife and me, and our views. Whenever I have felt moved to write to a member of Congress, Sen. Brown is the only one to respond in a way that indicates 1. that he read my message, and 2. that he appreciated hearing from me, and 3. was inclined to act on the viewpoint I expressed. Before he retired, my House district was represented by the former Speaker, John Boehner. His approach to messages I sent was to say what, in his view, was wrong with the content of my message. He couldn't even thank me for corresponding! So if Sen. Brown were to give up his Senate seat for a run at the White House, we would be left with nobody who actually represents our views.
38
@Ken Grabach
Thank you for your observation. It just baffles me on how so many Americans will allow themselves to be led by the nose by dishonest pols like Boehner or Ryan. It is heartening to hear from you how Senator Brown responds to your letters. He also strikes me as a decent and genuine politician, and, as others have pointed out, he voted NO to the AUMF in 2002.
If Brown were to run in 2020, would his coat tails be long enough to pull other decent politicians into his wake? Would there be a chance that Ohio could reverse this very disappointing rejection of Dems? From my perch across the Pacific, I am really hoping (praying even) that in 2020, the Dems can take back the Senate and keep the House. I am afraid that the voyage from now until 2020 is going to be running through very heavy seas; we all need to prepare for some heavy rolls.
5
I feel the same way about my representation as an Ohioan. But I also feel that America should be so lucky to be represented by Sen. Brown. One of the only true public servants in DC.
8
I like Mr. Brown, from what I've see so far, and his Democratic style might be just what the country needs to win the next Presidential election. Even so my preferred candidate would be for universal health care and universal free education or training. If there were another candidate who would espouse those issues who had a chance to win, that would be my preference. I realize it might be too soon for those issues to resonate with a majority of voters, so I would go with another candidate if I thought they had a chance to win. Almost anyone would be better than what we have now. In any case it's a bit early in the election cycle to be making choices.
2
Senator Brown can also speak to 'meat and potato' issues that more liberal candidates shy away from. Middle class jobs, healthcare coverage, safe cities and good schools are also what wins elections. The Senator has also has a straight forward, earnest presentation that plays well in the midwest and other parts of our nation. After Trump, I sense Americans will want a leader with solid values who is stable, humble and leads with his actions and not his tweets...
29
Give me a "gravelly voiced," "rumpled," and honest mid-western guy like Sherrod Brown over an Armani-wearing, lying, egomaniacal Donald Trump any day, any month, any year. Brown gets it. He knows Americans, the every day one who works hard to eke out a living and worries about his/her kids' education, affordable health care, a home to live in, food to eat, clothes to wear. Brown is experienced, progressive, and actually has a moral compass. If we have learned anything these last two years, it is the fact that a democracy can not endure without morals and ethics.
Throw your hat in the ring, Mr. Brown. You will be welcomed by us Left Coast liberals. But also let us not overlook those other highly qualified politicians....Amy from Minnesota, Elizabeth from Massachusetts, Kamala from California, Booker from New Jersey, Julian Castro from Texas et al. They are there for us. Let us Democrats do it right in 2020.
126
I hadn’t known much about Senator Brown until I read today’s Times piece about him. I followed that up by reading much more about him online. In a nutshell, he strikes me as an excellent prospect to catch fire and win in 2020. I am hoping very much that he tosses his rumpled hat in the ring.
21
@Kathy Lollock
Do you think there’s any way we could have them ALL as President? (That would be a mouthful: President Brown-Amy-Elizabeth-Booker-Castro-Kamala and of course O’Rourke!)
Only Gilbert & Sullivan could make that work!
2
Beto and Sherrod! Let's go!
10
@MT
Beto needs to win something before seeking higher office.
12
@rlschles
As with Trump?
3
@rlschles - dang typos! In my other comment I meant 2028.
On paper, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio has the pro-worker economic philosophy, the experience, and the geographical origin many Democrats crave in a potential Democratic presidential candidate.
In fact, he looks like a winner. I cannot imagine a scenario whereby President Trump is re-elected without winning Ohio. I also cannot imagine Senator Brown losing Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin to Trump, as Hillary Clinton did. Senator Brown might be a strong general election candidate.
However, before he gets to that election, he must win the Democratic presidential nomination. To do this, he must persuade party activists and voters that he is not only the strongest potential general election candidate, but he has an agenda they should support, he accepts the difficult task of defeating the egotistical Trump, and he actually wants to serve as U.S. President.
It is on this latter point that Senator Brown, so far, comes up short. Based on his comments in this article, I do not detect a desire to become the next President of the United States. Unfortunately, it will take a candidate with “fire in the belly” to get past the growing list of ambitious and justifiably indignant likely Democratic presidential nomination contenders and the arrogant Trump in the general election.
5
First, win the office of POTUS, then pursue a more progressive agenda.
Or, as has been said, "Make haste slowly" ( Act quickly, but not so quickly that careless mistakes are made.)
2
Where is this guy on climate change? We need to get serious about, and fast.
4
@Z
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4755319/101818-sherrod-brown-climate-change
Although in 2009 he expressed concerns to protect manufacturing in any climate proposal.
Yes it is a critically serious issue.
A good guy.
11
And the path is bit clearer now in light of the news of the once-anointed-on-these-pages candidate, Michael "She Hit Me First" Avenatti.
1
What is wrong with you people that you keep pushing these unknowns for President when the obvious candidate is sitting right there in plain sight? Does the name Elizabeth Warren not mean anything to you? Sigh--
3
@Boris and Natasha
Warren would be just about the worst choice the Democrats could make. Not because of her views and policies. She would lose the election.
19
@Boris and Natasha - I, a coastal Liberal, think Warren is great and I would be thrilled for her to be president. But to WIN, she was to win over the swing voters in the key swing states, PA, OH, WI, FL, NC and one or two others. That is the ONLY way to get the Electoral College. Can she beat Trump in most of those states?
9
@Boris and Natasha I'm a big fan of Warren and she would be the worst possible choice for the Democrats. She would virtually guarantee 4 more years of Trump.
6
Too old, too Centrist, too boring. We need high energy and a tongue of fire to motivate turnout.
Doesn't matter what they stand for if they don't turn out the vote, because Trump sure will.
Turnout is the litmus test. The key to winning is all those voters who don't vote.
1
@Fourteen
I think the key to turn-out is Trump.
So, besides your comment being blatant ageism, you sound a bit ignorant about Brown. He’s not boring (you probably didn’t see him on various televised committees in the past—he is very smart and articulate) and he’s really isn’t centrist. He is old-school progressive Democrat, which we could use a little more of.
Here’s my question for you—if he were the candidate in 2020, would you vote for him?
5
@Fourteen
Wouldn't hurt to be younger but Centrist and boring are not entirely bad things. Yes, one who can excite voters but one who we can anticipate will govern well.
3
@Fourteen - Actually, based on all the presidential elections in our lifetimes, the litmus test is whoever can persuade the swing voters in swing states. EVERY presidential election has hinged on that.
1
I'm glad to become aware of Mr. Brown. I agree that this is the correct formula for success in 2020.
I hope the Democratic party leadership is paying attention.
If they aren't, we all have to make them.
28
Regardless if he proves to be the best candidate for the job, Sherrod Brown should run just to display his ideas and his winning political formula, championing the dignity of all workers without compromising on the rights of anybody. Those of us who come from Ohio have known and loved him for a long time and felt like he was the best kept secret in American politics, the rumpled populist from the Great Lakes who never seemed to catch fire in the East Coast media. Sherrod combines the best of FDR and Obama and points the way out of the wilderness for the Democrats.
24
Sherrod Brown for 2020! (yes, a white male, sigh)from Ohio is our best bet. Dems have to win and need Ohio's electoral votes. I'm so sick & tired of winning the popular vote, and losing how many times now?! Brown can get the vote back of rural workers, plus union workers, professional workers, and I hopefully senior citizens too. His voting record is stellar. A No vote on Nafta, A No vote on Iraq war. His style so relates to everyday people.
.
60
Yes.
This.
Brown has been on my presidential wish list for years. A genuine old school Democrat and "populist," (whatever THAT means now that Trump has linked it to "nationalist") who has broad appeal beyond perceived coastal elites and without the "socialist" baggage that will inevitably be slathered all over anything remotely resembling "radical" progressivism. He's a smart guy who actually supports (in principle) Trump's ham-handed attempt at leveling the global playing field for trade and jobs. This plays well in places like Ohio where Democrats continue to see their support fading.
Brown represents a prototype for Democrats to expand on their mid term gains - and I, for one, think he would hit the sweet spot that could woo back the working class without alienating the new Democratic coalition.
123
@gdurt
I want to agree with you. I’m a progressive public policy advocate who is working on an article on worker participatory rights, known as codetermination in Europe where it is successfully practiced. I wish Bernie was ten years younger. I wish Beto could add ten years to his age and would agree to adopt Bernie’s economic agenda. Senator Brown might be the perfect candidate, except..... I do not detect in him Bernie’s passion or Beto’s excitement. That would be his undoing in this charged political climate. It will take a high energy candidate to beat Trump.
7
@gdurt
I agree with you.
We need a level headed candidate who can speak to both workers and the educated elite.
If he adds a woman, a pragmatic Democrat like Stacy Abrams, to his ticket, he will be unbeatable.
1
I heard Brown take apart Utah Senator (R) Orrin Hatch last year in December, over funding for children's health care (CHIP). Hatch said we couldn't afford it. Brown brought up the $1.5 trillion tax cut. Hatch then became apoplectic, saying "no one will lecture me on poverty', and something to the effect: "I was born poor, in a dirt floored hovel, went to bed sick and hungry every night". Of course, when pressed Trump, Hatch and the GOP did under pressure, 'find the money" to extend CHIP, by adding it to their exploding tax cut for the rich deficit.
43
@Winston Smith, Per opensecrets.org: Orrin G Hatch
Rank: 37th in the Senate with an estimated net worth of $4,319,020 in 2015 -- Sherrod Brown Rank: 80th in the Senate with an estimated net worth of $599,002 in 2015.
Hatch, from"...born poor, in a dirt floored hovel, went to bed sick and hungry every night" to multi-millionaire by serving in the US Senate since 1976. Hmmmm.
23
It’s refreshing to see a couple capable people running for the Dens already in just one week. The last election Hillary was the running as the entitled candidate. With only Bernie standing up. Lose both of them and the Dems have a chance.
4
For all of those Democrats who champion possibly a more fiery or charismatic presidential candidate than Sherrod Brown I would refer to the old philosopher who posits that you can't always get what you want but sometimes you get what you need.
66
@Milliband
Old philosopher with a guitar?
3
I think Brown is more electable than most of the other presumed front runners. The big question is if he has thick enough skin to go against Trump and all of his lies and nastiness.
The candidates on the far left like Sanders and Warren might get more passionate responses from their followers but will not win over the few remaining undecided voters. And hopefully their supporters would be wise enough to vote for any candidate the Dems put forward, even if that person isn't progressive enough for them, rather than endure four more years of Trump.
Democrats need to present a unified front and focus on what they are for rather than what they are against. They also need to spend the resources to focus on the election laws so that Republicans don't disenfranchise eligible voters, which tends to hurt the Democrats.
15
No " maybe " about it. Ohio Native here, and he's the real deal. Very intelligent, hard working and HONEST. Please, no makeovers or Handlers. Let the genuine article shine. Seriously.
114
@Phyliss Dalmatian
Yup from another native Ohioan who has watched him a long time. And lives in the real world too.
5
MY Dream Ticket for 2020: Brown and Patty Murray. In either order. Both very smart, hard working and the antithesis Of Trump.
Seriously.
15
If there is any hope to recapture Senate and WH, it will be Senator Brown. The extreme leftists will make Dems a party of East coast and West coast and hard to capture the WH. Otherwise, how do you explain that GOP increased its count in the Senate despite all the nonsense coming out of WH. If we need meaningful change, we need Senator Brown. Hope he runs. Sadly, I am not convinced it will happen. Sad.
13
I have had the pleasure of knowing Sherrod Brown for many years. His constructive policies and helpful staff are always available for issues that affect Northeast Ohio. A nice touch? Sherrod always remembers my brother has MS and asks about him. (And given Sherrod's support for the ACA, my brother truly appreciates his support.) This was back in the dark days, when no politician in his/her right mind would openly support the ACA. Well, that's not how Sherrod sees it. He simply stands up for what he believes in, and proceeds accordingly, unruffled by the latest polling data. He knows these policies are important to every family in our country. Not just the President's family.
Sherrod is pragmatist. He understands that politics is a not just a matter of articulating your position, but also of finding a path to compromise. Histrionic polemics are great for rallies, but you will rarely find Sherrod employing language that hardens positions instead of enlightening minds. More importantly, Sherrod won't descend to the gutter to engage with Trump. His age and rumpled gravitas will enable him to look Trump in the eye and not be rattled. There is nothing phony about Sherrod and he won't be vulnerable to Trump's sarcastic belittling techniques. Criticize his wardrobe? His appearance? His earthiness? Careful Mr. Trump, that's how most of us look, dress and talk.
Stacey Abrams? Please give Sherrod a call. You both might have A LOT more in common than you think.
134
Sherrod Brown has stayed more true than perhaps any other Democrat to the party's traditional core mission of fighting for the little guy against moneyed interests. He has the best credentials of anyone when it comes to opposing Wall Street's excesses; his co-sponsorship of both the Brown-Kaufman and Brown-Vitter bills to shrink the big banks shows this, as well as his ability to be bipartisan (David Vitter was a Republican Senator from Louisiana). He is also right to focus on the largely adverse impact that free trade has had on his state and on the Rust Belt as a whole; Democrats and Republicans have both largely ignored this for much too long.
If Brown decides to run for the 2020 nomination, and if Sanders and/or Warren decide to run as well, then I'll have a very tough decision. But if Brown runs and the others don't, then Brown will get my full-throated support.
That being said, the energy within the Democratic Party is clearly trending toward women and minorities, so it is a longshot that Brown or any other white man (even Biden) would actually win the 2020 nomination. But whoever does win the nomination should seriously consider him as the VP nominee. If Hillary had picked Brown instead of Kaine as her running mate, she would have won not just OH, but PA and MI as well, and would be the President today. If Warren becomes the 2020 nominee, a Warren-Brown ticket would be Trump's kryptonite and would put the Democrats back in the White House.
10
@Rick
Brown-Warren would have a better shot than Warren-Brown.
13
@rlschles
You may be right about winning in the fall of 2020, but Warren has the better chance of winning in the winter and spring of 2020 (i.e. winning enough Democratic primaries and caucuses to be selected as the party's nominee).
2
In this moment, Democrats need a white male at the top of the ticket to win. Sounds like Senator Brown checks most of the policy and personality boxes after that (although Medicare for All is my fervent wish, for the lifelong benefit of my son with Type 1 diabetes.) I still don't know what Rust Belt workers want, however. Does he?
4
Brown's failure to endorse Bernie permanently destroyed his national popularity and hurt Bernie personally, leading to Brown's petulant refusal to sign on to Medicare for All when he has supported it for years. His endorsement of Hillary failed to earn him the VP spot and helped Trump win.
6
@Michael
I was a supporter of Bernie in 2016 and wrote him in on my November ballot that year. I don't begrudge Brown for endorsing Hillary instead, and I don't think Bernie does either. (I do give huge props to Jeff Merkley for being the only sitting Senator to endorse Bernie in 2016; it was, among other things, quite courageous because Merkley no doubt incurred the wrath of the Clinton machine for doing this.)
Brown would be a great President, but since (as I wrote above) the Democratic Party's energy in the direction of women and minorities makes his (or any other white man's) nomination unlikely, I hope he will at least be the VP nominee.
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I'm all for him. Biden would be excellent, too! Yeah, they're not female but I do not vote for someone just because they are female or male, Elizabeth Warren would never get my vote for president. She and Bernie are just too divisive..besides we need their voices where they are. Hillary was perfect to be the first woman president. She had the brains, experience and bravura. Run Sherrod, run.
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@Carol Bernie has done a lot to re-invigorate the neo-liberal democratic party. Hillary is only paying for labor having been thrown under the bus and ignored.
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@sj
The blue collar workers were the ones that threw the Democratic party under the bus -- hence Reagan Democrats. And even when he demolished unions they stuck with him because of their racism.
I really like Sherrod Brown, he's great. But he had a much publicized, rocky divorce decades ago, so vulnerable on that front.
@Suzy : But he'd be up against a twice-divorced guy with incestual feelings about his own daughter and with decades of documented sexual harassment cases.
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Are you kidding ? After TRUMP ???
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@Suzy
When Jim Renacci tried to use this in a debate, he got booed. There was a prominent attack ad in Ohio about this from a so-called #metooohio that was easily shown to be a group sponsored out of Virginia. His ex-wife campaigns for him. I don’t think it’s a problem.
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I'm from Ohio. You don't fully know Sherrod Brown until you know is wife, Connie Schultz. In the role of First Lady, she would knock it out of the park. I'm talking GOAT, the greatest of all time.
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@Mitch Allen
She is awesome.
5
Concerning who's best or viable for 2020, we should be looking beyond national to include world-wide issues: The US and western democracy is under attack from who might be the West's mortal enemy, Russia. Whoever the Dems pick they'll need more than just domestic issues, they'll have to stop Putin, and they will have to reverse the current trend of the US slipping and being confused. Right now the US is off-line...
1
Some commenters have already stated parts of what I am going to say, but I think that in order to beat Trump in 2020 (assuming he is not impeached, or resigns, because of findings by the Mueller investigation) the Democrats need to run a moderate, White, Christian male, preferably from either a mid-western state or a swing state. They absolutely should not run a woman or racial / ethnic minority candidate at the top of the ticket. Kamala Harris, Corey Booker, Eric Holder and Elizabeth Warren would be the kiss of death, and they would all lose to Trump. I say this a Democrat and a Liberal, who hates Trump. After Obama, and now Trump, I think it's been shown that a large percentage of the electorate is simply just to racist and misogynistic to ever vote for another Black, or the first female President. It's sad, and pains me to say that, because I agree with all of the Democrats listed above, in terms of policy. Sherrod Brown would be one of the best candidates that the Democrats could run, but he may have a hard time making it through the primaries, competing against more famous, higher profile politicians, in order to get the nomination. I also really like Beto O'Rourke a lot too. The two of them running together would be a great ticket, regardless of who is at the top of the ticket.
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@Seymore Clearly - I agree with your perspective 100%. Sadly have to agree, but we need to be dialed in to reality.
4
I'm tired of Americans who seem to have no idea of how beneficial NAFTA was to them. The jobs lost in the Midwest were going to go anyway, lost to automation. Moreover, globalization has pulled millions of people out of poverty all over the world. The problems of worker in the US are not due to globalization, they are due to the failure of the US to provide good welfare, affordable education and a decent social safety net. Stop blaming the rest of the world for your own faults.
4
@Shaun Narine. You may or may not be right about NAFTA. The real problem is that Bill Clinton and the Republicans put this in motion so quickly that millions of blue collar workers were displaced while those with power and influence got all the benefits. I think a lot of the NAFTA proponents thought that workers would forget all this in time, but they did not and they should not have.
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@Shaun Narine
Automation doesn't steal jobs. Corporations do. If workers controlled the technology used in "automation" you know gosh darn well they wouldn't use it to fire themselves.
When you start taking the profit out of automation, then you may have some credibility on the issue of who is to blame for job losses.
He has always struck me as an authentic advocate for the little guy. I hope he gives it a whirl.
27
In an election where Democrats run on the issue of following the rule of law, it would be unfortunate to nominate a candidate who has supported the notion that the President can unilaterally impose tariffs on countries like Canada using national security as a justification. I'm fine with the notion that he wants to protect manufacturing jobs in Ohio. I don't like tariffs, but the way to impose them is by vote of Congress, not Presidential edict. I haven't been living in fear of attack by the Canadians. If the notion is that the ends do not justify the means, Brown is not the best candidate.
Better than Trump. But it would be nice to have a nominee who could argue against Trump's unethical use of executive power.
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@Roger
He works for his constituents. What a novel idea.
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senator brown, along with sen amy klobuchar, for several years have been our preferred candidates to run in 2020 (actually, since before then, in 2016). they still are.
the most useful part of articles like this are simply the listing of votes brown actually made, along with positions he supports.
silly uses of the term, "platitudes," by this writer are manhattan put-downs and serve no purpose. also of little help are references to "progressive" political operatives. instead, it's good to hear from his actual ohio voters.
anyway, we appreciate this coverage of sherrod brown. now, please do a similar article on amy klobuchar. we think either of them would have defeated trump in 2016.
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@james ponsoldt Agreed 100%. Brown and Klobuchar are authentic, and come from the industrial Midwest. They both have bachelor's degrees from Yale, so they proved at a young age they could cut it intellectually on the East Coast. I much prefer this pair to any of the other names on shortlists. Brown, with his height, gravelly voice, and quick mind, could cut Trump off at the knees in a debate.
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@james ponsoldt
Yes, I agree: The "Dignity of Work" is no platitude to working people. It's a major element in their struggle to live their lives in a way that make them proud to be citizens. Such people remain the unrecognized backbone of this country.
Sherrod Brown isn't as Left as I'd normally prefer, but he is an excellent choice for these times. He understands and respects regular working people, and for a Dem, this is a strong draft of fresh air.
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@james ponsoldt What is a "manhattan put down," which serves no purpose, and what purpose does your put down serve?
4
Another Democrat-Republican with easy words.
1
Before perusing this piece, I had only a shaky name-recognition of Mr Brown. Now that I've finished reading the article, I've comfortably ascended to pundithood and Mr Brown gets my endorsement. And the check's in the mail.
This endorsement should be seen as complementary to my earlier pledge -- also induced by a newspaper column -- for the candidacy of soon-to-be-former Governor Hickenlooper of Colorado.
I like Tim Caine, too.
I know, they're all male. It's a problem. But I am a lifelong Democrat from a generations-long New Deal Democrat family and I think the highest imperative is to oust the incumbent President. So any candidate from a purple state who talks the talk of a hybrid of Franklin Roosevelt and Barack Obama is eligible for My Man or My Woman status. Further nominations welcome.
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"populist platitudes like the “dignity of work”"
The writer thinks this is a platitude? Platitude is defined as "a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful."
Does the writer really think that in our highly unequal society, where people with two or three jobs may still qualify for SNAP, that talking about the dignity of workers is not interesting or thoughtful?
That a supposed piece of journalism should so trivialize something of profound meaning and import speaks legions about that state of political discourse in this country.
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@chris
I think most workers across the country recognizes the dignity of work, however the writer is making a point that in populist movements, "dignity of work" is used almost as a slogan to rally support.
Here's another definition: A platitude is a trite, meaningless, or prosaic statement, often used as a thought-terminating cliché, aimed at quelling social, emotional, or cognitive unease.
I hear it all the time in conservative, non-college educated blue collar workers. It's as if liberal, highly educated elites don't have dignity in their work.
6
@chris Pretending to address the state of political discourse in this country by instead blaming media discourse is not fair or productive and borders on Trumpian blatherskite about news institutions—a GOP motive to characterize media writing as political discourse to divert attention from GOP shortcomings. It is a free country for a few more weeks until it is not but using remaining freedom cruelly and pathetically is destructive. Media writing is media writing, right, wrong or indifferent. It is all out there, a substantial benefit. Media writing is not political discourse. It occasionally is about political discourse but is not political discourse. It is media discourse, and quality ranges from low to high. The more Republican, the lower the quality. The answer you insist you have is not clear and diverts from substance and quality. If you do not like the quality, honestly say why not. Diverting that media discourse is political discourse is untrue and no answer. That is cheating and illogical. Instead of blaming media discourse for what you do not like about authentic or vacant political discourse, blame political discourse and do good for clear-headed productive society instead of making up stuff.
1
Sherrod Brown and Stacey Abrams in 2020! Experience, diversity, oratorial skill, a balance of moderation and progressiveness, an old hand plus a fresh face, rustbelt AND southern representation, a man AND a woman, skill and savvy. God Lord, what's not to like?
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@Alison
Hear! Hear! Your proposal is also a very good one!
How about Sherrod Brown and beta O'Rourke as the Dems ticket? With Ohio and Texas as their respective bases this duo could have a big win.
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Best comment I’ve seen in 2 years!!!
3
@chickenlover
I like that proposal. I very much want to see a woman on the Dem's ticket for 2020, preferably on the top of that ticket. It is far past time to give a female the opportunity to be president. But I never cottoned to Hillary. I greatly admire Senator Warren, but I am afraid that she won't catch the wave leading into 2020.
Like other comments to this story, I also would love to see Senator Brown support a single payer/public option health care plan for ALL Americans. As an ExPat in Japan, I am covered by the Japanese National Health Care Program, which is just a terrific program.
7
@OgataOkiOwl
I love Warren, and she is the smartest person in the Senate now. She is also plain spoken direct and a midwesterner.
But she is so valuable in the Senate because no one comes close to understanding our corrupt financial system she would be wasted in the presidency.
And I agree, for some bizarro reason, she is not catching fire, although she can deliver fire and passion when she speaks.
I understand the desire for a woman president, but I understand the need to defeat the Republicans much more.
I supported Hillary after I supported Obama, twice, not because she was a woman, but because she was far and away the best qualified candidate of every single person that entered the race, most certainly including Bernie.
4
Sherrod Brown is progressive, pragmatic, smart, and authentic. He has not been widely enough known, or perceived as enough of a threat, for Republicans to demonize him. As for public personality--he's the closest thing American politics has to Jimmy Stewart. Good luck, Republicans, in demonizing that.
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@Ken Allen I like Brown too, but they will demonize him, hope it doesn't stick. John Kerry volunteered for Vietnam and won medals, and they "swift boated" him.
12
He voted for Trump's massively overblown 2019 military budget, a slap in the face to all taxpayers. He sure isn't getting this Democrat's vote.
3
@John Richardson
So, you’re voting for Trump in 2020? Enjoy!
1
He will not be the Democratic nominee and neither will Biden.
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Re: @Anthony Beckwith
Hey everyone: The Oracle has spoken with unqualified omniscience. Those who think that prediction may be just a tad premature, stop kidding yourselves, just stand down and go home!
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@Anthony Beckwith
perhaps you could share the why for your prediction?
4
@Anthony Beckwith what did you predict about Trump vs Clinton?
1
He has been a marvelous Senator, and would make a great President. I hope he runs!
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First I’ve heard of him and hopefully this will be a name to remember and support. We need a Democrat like him not a socialist. Socialism works in homogeneous small Denmark and Norway, a small balloon with a easily manipulated string-our country is a Hindenburg.
9
Mr. Brown has a real chance in 2020 if he can assure the country that he understands the plight of workers not just in Ohio but Europe, Asia and Africa and South America. Can he speak intelligently about Russia's renewed militarism? Can he discuss Brexit in credible terms? Can he explain how he would contend with Muslim nations without creating false hope or agitating the hardliners? What is important is not coming across as a nice but rather parochial fellow. The article portrays a thoughtful and decent man. The hard right and Fox News will chew him up, is it worth it to suffer such abuse?
17
@David Fairbanks
Brown, and his wife as well, are both well-educated, well-read, and intelligent. I don’t think you have to worry about this.
4
Oh no, not this man as President, please! We don’t need this kind of anti-globalist, protectionist thinking from the leftward side of you the aisle. I am all for the dignity of work, but to me, a modern country has to move forward and meet the challenges of the connected world economy, not hide from them. Yes to free or heavily subsidized college, intensive apprenticeships and vocational training, life-long access to education and re-training, meaningful income support, and a $15 minimum wage. But we can do so much better than Sherrod Brown or Bernie Sanders’ Cassandra-like calls for protectionism.
15
@voltairesmistress -
"Globalism" and "Free Trade" ...
These are in large part the creations of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, and were designed to be a system in which mega-Capitalists could manufacture their goods in low wage/low regulation countries, sell those goods in high standard of living countries for maximum profit, and then park that profit in offshore tax havens.
IF there is some benefit to the rest of us it still, undeniably, has led to gross social/economic/environmental inequities that MUST be addressed. I see ZERO sign that the Clinton branch of the party is interested, as it would be an affront to Wall Street, the financiers of the whole system.
A lot of Americans see this and are understandably disturbed by it. Trump manipulatively appealed to that, for his own selfish purposes. Clinton showed up at rallies in her red, Ralph Lauren pantsuit, talking about how we were going to put coal miners out of a job (ahem, and yes, help them afterwards). If there's one thing we learned from 2016, that approach doesn't work.
6
@J Jencks
Unlike Trump, Clinton told the truth to the miners. It was their bad for not being willing to grow up and tackle their problems, not Clinton's for not lying to them.
I am not cutting any deplorables a break,
They do not deserve it.
I agree Brown is a definite possibility, even in these early days. And even if "he is a white male career politician from the Midwest", he sounds smart enough to pick a female VP from the West or Southwest. A female President might still be a bridge too far for lots of votes, but a VP slot would be half-way there.
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@Brian Noonan
During his campaign for reelection, a lunch with him and Kamala Harris was as a fund-raising raffle prize. Do I ever wish I could have won that!
2
Democrats could do a lot worse than a man like Sherrod Brown. We need a centrist, labor supporter, working person's supporter, and someone who does not drive away moderates with extreme rhetoric. He may have a hard time in the primaries, however.
47
Although I believe in progressive ideas, I cannot see a Sanders, Warren, Kamala Harris, or Booker defeating Trump. And heaven, never Hillary (again!). Brown has blue collar creds, and can win back the Obama voter who went Trump as well.
185
@RM
I can't agree with you more RM. I also believe in progressive ideals but this country is still center right politically. As we've seen in the last election, rural white voter's grievances can be stoked by a megalomaniac. The Democratic nominee needs to appeal to these voters and assuage their concerns. Nominating a perceived "liberal" from the coast will be disastrous to the Democrats. Don't underestimate Trump's demagoguery as this is his greatest attribute a.k.a. divide and conquer.
14
@RM
Amen!
The pols from the coasts need to stay put. A candidate from the heartland sounds refreshing and may resonate better with voters in purble states. You have to wonder if Nancy Pelosi knows she will be helping reelect Trump due to her lack of support in these states!
13
@RM
I couldn't agree more. Joe, Elizabeth, Bernie, and Hillary, etc. should stay home and get their supporters behind a candidate like Brown. (Or Beto, Kennedy, Moulton...)
PS And keep Pelosi in the leadership roll FOR NOW until we get a leader at the top of the ticket for 2020.
3