Brown vs. DeWine: Good Politics vs. Good Principles

Based on reports of Sherrod Brown’s recent actions, the following character assessments seem reasonable:

Sherrod Brown has progressive politics but lacks integrity and principle;
Mike DeWine has conservative politics but has integrity and principles.

Mike DeWine and George Voinovich are the two most moderate Republicans in Congress. The problem is not DeWine (or Voinovich) as much as it is the Republican Party. It is the Party leadership that engages in partisan shenanigans, not Mike DeWine.

Compare that to Sherrod Brown and the Democratic Party. In this case, the problem is both Sherrod Brown and the Democratic Party. The Dem leadership has demonstrated their incompetence so often that it has gone from amusing to pathetic to absurd. The Dems are reinventing themselves, but it’s happening “bottom-up” and hasn’t reached the leadership yet. Eventually they will storm the Bastille and roll some heads but I doubt many are holding their breath.

Here in Ohio, a moderate voter would certainly think twice about voting for a man who has demonstrated an abject lack of integrity and maintains allegiance to his Party’s incompetent and sinking leadership.

I like Sherrod Brown’s politics more but I trust him less (if at all). I like DeWine’s politics less but I trust him more. And the difference in the trust level is more than the difference in the politics. If the election were today, I would vote for DeWine because I prefer his moderate conservatism to Brown’s immoderate lack of integrity and judgment.

One candidate has more favorable politics but can’t be trusted; the other has less favorable politics but can be trusted.

Who would you vote for?

UPDATE: Much has changed in the several months since this post was written. This more recent post has the latest thoughts on Mike DeWine.