Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Politics / Woods Ford Holds Democrats Hostage: Day One
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 7:40 PM
The news reports have already started: Harold Ford Jr. is thinking about running for governor. Lots of very important people are urging him to do it, and Ford doesn't mind saying so himself. Big surprise. This was all too predictable. Ford loves the spotlight, and it'll probably take him quite some time to make up his mind.
It's the Democrats' seemingly permanent dilemma. For any statewide race for the foreseeable future, they will be forced to wait while Ford wrings his hands. Meanwhile, all other potentially viable candidates can't start trying to raise money to find out whether they can compete.
It's not that Ford is such a great candidate himself. If he were, he would have beaten Bob Corker in a big Democratic year. In fact, I think Ford's probably unelectable statewide, not because he's black but because he carries too much family baggage. But Democrats can't afford to disrespect Ford because it would piss off Memphis blacks whose votes are absolutely essential to any Democrat's winning statewide. So Ford holds the party hostage. Democrats can only hope he'll show mercy and announce before it's too late that he's not running.
More Views: Sean Braisted, Adam Kleinheider and Goldnl.
Comments (8)
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I usually agree with your rant but not this time. This is good news, not because he is the candidate I would chose but just because it gives energy to the Democrats. Let's get on with the future of Tennessee. It's a great state for so many reasons, starting with all Gaul, i.e. Tennessee, is divided into three parts.
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Well, let's remember that he spends at least half his time in the Manhattan/DC orbit, where his wife and job happen to be. While I have learned that he has maintained a residence in Memphis, few of us actually see him here.
Given that Andy Berke, Kim McMillan and Doug Horne are exploring the possibilities (and we've yet to hear from Lincoln Davis), it doesn't seem to me like anybody on the Democratic side of the aisle really worries about what Harold thinks or does any more.
The "Memphis Blacks" (is that an old barnstorming Negro League baseball team?) are not so wed to Jr that they would be so heart broken were TN Dems to "disrespect" him. Maybe you might want to, er, talk to some of them before assuming so?
Also, you could make the same argument about Obama vis a vis Ford not being a good candidate because he didn't beat a White guy in TN.
I agree blacks in Memphis might not actually care about Ford, but Democrats are afraid to risk it. Regarding all the talk about Dems running, talk is cheap. As long as Ford's undecided, the money is frozen.
Note ("Politics," Memphis Flyer issue #1037, January 8) that such live-wire Democratic hopefuls as Jim Kyle of Memphis , the party's state Senate leader, are effectively deterred from charting a possible gubernagtorial course as long as Ford lets his name hang out there. And relative oldtimers may recall the extravagantly long time that the then up-and-coming congressman took in 2000 to publicly announce he wasn't going to take on Bill Frist that year.
"frozen money," "effectively deterred" . . . a bit different from making an argument that TN Dems dare not offend Lord Jr, innit mate?
Why, given the power of online fund raising demonstrated by our President-elect, is anyone sitting tight, hoping that someone doesn't dry up the money pool? Perhaps it's that no candidate has yet to create enough buzz among those potential online donators? Yes, that's very hard to do when you consider how persnickety those donors can be when it comes to left wing bonafides. Still, is anyone even considering the end around instead of the running through the two hole?
Why do people judge Harold Ford Jr. by his relatives' shortcomings? I realize they were public servants and that does make a difference, but until Jr himself is charged with corruption, he is as innocent as his Republican opponent and his family shouldn't be an issue in a campaign. After ten years of representing TN in congress, I have never heard one charge against Jr. I agree with him on almost every issue and I think he would be a great governor for Tennessee. If he runs, I will help him in any way I can.
