Is Harold Ford being just a tinchy bit too "conservative"..?

[kentuck]

And more importantly, is it hurting him in his race? Has he miscalculated just how right-wing the TN voters might be? Might he appear to be pretending to be something he is not? Will this help him or hurt him? When asked about Kerry's comments, why couldn't he simply have said "no comment" if he thought it was going to harm him in his election bid? One should never stab his old friends in the back in his attempt to garner new friends...

[ShortnFiery]

1. Sometimes, IMO, Harold Ford is his own worst enemy

It really chapped my hide when I saw Harold Ford challenge Nancy Pelosi for the seat of The House Minority Leader. His main rationale: She's too liberal.

What Ford and many conservative democrats FAIL to realize is that a demonetization of both liberalism and intellectuals puts us on a slippery slope toward the realization of fascism.

No, Ford OFTEN needs to accept THE FACT that "our party" is truly a big tent and STFU instead of using it as a spring board to highlight his conservatism. He has plenty of time to emphasize that fact. :shrug:

IMO Pelosi will serve us proud and build consensus. Remember this woman first raised FIVE (5x) children before running for Congress. She's one tough woman and has my respect and loyalty ... as does the esteemed combat veteran John F. Kerry. :hi:

[zulchzulu]

2. I just heard Ford wants Kerry to apologize...that's the final straw

Harold Ford can go fuck his Lieberman Wannabe self. He's for a Flag burning amendment ferchrissakes... What a dick. He's a goddamn Repig-Lite.

If he was a real Democrat, he'd at least be able to stand up for Democratic issues. I hope he loses and fades away.

[truebrit71]

3. It is getting harder and harder to hold my nose and put up with his shit...

...supporting LIEberman, 10 commandments bullshit, Flag-burning amendment, I mean, I know he's in TN but good grief, at what point to you stop being a 'conservative democrat' and become a full-blown rethuglican? If you don't represent anything your party stands for, don't you, by defintion, NOT represent it?

[kentuck]

5. and does it make your Party weaker?

by defending such positions? Or at least, not speaking out against them?

[truebrit71]

8. I think in the long run it does...

...but for the moment I will work towards getting the majority, and THEN getting a proper Dem elected in his stead...

[zulchzulu]

14. Worse yet, what if he tries to run for Prez later...

Ford running on a Zell Miller/Loserman type political package only hurts the Democratic principles that have been fought for.

If you talk like a Repig, act like a Repig and vote like a Repig, you're a goddamn Repig. Period.

[ps1074]

4. there is already a republican in thta race

Ford playing one won't give him any votes.

[GemMom]

6. Other thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2536973
Harold Ford Calls On Kerry To Apologize...

[flpoljunkie]

7. kentuck, what do you recommmend--that Dems vote for the Rethug Corker?

Isn't the Big Dog coming to Tennessee today to help Harold Ford? We must take back the Senate.

Harold Ford will, as the Democratic Senator from Tennessee, speak out for economic issues that are at the heart of what Democrats stand for--economic justice for all.

[kentuck]

9. I was just in TN a couple of weeks ago...

I went to the Claiborne Co Democratic HQs and picked up some Harold Ford bumper stickers for my family. I would vote for an old yeller dog before I would vote for Corker but my question is: Is Ford hurting himself by being too conservative? Is he over-estimating the right-wing influence in TN?

[flpoljunkie]

11. Ford also criticized Bush for the way he's conducted the war in Iraq in the same statement.

Of course, it's NOT A WAR, it's an OCCUPATION--the point John Murtha is now making on MSNBC. Murtha also said what Kerry said was an "unfortunate mistake" and a "distraction" from what is going on in Iraq, and that all Democrats support the troops.

I think Ford knows he would be toast in Tennessee, if he did not call for Kerry to apologize. Sadly, I agree.

[GemMom]

12. Last night Ford said Kerry should not apologize.

Today he says Kerry SHOULD apologize.

Which is it, Harold?!

[jumpoffdaplanet]

10. It makes me wonder if he'll be another Liebermann

Bashing dems when he needs to stand with them.

[joeygirl]

13. He's just saying what he needs to in order to win.

[Tesha]

15. A proof point that" Democrats have no values", ehh? That's nice.

> He's just saying what he needs to in order to win.

A proof point that" Democrats have no values", ehh? That's nice.
Look for it to turn up in a Republican campaign ad soon.

Tesha

[sampsonblk]

16. Yeppers

Tony Snow just talked about people from the Dem party (like Ford) agreeing that Kerry should apologize. Here we go again....

[Tesha]

17. Didn't take long, did it? (NT)

[Clark2008]

18. No.

Won't hurt him - don't know if it will help, but it will not hurt.

And, I'm guessing, he did it with Kerry's permission.

He is campaigning with Clinton and Wes Clark in our military towns today, afterall.