Dan Osborn Ad Fishing for Trump Voters

An ad just broke for Independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn claiming, among other things, that he's "with Trump" on "China, the border and draining the swamp. In an article about his outreach to Trump voters he is quoted as saying that he would "help Trump build the Wall". None of this should be any surprise.

Osborn has never run for public office. He is a former union organizer who led a strike against Kellogg's in Omaha. He has been outspoken from the beginning that he is not beholden to either party, although early on he seemed friendlier to Democrats, even though no one could mistake him for a liberal. When he first declared his candidacy there was apparently a handshake agreement that he would accept an endorsement from the Nebraska Democratic Party (NDP) in exchange for the NDP not running a candidate. He later reneged and refused to accept the endorsement. 

His public statements seemed to suggest that he was a moderate libertarian. To the left on social issues like abortion and marijuana legalization and more conservative on border security and crime. (He is on record as suggesting that the undocumented immigrants who pay into social security should be "just given a social security card"). He has said that he would not caucus with either party, although how he will get anything done without aligning with one of the major parties is unclear. (Hint: it's close to impossible)

Frankly, I don't trust him. I predict that he will end up caucusing with whichever party holds the Senate majority, and be a thorn in the side of the party that takes him in. Think Manchin without the experience or Sinema without the urge to build consensus. The biggest thing that he's got going for him is that he's not Deb Fischer. Whatever he ends up doing I guarantee that he won't be voting in lockstep with Republicans. 

The purpose of this ad is obviously designed to get Trump voters to vote for him and not Fischer while still voting for Trump. So what does he say in the ad? He's "with" Trump on China. Guess what, there's not a lot of daylight between Trump and Harris or Biden on China. Drain the swamp? He's been railing against corruption in DC since Day One. The border? Okay - I have a problem with that. The ad starts off by accusing Fischer of "betraying Trump", calling her "the same as Hillary Clinton". Ironic since the Fischer campaign is trying to paint Osborn as a AOC/Sanders/Pelosi/Harris liberal - maybe he's trying to counteract those ads.

Anyway, I don't fully trust him, but I'm going to hold my nose and vote for him