Tyler's Bit: Sherrod Brown could be the Democrats' best chance in 2020

Sherrod Brown is many things. He is Ohio’s senior United States Senator, he is a former Secretary of the State of Ohio and former Eagle Scout. More importantly, Brown knows how to win an election. In 2012 the GOP poured money into his opposition, State Treasurer Josh Mandel and he still easily won re-election. Brown is a proven winner, and he may be one more thing: the Democrats' best chance in 2020.

Brown possess some of the important skills that unsuccessful candidate Hillary Clinton lacked not just during the campaign but in her entire political career. Clinton has had her wide share of scandals, while Brown has had a scandal-free career in politics starting in 1978. Clinton was criticized for her constant changing stance on various issues. Brown has held the same firm beliefs for almost his entire life. He may be considered too liberal for the moderate voter, but with the alt-right in office, as we speak, nothing is off the table currently. Clinton also struggled with her (well-earned) elitist reputation. Being one-half of a political machine of a family, it is understandable why she has been seen that way. On the other hand, Brown is from Niles, Ohio. A blue-collar candidate from a Rust Belt city, in a swing state that desperately needs to swing blue for the left to have a chance in 2020.

Brown has another thing most successful candidates have: hair. America hasn’t put a bald man in office since Dwight D. Eisenhower and as a whole America seems to want the commander in chief to have hair. We just want it. Liberal estimates say we have had between five and seven bald presidents out of a total of 45. That means that less than 1 percent of our presidents have been hair follicle challenged. This doesn’t count whatever mess is on Donald Trump’s head; but because I have no official way of knowing we count him as having hair. 

Now Brown has never expressed interest in running for the presidency and was completely against a run in 2016. In 2020 however, will Brown still be OK after four years of Trump to not try and make his own difference? I doubt that. With how involved he is, if Brown wants to be a true difference maker, he owes it to his constituents to run.

Tyler Corbit is a freshman studying journalism with a focus in strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Would you vote for Sherrod Brown in 2020? Let Tyler know by tweeting him @tylercorbit.