Tennessee Senate: Ford Within 1 (Rasmussen)

[brooklynite]

September 7, 2006

The latest Rasmussen Reports election survey shows U.S. Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. closing in on Bob Corker in what has become one of the country’s marquee Senate races. Ford now trails Corker by a single point, 44% to 45% (see crosstabs). Last month’s poll showed him down by six; he trailed by 12 in July.

Throughout Election 2006, Democrats have felt competitive in five races featuring incumbent Republicans—Pennsylvania, Montana, Rhode Island, Missouri, and Ohio. However, they need a net gain of six seats to take control of the Senate. Tennessee may now be on the radar screen as the potential sixth seat.

In fact, Rasmussen Reports has now shifted this race from “Leans Republican” to “Toss Up” in the Senate Balance of Power summary. With this shift, the number of seats in the GOP column, including leaners, falls to 49. Democrats are favored to capture 45 seats, with six in the Toss-Up category.

The new numbers show Ford faring better with his base than Corker. The Democrat earns support from 84% of Democrats versus 77% of Republicans who say they’ll support Corker.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/September%202006/TennesseeSenate.htm

[DeepModem Mom]

1. Great news! nt

[Imagevision]

2. Ford winning Tenn. is as important to Lamonts win over Lieberman

[true_notes]

3. People In Tennessee

Are Fond of Mr. Ford.

[caledesi]

4. Yes they are. Didn't know this until the other day I was watching

some cable show and the host asked the 2 guest for the biggest upsets in the Congressionals. Both said Harold Ford!

[Jack Rabbit]

5. This is good news

If Rasmussen says Ford is down by 1, that probably means he's up by 2 or 3. It's all in the MOE. But it's good news.

[snowbear]

6. That's what I was thinking to Jack Rabbit !!

[BeautifulLoser]

7. I hear Corker is considered too moderate for Rethugs

Is this true?

[Idioteque]

8. He has the Johnny Isakson, Charlie Crist, Tom Gallagher problem.

He used to be pro-choice but now he has done a complete turnaround. The religious right don't really trust him on the issue.

[TheFarseer]

14. yes, but moderate enough for moderates

the sword cuts both ways.

[CraigHinTenn]

20. Yes! In the primary his two opponents said he was as liberal as...

Ted Kennedy, a liar, a tax raiser, pro-abortion, but the day after he won, they all loved him. This is the race to take control of the Senate...I can only hope we can deliver this time, unlike TN did in 2000.

[Blaq Dem]

9. Harold Ford Jr is a 'Lieberman' type of democrat

He's not that liberal.

[goclark]

10. Ford may be moderate

I agree but he is no winey Lieberman.

If he ran as a liberal he would have no chance of winning.


And, for an African American man , young at that, to even come this close in TN is a miracle.


Hope Diebold doesn't mess with those votes.

We need to win the Senate.

[nasher]

13. I have never heard Ford talk about running as an independent

He is a moderate, which is the only kind of dem who is going to get elected to Frists seat.

[goclark]

15. And we want that seat for FORD

[nasher]

16. I am trying to do my part.

:toast:

[goclark]

17. Go Nasher, go FORD!

[goclark]

23. Correct!

[dbackjon]

25. No - but he refuses to endorse the DEMOCRATIC candidate for his old seat.

Instead, staying out of the race, where one of the other candidates, running as an independent, is his cousin. This may end up givng the seat to the Rethugs.

[sundancekid]

22. oh, please wash your keyboard out with soap - I've known Harold Ford, and

he is CERTAINLY NO LIEBERMAN ... what? only YOUR IDEA OF LIBERAL is now acceptable??

I think it is equally annoying to hear meaningless BROAD BRUSH generalization coming out of either side of the political spectrums ... let's try to be adults here.

[Zynx]

34. What would you expect out of a state that voted for Bush by 14%?

[fasttense]

11. Ford may be a moderate but he is no bushy supporter

like Lieberman. Also Corker made a land deal while in Chattanooga that made him millions only after changing the environmental laws. Corker is very dirty.

[w4rma]

12. Ford still has the momentum, I see. (nt)

[Divine Discontent]

18. IF YOU ARE IN TENNESSEE _____------

I'd be saying, my goodness, we can't let such a leader with such compassion and intellect slip through our hands here in Tenn.

what a powerful speaker he is!

[sweetladybug]

19. Hey everyone, I will see Harold Ford tomorrow at a Democrat Party BBQ

in Robertson County TN. I think he has a very good chance of being our next Senator.

[Lasher]

21. Bring us pictures!

Hooray for Ford! With Tennessee and Virginia now both competitive, things are looking up for the Senate races.

But I'm a little anxious about New Jersey. The last 2 polls showed Kean (R) ahead of incumbent Menendez (D). Not good. According to most predictions I've seen we have only an outside chance of regaining control of the Senate this year. I think that's true, but I also think Tennessee and Virginia Democrats are making people stop and take notice. My point is, we've got to hold onto every single Senate seat we now have if we're going to have a chance of taking the Senate in November.

Edit: About those predictions - most are saying we're going to regain control of the House of Representatives. Here is a website that is now forecasting exactly that.

[Claire Beth]

31. I'm in Tennessee

and doing everything I can to get Ford elected. We have to GET THE VOTE OUT. Ford is a wonderful candidate...very sharp and has lots of charisma.

[AtomicKitten]

24. sweet

[dunn]

26. Other Democrats should use his TV ads as a model. They are great. n/t

[SkyMan]

27. Sorry, Im not confident.

Being born and raised in Tennessee as a black man, I know a black man will never be elected to a state wide office. Still too many white tobacco chewing gun toting rednecks here. He has also angered some in my community by trying to come off conservative which doesn't help him with the black community and the rednecks will not vote for him anyway no matter what he says.

[sandnsea]

28. Quit bitching and start converting

This is no time for petty grievances, we NEED that seat. We can't do anything about anybody's community if we don't have control of Congress.

[Claire Beth]

38. welcome to DU, skyman!.....

I was at a Ford fundraiser the other night in the Joelton area of Davidson county. I have HOPE, but guarded hope. He certainly has my support.

[dunn]

29. He runs lots of TV ads - I wonder where the money is coming from.

He seems to runs more ads then Corker.

[Claire Beth]

30. The Porker campaign

unfortunately, has turned to running negative ads and a lot of them.

I met Harold Ford,Jr. (and got my picture made with him) the other night. Ford will make a wonderful candidate and we are working hard to get him elected.

The Porker campaign can only run negative ads because the republicans don't have anything POSITIVE or GOOD to run on.

[dunn]

32. I havn't seen any negative ads from Corker here in Nashville.

I guess we live in different parts of the state.

[Lurking Dem]

33. I just saw one.

The weak on defense argument was used - Ford voted against reauthorization of the Patriot Act etc., etc.

He actually voted yes on the final version of the bill and no on 2 previous versions which he didn't like. Along with several prominent Republicans. So the ad is disengenuous in the extreme.

[Claire Beth]

35. They are being run

in middle TN. I'm actually in Nashville and several of us at work were discussing the negative ads being run by the Corker/Porker campaign You will see them eventually. Of course, the republicans have nothing positive or GOOD that they run on for themselves, ergo the only thing they really can do is attack and be deceptive.

[UTUSN]

36. Well, if TN couldn't even vote for GORE.... n/t

[Benhurst]

37. The black areas in and around Memphis were given computer

voting machines (strange since usually the rich, white areas in this country get the best equipment first). But unfortunately -- SURPRISE! SURPRISE!-- there was a GLITCH and all the votes were lost.

No one knows for sure, but those votes probably went for Gore. And if they had ... . Oh, well, that's democracy in BushAmerica, Land of the Free and Home of the Whopper.

This was one of the great under-reported stories of 2000 and probably the first example of massive computer "voting" fraud in the country, two years before the State of Georgia lost its franchise.

On to the 2006 elections ...

[dunn]

41. I havn't heard that before. With Bredeson, a Democratic Governer, I don't

see how that could happen.

[Claire Beth]

39. yeah but...

there is still hope. Lots has happened and HOPEFULLY Tennesseans will wake up!

[mvd]

40. Thanks for posting

We seem to be doing better and better! :bounce: