Your Party estabishment, run by Governor Strickland and Chris Redfern, saw it fit that Lee Fisher be their Party’s Senate nominee. Not with an endorsement, mind you – but with behind the scenes efforts designed to slide the race to Fisher.
This meant Jennifer Brunner wouldn’t have the financial, grassroots, or organizational support afforded to her primary opponent. And it has cost her the race.
Now, she may stick it out. And if so, good for her.
But minus a game-changing development, she won’t be the nominee.
Her fundraising has been pathetically weak, making it impossible for her to communicate her message to the masses, and her lack of quality staff have led to disaster after disaster – the latest being her strange flip-flop on Afghanistan.
It makes you wonder what could have been, had Brunner enjoyed Party support. If major donors had the go-ahead to contribue to her. If the right staff was sent her way.
It’s no shock to anyone that she is the less vulnerable candidate between her and Fisher. Sure, she has had her problems in the Secretary of State’s office, but none has been as high profile as Lee Fisher’s achilles heel – his stint as Jobs Czar under Strickland at the Department of Development where he oversaw the loss of hundreds of thousands of Ohio jobs.
The attack writes itself. In the #1 issue facing Ohioans, Fisher has had his chance – and failed. It’s an attack that will be used effectively and constantly in the Senate campaign to come.
And Brunner will have to sit back and watch it all go down on TV next Fall. She’ll have the time.
