Columbus Dispatch...
Mandel could give Sherrod Brown a real race
By Jack Torry 
August 30, 2011

On paper, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, should be a slam dunk for re-election next year. 

He is one of the best-known politicians in Ohio. He won two terms as secretary of state, seven terms in the U.S. House and then defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Mike DeWine in 2006. 

He is an energetic campaigner who connects with working people. Nobody in Ohio can do the workers-to-the-barricades tap dance better than Brown, who loves to rail against international trade agreements and wealthy business executives. 

And his likely Republican opponent — state Treasurer Josh Mandel — is in just his first year of statewide office and doesn’t look old enough to shave.

So why could this race be close? Simply put, because of circumstances beyond Brown’s control. 

Start with the economy. Yes, it’s possible by next year the nation will be in an economic boom and Ohio’s jobless rate will tumble to record lows. But more likely, the economy will continue to muddle along and angry voters will be looking for someone to blame, such as an incumbent senator like Brown. 

In addition, even though Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern flatly predicts that President Barack Obama “will win Ohio’’ next year, right now Obama’s popularity numbers are dropping. If Obama loses Ohio next year, he could drag Brown down with him. 

And finally, there is the $787 billion economic-stimulus package in 2009, and last year’s health-care overhaul. Neither measure, to put it politely, is very popular. Brown voted for both. 

So what saves Brown from defeat? For openers, he will have the enthusiastic backing of organized labor, and can raise just as much money as Mandel. He has tirelessly traveled throughout the state and has focused with commendable discipline on the issue of jobs. Like the late Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, Brown has cultivated the image of a fighter. 

“I really get the impression that Sherrod is in pretty good shape,’’ said Mary Anne Sharkey, who served as director of communications for former Gov. Bob Taft. “I can’t really think of any reason other than his usual liberal politics that he would be vulnerable. He hasn’t really made any missteps. He’s done a good job of getting back to Ohio and staying visible on the issues.’’ 

Mandel is so ambitious that Redfern likes to joke, “Josh Mandel doesn’t want to be president of the United States. He wants to be president of the Universe.” 

As eager as Democrats are to portray Mandel as too young and too ambitious, some Republicans believe that could play into Mandel’s hands. If voters are angry at Washington, they certainly cannot hold Mandel responsible. 

And it would allow Mandel to highlight the contrast that many GOP strategists think works best for him: the young man with fresh ideas against a politician who won his first statewide office when Ronald Reagan was president of the United States. 

If Brown says “Don’t worry, everything is fine with Medicare and Social Security,” Mandel will be there to respond that Medicare will go broke without major reforms. If Brown talks about jobs, Mandel will remind voters that the state has hemorrhaged jobs during his years in the Senate. 

“If they want to use Mandel’s youth and inexperience against him, that’s a mistake,’’ said one GOP operative. “Sherrod Brown has been part of the system for 25 years and he’s one of the reasons we have a problem.’’ 

Read it at the Columbus Dispatch