I respect Tim Ryan for at least attempting to campaign to people who aren't just college educated liberal democratic voters onto his side. I still think, based on his voting record in Congress as well as his presidential campaign, that he is just being a fraud and will be just as liberal in the Senate. But it's a start.
Is it fraudulent of him to emphasize his appeal on materialistic grounds given that's been his bread-and-butter his whole career? Consider his long-standing Sinophobic-tinged protectionist appeal manifesting his CHIPS act vote as a measure to keep American industry competitive. Furthermore, he passionately defends the newly instituted insulin caps and calls for further drug price controls while also opposing single-payer healthcare to protect the industrial unions/military's recruiting incentives.
The key is
authenticity; Ryan's career-long sensibilities towards his constituents' concerns might assuage fears these are merely politically expedient moves to win a campaign. Vance remains a comfortable-though-not-solid favorite. Despite now subsiding inflation did a heavy number on Democrats that we'll only see this fall. Nonetheless, Ryan might just be what the doc ordered for relieving Northern Ohio's nativist-induced amnesia towards its solidarity-forged past.
I don't know if it's true but Vance hasn't done anything for it to not be the case.
Remember Trump hasn't visited Ohio yet. We'll see where we really stand after the world's largest political college football tailgate plays his greatest hits in whatever Ohioan minor league baseball/FCS stadium fate lands on and gets all the Trumpies fired up. Ryan might garner indie votes however the more relevant question is will it matter given how super-heated conservative turnout shapes up to be? At a certain point the math just isn't there.
