I absolutely hate Harold Ford, but I'd vote for him anyway... THIS time.

[Ian David]

First of all, I want Harold Ford to win.

But I watched Harold Ford on Bill Maher last night, and I did not like what I saw.

First of all, he struck me as being dead inside.

I don't mean that he seemed wooden, the way Al Gore was painted as being in 2000.

I mean, he seemed like a cold-blooded, soulless shark of a human being.

In fact, the impression I got was that he's Evil.

And Harold Ford is a bigot.

How dare he fight the bonds of racism against himself, only to declare that gay people are too inferior to deserve the right to marriage equality?

And then there's the fact that he claims to recognize the wall between Church and State, but still thinks there should be prayer in public schools.

Bill Maher asked him some tough questions. He was fairly hard on Mr. Ford.

But if Harold Ford had been running as a Republican, Maher wouldn't have let him off the hook so easily.

And rightly so.

We can't afford to be too picky right now.

I'm afraid that Harold Ford is the best that Tennessee can do... for now.

If I lived in Tennessee, I would not have the luxury of voting against Harold Ford.

But you guys in Tennessee had better get on the ball, and get a REAL Democrat to run against Mr. Ford during the next Primary.

I want Harold Ford to win.

But I also don't want Harold Ford to get too comfortable.

He doesn't deserve to stay more than one term.

[SharonAnn]

1. I voted for Harold For, Jr. because he's "D", more "liberal" than Corker

While there are a few "positions" that Harold Ford, Jr. has taken that I strongly disagree with, there are far more of his positions that I support.


Did I mention that he's a "D"?

What we need to do here in TEnnessee is build the Progressive Democratic base and grow the awareness that Progressives are the ones who really represent the people of Tennessee. It'll not be an overnight thing, but it can be done. It has to be done.

In the meantime, I support whatever "D" is on the ballot, even if he/she is more conservative than I like.

[Totally Committed]

2. I agree with you!

I'm afraid that Harold Ford is the best that Tennessee can do... for now.

If I lived in Tennessee, I would not have the luxury of voting against Harold Ford.

But you guys in Tennessee had better get on the ball, and get a REAL Democrat to run against Mr. Ford during the next Primary.

I want Harold Ford to win.

But I also don't want Harold Ford to get too comfortable.

He doesn't deserve to stay more than one term.

That is a genius piece of writing, my friend!

TC

[Ian David]

12. Thank you very much! I wish I could find a video clip from the show.

Maybe it's still stuck behind the other internets in the tubes.

[LiberalArkie]

3. In other words you are saying he is a politician instead of a representative

of the people.. God I wished we could elect people to represent us instead of politicians.

[ellacott]

8. To me it sounds like he is a representative

He is not representing the entire democratic party. It appears that he is representing the issues that are important to his constituents.

If his seat helps determine the majority then I want him elected.

Every democrat is not going to agree on every issue. I'm glad they don't, we would be no better than the rubber stamp of the repubs.

You are no going to satisfy every voter in your party on every issue.

[msongs]

4. throw the gays under the bus if it will get him elected, right harold?

equality for SOME is good enough for him .. and his religion.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[whistle]

5. Well, I'm not so sure that Harold Ford is dead inside as he may be

...repressing a great deal of pent up anger. I did not see his interview with Bill Maher, but from what I have seen of Ford on other interviews, he does strike me as a person who has and would continue to contribute to most of the democratic ideals and goals. IMHO

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Ford,_Jr.

[ProSense]

6. Harold Ford is progress!

When Gore was a Senator from Tennessee he opposed gay marriage and voted for the DOMA. He lost Tennessee in 2000.

If Ford is going to be voted out, Tennessee would not only have to find a progressive Democrat, but also cultivate more progressive voters.

[RestoreGore]

7. He looks like a snake

I saw him last night too, and he was downright nasty in his demeanor. I don't like him one bit, and see he is only doing this for self aggrandizement by trying to play both sides. What a shame he is the only choice Democrats in Tennessee have. One thing is for damn certain: HE'S NO AL GORE.

[ellacott]

9. Al Gore couldn't carry his own state in 2000 n/t

[Lars39]

10. All of the election fraud didn't just occur in FL...it happened in TN also.

[ellacott]

11. I'm sure the election fraud occured in many states

That is probably not the reason that Gore lost his own state. Gore was very disengaged in his home state once he got to the White House. He lost his connection with his former constituents.

[beaconess]

16. Gore probably would have won a Tennessee Senate race in 2000

Ford probably wouldn't even come close to carrying Tennessee if he were running for president.

Comparing Gore's showing in the 2000 presidential race and Ford's showing in the 2006 Senate race is comparing apples and oranges.

That being said, Ford does bear watching. I hope he wins for a few reasons - primarily because we need as many Democratic Senators as possible. I also think it's extremely important for their to be diversity among Black candidates so that White voters who know little about Black people can see that we are not a monolith and that, just like White folks, Blacks come from all kinds of different backgrounds and hold a variety of views. A second Black Senator - who is very, very different from Barack Obama - will broaden the playing field for everyone.

However, I am very unhappy with some of the positions he's taken. I was particularly dismayed by the way he injected himself into the Alito filibuster fight. He went out of his way last January to take a public position that undermined the civil rights community's efforts to mount a filibuter, issuing a statement announcing that, while he may not agree that Alito should be confirmed, he should have an up or down vote. He's also announced that, if elected, he will join the "Gang of 14" that has done so much irreparable damage to our courts by ensuring the confirmation of several of Bush's anti-civil rights judges.

So, I hope he wins, but I don't have terribly high expectations of him.

[SharonAnn]

17. I've heard that here, but he was VP of the entire country, not just TN

It's interesting to me that Tennesseans expected the VP of the United Sattes to come "home" on weekends and hold town hall meetings all across the state during the entire 8 years he was in office.

Seems odd to me. He was very supportive of TN while he was VP, he was here more often than others have been, but he had a national position with national responsibility.

[Lars39]

19. My formerly blue county at the time went red upon the introduction of

touchscreen voting machines.
His *thinking* constituents wanted that 8 years of prosperity to continue.
Talk radio helped take care of the rest.

[RestoreGore]

13. is that supposed to upset me?

Based on how the people in Tennessee seem to like their candidates to be, I take that now as a compliment. Al Gore not carrying Tennessee says much about the GOOD MAN he is compared to the segment of racist, homophobic, war mongering, intolerant biblethumpers that live there.

[Ian David]

15. I agree! Al Gore was too progressive for Freepersee.

We need to drag that state kicking and screaming into the 19th Century.

[Jai4WKC08]

14. I just thought he looked really tired

And maybe just a little bit reluctant to say too much... but on the other hand, there was some sort of lag in the transmission, which always makes an interviewee seem off somehow.

[Pepperbelly]

18. Neither Teddy nor John K.

could get elected in Tennessee these days. Harold is about as progressive as you can get and expect to have the candidate organize with the Democrats in the Senate.

[blondeatlast]

20. Take the House and Senate on 11//07/06, then take back our party

beginning 11/08/06.

[ellacott]

21. That's they way we have to look at it

The most important issue today is taking the house and senate.

[philly_bob]

27. Win Dem on 11/7, Reform Dem on 11/8 /nt

[Warpy]

22. There are a lot of fights I don't have a dog in

and for that I'm very, very grateful.

I did write in my cat for one local office because the Democrat is a weasel who'd be perfectly comfortable in the other party. Doing that for national office would have been a difficult ethical decision.

[AlCzervik]

23. i thought he looked really tired and drained.

[Moloch]

24. Well, I'm glad you're voting for him..

eventhough some of his view are appalling, I'm sure he's much better than Corker.

[stray cat]

25. Its Tenessee - Ford is almost too progressive there to get elected

More power to him. Each state is allowed to elect their own type of representative.

[Warren Stupidity]

26. I agree.

I found Ford so disturbing that I had to turn the show off, but better Ford than the R he is running against.

[Maven]

28. I agree. He's AWFUL, but I still hope he wins. nt