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THREAD

As Portman steps aside, I keep thinking about my tweet thread about Manchester, a small town on the Ohio River that is struggling.

It’s a symbol of the failed GOP agenda of the past generation

Manchester is in Ohio’s 2nd District, where Portman served for 12 years

1/

 If anyone knew the challenges of Manchester, it would be Senator Portman, who represented it all that time.

Then he served as Senator for another 12 years.

No one in Ohio, and few in DC, had more influence, more sway, in the majority, than Senator Portman.

2/
And in that time, towns like Manchester voted for Portman again and again and again

And what did they get from Portman and the GOP?

Tax cuts for the best off, attacks on health care, precious little infrastructure, attacks on new ideas to lift new jobs (Ie. green jobs).

3/
Supports for big businesses and monopolies that are crushing small towns. Etc.

And an Ohio Republican Party and legislature that has attacked local government for years, both their autonomy as well as their funding.

Towns like Manchester needed so much. They got nothing.

4/
As a result, after 24 years of representation from as connected a Congressman or Senator as any town can have in America, Manchester’s Main Street looks like this today...

5/
Only a block from the cleanest section of the Ohio, complete disinvestment. Depressing

So if we’re going to replace Portman w a Dem, beyond talking national issues, it will take showing communities across Ohio that even w the most connected representative..

6/
...any town could have, one who could move mountains if he wanted to, one who could call the Bushes or Kochs and have his calls answered immediately, the end result of that GOP agenda for these communities is simply bad.

Even in the best case, that agenda will fail them.

7/
But it also requires a full-throated advocacy of a positive agenda that lifts communities large and small—from Cincinnati to Manchester—with infrastructure, health care, good jobs, etc

Ohio Dems won a number of mayor’s races in towns like Manchester in ‘19 w just this type..

8/
...of message.

Do it in ‘22 and you just might win a Senate seat against a crop of GOP candidates who’ve all pursued the same failed agenda Portman did.

END

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