Vanity Fair article on Tim Ryan

[irisblue]

source-https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/07/tim-ryan-democratic-playbook-ohio
Way more there

snip-"While running as a Blue Dog–style Democrat who gets along with Fox News hosts may seem like an antiquated strategy in 2022, Ryan, a onetime presidential candidate, has taken painstaking steps to portray himself as a political maverick disconnected from the economic crises currently plaguing the ruling party. He has frequently condemned trade deals signed by Democratic presidents, which he blames for allowing China to steal manufacturing jobs from the Rust Belt, and has voiced support for Trump’s “America First” economic policies in two ads. “When Obama’s trade deal threatened jobs here, I voted against it. And I voted with Trump on trade,” Ryan says in one of the ads. “I don’t answer to any political party.” In other campaign ads, the 10-term Democratic lawmaker stressed the need to pass “a real tax cut for workers” and expressed his steadfast support for police."

snip-" In fact, Ryan’s stances on working-class issues often overlap with those of Vance, who has urged U.S. leaders to “stop being weak on China. We have to stop sending American jobs to people who hate us.” Like Ryan, Vance, a “New Right” candidate endorsed by Trump in the primary, argues in his campaign platform that “Working class Ohioans were left in the dust” by trade deals that allowed companies to move their manufacturing facilities to China.

Mike Hartley, a Republican political consultant based in Ohio, said that Ryan is doing what he has to do in a cycle that will likely be a particularly tough off-year for Democrats. “The one thing candidates can’t control in a race is the national political environment,” Hartley told Vanity Fair, noting soaring inflation rates. “You can run a perfect campaign and still lose if the wind is in your face.” While remarking on some of Ryan’s novel strategies, like voicing support for Trump’s trade policies and boosting praise from Fox hosts, Hartley said that “it’s very clear he’s trying to win back the working class,” but noted that will be a difficult task, as large swaths of Ohio voters have switched to the Republican Party in recent years."

snip-" The latest poll commissioned by Ryan's campaign indicates that the contest is in a deadlock, with 48% of respondents supporting Ryan and 46% supporting Vance."