Harold Ford is in trouble in TN he needs $$$$

[populistdriven]

Tennessee
Ed Bryant (R) - 49.9%
Harold Ford (D) - 42.4%

Van Hilleary (R) - 47.2%
Harold Ford (D) - 44.2%

From Zogby's March poll rundown http://www.removerepublicans.com/

Contribute Here: https://contribute.keepingamericaspromise.com/s5c.html?sc=7106

[Gabi Hayes]

1. isn't there a DEMocrat that can run in Tennessee?

what a tool he is

why vote for him when there are REAL pugs on the ballot?

[tnlefty]

4. State Senator, Rosalind Kurita, is his primary opponent.

www.kurita06.com. While she is also somewhat conservative she did vote against the amendment to the TN Consitution to ban abortion, she referred to the bankruptcy bill as an abominable sin and a giveaway to credit card companies. She's a registered nurse and the numbers of bankruptcies declared because of medical bills really gets to her.

[cynatnite]

5. You have the wrong URL

http://www.kurita2006.com/

[tnlefty]

6. Sorry and thanks for the correction.

I know this one works www.terry06.com.

edit: then again, maybe not as this is the address that I have, but it's not showing as a valid link.

edit: this link is good.

[Clark2008]

9. And she won't win the primary

Ford is more of a Democrat than this board gives him credit for, which probably is a good thing. It means he could actually win a "red" state.

I don't like the DLC (hate them, as a matter of fact), but I'm practical. I also can attest that Ford has been steadily distancing himself from them for the better part of a year, now, on issues such as Iraq (taken Gen. Clark's advice, which is well-more nuanced than either "get out" or "stay the course"), the budget (http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/tn09_ford/morenews/060201b_unfairbudgetpackage.html) and the economy (http://www.house.gov/ford/press_archives/20030527busheconomy.html)

He also defended Jack Murtha's honor against the wicked witch of Ohio: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1119-04.htm
Democrats booed in protest and shouted Ms. Schmidt down in her attack on Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, a Vietnam combat veteran and one of the House's most respected members on military matters. They caused the House to come to an abrupt standstill, and moments later, Representative Harold Ford, Democrat of Tennessee, charged across the chamber's center aisle to the Republican side screaming that Ms. Schmidt's attack had been unwarranted.

So, I guess that some on this board who don't live in red states have no idea the battle that must be waged to win them back. Ford can win. Kurita can't. Hell, I'm active in politics and I can't remember her name half the time - I'm sure few Tennesseans outside of her district can.

Ford would be another vote for the Dems.

[tnlefty]

46. And I had nothing but good things to say about him when he went after

Schmidt-head. Whether Ford, Jr. would be "another vote for the Dems" is a matter of speculation. I mentioned that he does have an opponent in the primary. I remember both of their names.

I heard Ford, Jr. approx. 3 weeks ago and he stated that we have to stay in Iraq so I don't know how he's distancing himself from that. "Don't let your disdain of George Bush" keep you from thinking that we have to stay in Iraq. It isn't my disdain of Dimson** and his policies, it's the fact that the policy was based on lies and Bushit**. There were many people confronting him on this statement/policy and I wasn't one of them because I had to talk with my precinct captain, but I did get the jist of the conversations (and Ford, Jr. got very loud with these women). Others were asking things like, 'how in the world can we get him to moderate his position on Iraq'? (He was in Hamilton County and Bob Tuke was with him and they both spoke).

[Jersey Devil]

7. Well, because without him we probably lose the Senate

Control of the Senate means control of the agenda so no matter how much a Dem may not appeal to you it's still a lot better than having a Repub majority.

[natrat]

2. well maybe the scumbag shouldnt have voted for the bankruptcy bill

and hang out with playboy bunnies---A big fuck you Harrold if your out there reading

[Clark2008]

11. He's single

Why can't he hang out with Playboy bunnies?

I agree with your position on the bankruptcy bill vote, but I have no idea why it matters if he hangs out with Playboy bunnies.

I'd still rather have Harold (who has a chance) than Corker, Bryant or Van Hilleary. And certainly more so than Frist. Harold's liberal on civil rights, education and job-creation.

Edit: Clarity

[jsamuel]

3. I don't like him :( --- sorry, but he was VERY against Alito Filibuster

and even criticized Dems who wanted to filibuster publicly. AND HE ISN'T EVEN IN THE SENATE YET!

he creeps me out... :scared:

I remember when he wanted to get the minority leader post in the house. He talked so much bad stuff about Dems I thought he was a Republican at first (on C-Span)

[kath]

56. yes, remember how he bad-mouthed Pelosi (as being a CA liberal, or some

such) - another Pug-lite type. BAH.

[Rainscents]

8. My deep feeling about Ford

Tenn democrats are not happy with him. They probably feel like, their Democratic senator has abandon them. And you what, with Ford's action of what I had witnessed on C-span, I would feel the same way.

Isn't he part of the DLC? His action tells me he is.

[Clark2008]

10. They aren't?

Really?

I haven't seen that, myself. Where in Tennessee do you live?

Oh! That's right - you live in WASHINGTON STATE. Guess you know all about what Tennessee Democrats think, don't you. :eyes:

[Rainscents]

12. I watch C-Span

and I see his action. He has turn his back on democratic issue! Trust me, I do want to see him win, however, to get support, he need to stick to democratic value and I had watched his voting on C-span and he does not.

[Clark2008]

14. I see him in person - mobbed by Dem activists and Dem

voters - even liberal ones.

I just don't see him on C-SPAN.

I think you need to take a look at how well he scores on liberal issues and how low he scores on conservatives ones: http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=BC042346

His economics are a mixed bag, but he's the best shot Tennessee Dems have to win a Senate seat back.

[H2O Man]

17. He is an interesting case.

I understand why some people feel frustrated by him. There are times when he seems to be .... well, a politician. Of course, this goes a long way in explaining why we find him in politics. (smile)

The other reason is that one feels Harold does "know." He is without question a highly intelligent man. He has the ability to think quickly, and with insight. And so when he speaks in the tongue of a politician, there are times I think, "Harold, you know better."

However, he appears to be without any question the best choice available for voters in his state. And if he were to live up to his full potential, he could become one of the mose effective progressive democrats.

[Clark2008]

20. Thank you for that astute assessment

I know he's a politician. I don't like some of his votes as it relates to corporations over the little guy (but he's evolving on those issues as a result of listening to the voters of this state while campaigning for Senate). I don't like it when he speaks in the "tongue of a politician" as you put it so well.

However, he has the potential for greatness. He's not necessarily beholden to the DLC. He votes for what HIS constituents want in MOST cases. He has a high rating with NARAL, on environmental issues. He's liberal on education issues and national health care. In fact, the only thing I can find that makes him DLC-like is SOME (and not all) of his votes on the economy and pro-corporate measures (and we Tennesseans are working on changing his stances on that).

I think he'll make a MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better Senator for me and my family than Frist has been or than Corker, Van Hillaery or Bryant would.

[madfloridian]

13. He would not want my support.

He has spent too much time making fun of Dean and those of us who supported him to even desire our support.

He humiliated himself the way he insulted Dean on Imus. He has some fences to mend.

[natrat]

15. yuk he's gross

[Clark2008]

16. Well, you're obviously in Florida, so it doesn't fucking matter

does it?

I'll be voting for Ford - and not the Republican.

[madfloridian]

21. It matters when he asks for money...and when he disses us.

It does "f***ing matter when you go on national TV and say you will ask the chairman of the party to resign if he does not please youl

It matters a lot to me that he made fun quite a few times of Dean supporters and that he gave the the right wing bloggers all kinds of fun fodder against Dean for days.

If you don't believe me, do a search for his name, imus, and dean....oh boy he gave the right all the talking points they needed several times on Imus and in other places.

It does "f***ing matter when you diss people who are important to other people. Harold Ford told Howard Dean to stay away from TN...my answer...well f*** him.

[Clark2008]

22. And Dean got FOUR percent of the vote in Tennessee.

Sorry, hon, but Dean is NOT popular here.

I'm not going to argue the reasons why ("it's the media, stupid"). I happen to like Dean and thought back in January 2004 that he should be the next DNC chair; however, when even most Dems in the state didn't vote for him in an early primary, I think you can assess that he wasn't very popular here.

You don't have to give him money, fine. But *I* WILL vote for him in the general after he kicks Kurita's rear in the Dem primary (and he will. I like her, too, but she has no name recognition).

But what DOES fucking matter is that we get more Dems in the Senate. With a majority, more Dem issues will be addressed, voted on and the bully pulpit of sheer majority will force fence-sitting Dems to side with more liberal Dems. It's called peer pressure.

[madfloridian]

27. I am sorry that Dean is not liked in TN. That is their loss.

I do know that there is one of the best, most active, and largest DFAs there. Not everyone hates him there.

That is kind of sad, that a whole state of Democrats hate the party chairman.

[Clark2008]

33. Did I say he was hated?

No. I said he's not too popular. That means that he's OK for Party Chair, but wouldn't win any elections here.

And, if the Tennessee DFA is "large," then, I'm sorry that the DFA isn't very big in any other states because it's not huge here. Seriously.

[madfloridian]

39. You have more than made your point.

You have said it is ok to go on TV and insult others in the party.

Now we all know TN folks don't like Howard Dean. Well goodie for you.

[tnlefty]

55. Dean is better liked in TN by some of us anyway. I'll be attending the

Democracy for Chattanooga Root Camp Training session here on April 8th. I have a friend who lived in my area for 2 years and when she went to work for the DNC as a field director in Colorado, she told him that there were people in the Chattanooga area and other areas who would walk over hot coals for him. I know that in my household, even though we had worked very hard for Dean, we decided to split our primary votes between Dean and Clark. During the primaries, Clark was sounding like less of a Bush** apologist than Ford, Jr. does at times.

Seems as though even mentioning that Ford has an opponent in the primary gets some people upset.

[nonconformist]

34. To be fair, the Tennessee primary was in March

A month after Dean dropped out of the race.

I'm not saying that Dean would have won Tennessee otherwise, but you have to admit that the fact he wasn't even running anymore has something to do with that paltry 4%.

[Clark2008]

36. No it wasn't. It was in February - the second week of February

NO ONE had dropped out at that time - Feb. 10, 2004. The second Southern primary (along with Virginia) and after South Carolina's Feb. 3 primary.

Sorry, try again.

PS: Here's a link to prove it: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/primaries/pages/states/TN/

[madfloridian]

38. You have made your point. Dean is not welcome in TN.

TN does not like him, apparently you agree it is fine for Harold F. to go on Imus at least twice, and also other times...laughing and humiliating Dean and those who supported him as chairman.

You made your point. We got it. TN doesn't like Dean.

And I don't like Harold, so I won't donate.

[Clark2008]

42. And you don't have to.

But wouldn't you rather a Southern state have at least ONE Dem Senator?

[JetCityLiberal]

45. I have family in Tennessee

from Memphis to Nashville and several locations in between and they LOVE Howard Dean mad, they say he is what will bring Democrats back, by including everybody, grassroots especially...you hang in there, you have class. Pay no attention to whiny naysayers, they don't help their candidates.

[Clark2008]

48. They do love him mad - as Party chair

Never said they didn't.

They wouldn't elect him as president though. And you know it.

Sorry, I'm a "whiny" naysayer. :eyes:

And, you can't vote for Ford, either, so I'm not worried that you think that crap. I'm being practical. You are pitting two people who aren't even fighting for the same fucking office.

God, I'm glad I'm going to be away from the Net next week. You people just jump to conclusions that were never said.

What the hell is the deal with people in Washington State trying to tell me, a Tennessean, what the hell sells in Tennessee, in the first damn place? Honestly, you don't LIVE here. Your family may be liberal, but that's not true of most of the state, which is, actually, fairly MODERATE (not liberal or conservative).

[JetCityLiberal]

49. I wasn't addressing you

but if the whiny naysayer shoe fits, hey...

Howard Dean is not what I call liberal either.

[Clark2008]

51. My apologies.

I thought you were reading Madfloridian and my exchange and calling me the "whiney naysayer" in it.

And, you're correct. I know that Howard Dean isn't liberal, but most of my state doesn't know that fact. I've alluded to the fact that I think our media here sucks (and I was a reporter here for 12 years) and that is why so many people here think Dean's to the left of Stalin, but that's the reality. I know people here who love Dean - didn't say they didn't - but he's not popular in terms of winning a national presidential election.

Harold Ford Jr.'s biggest fault, in my opinion, is that he acts like a politician too often. But he still has about the only chance the Dems have in this state in 2006. Which, may or may not have anything to dow with Howard Dean.

[JetCityLiberal]

53. I am a fan of Wes Clark too n/t

(edited to capitalize the General's first name)

[Clark2008]

54. Glad we cleared that up.

I was getting a little enraged at how folks on DU treat Ford.

I know he does some things that aren't helpful to the little people, but, overall, his ratings lean way more liberal than conservative. In fact, he's only MODERATE on corporate issues and not conservative at all.

I just want to win one, you know?

And, :hug: for the Wes Clark comment.

:hi: Welcome to DU. :hi:

[nonconformist]

18. DINO's don't invigorate the base.

We keep running them, and this will continue to be the result.

[Clark2008]

23. I guess they don't, but he does, SOOOOOO

I'm guessing he's not a DINO.

:eyes:

[nonconformist]

30. If he is invigorating the base, he shouldn't have any $$$$ problems.

I'm not saying I don't hope he wins, and he's better than the republicans running.

But in Tennessee, much like Kentucky, it seems that our democrats lean too far right on enough issues to really inspire and inject much passion with the base. I know some of them do that so they'll be more "electable"... but that really hasn't been going well.

I'm still really pissed about that Bankruptcy bill, too.

[Clark2008]

35. I don't like that he voted for that, either. I don't

but did you see this link:
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=BC042346

He gets 100 percent from NARAL, he gets an 89 on Civil Rights, he gets a measley 25 percent from the John Birch Society. In short, he ranks high on most liberal issues. He's not as rightist as folks on this board think.

[SoCalDem]

19. Unfortunately, his go-along-to-get-along attitude

does not engender much respect or admiration.

I can't see people getting all worked up to help him get elected. He will have to get money from the Dems who like Bush..or from Joementum supporters... or maybe ole Zell Miller will send him a few bucks

[ToeBot]

24. So call the DLC, why ya bugging the Democrats? eom

[BootinUp]

25. Yeah per above...We don't need a Senator in TN /sarcasm

n/t

[OKNancy]

26. I'll never forget when he charged Jean Schmidt

For all his faults ( and he DOES represent Tenn., now a red state)
I'll never forget when Jean Schmidt slimmed Murtha and he ran across the floor and screamed at her and he had to be held back. That showed some real fire.

[JI7]

28. i didn't know he did that

but glad to hear it.

i know he isn't popular on DU , but Tennessee is a conservative state. even Al Gore who represented the state and served as vp lost it to the Chimp in 2000. that shows how tough it is.

the race will be tough , but it's not impossible. it would be a huge win for us to get that seat.

[Clark2008]

50. Thank you Jim and Nancy

If there was a liberal candidate in Tennessee who I think could win, I'd be behind him or her. (Kurita isn't really any more liberal than Ford Jr., to be honest. Take a look at her state voting record.)

But, there's not.

And I'm pushing for Harold in the absence of any winning liberal Dem. There's only Steve Cohen and, well, that's about it and he couldn't win a statewide election, either.

There are reasons for this (media, media, media), but the only way to start changing that is to change Congress FIRST.

[Elidor]

29. I will vote for satan himself if it will keep Hilleary out of the Senate

That wretched piece of shit was my representative before he lost the governor's race to Bredesen. Van Hilleary is the living dead of Tennessee politics-he keeps crawling out of his political grave to give it another go. For all my loathing of Ford, he is infinitely preferable to that simpering twit, Hilleary. I don't trust him one damned bit, I see the calculation written plainly on his face, but he has some spine, and he isn't out to turn Tennessee into Mayberry, circa 1950.

As long as I have a picture of Van Hilleary in my mind, I won't even have to hold my nose to vote for Ford.

[Clark2008]

41. I know. Van Hilleary is SCARY!

He's like Bill Frist with a Jebus-complex!! :scared:

Can you imagine?! :puke:

[populistdriven]

31. Can we stark kicking people out of the party AFTER we win back the Senate?

As much as I hate the DLC I hate Bush 1000000000000000000x more

(seriously, I hate Bush more than 99% of the people here)

Sure Ford is waaay more conservative than me, but so is Tennessee and thats who he represents

[in_cog_ni_to]

32. Uhhhhhh....I don't think so! Would you READ THIS PLEASE?

Ford's voting record is considered much more moderate than conventional wisdom would suggest for a district like the 9th, even though Republicans have not seriously contested the district since 1978 (Harold, Sr. ran unopposed in 1980, and the district was redrawn as a black-majority district after that year's census). He has supported many bills that fall across the usual conservative/liberal spectrum. He supported a ban on benefits for same-sex couples, as well as the Federal Marriage Amendment (which would ban same-sex marriage). He has told Democrats they should be more supportive of George W. Bush on the war in Iraq and criticized Senate Democrats who attempted to filibuster Samuel Alito. He was one of the few Democrats who voted for the Bankruptcy Bill, and supports some restrictions on abortion. However, he has also opposed Bush's energy proposals (including oil drilling in ANWR), has demonstrated support for adoption rights of same-sex couples, and indicates a willingness to reform illegal drug policy.

His popularity among white voters in the Memphis area has steadily increased during his decade in Congress; in 2000, for instance, he won 40% of the white vote. Most whites in the Memphis area began to support Republicans in the 1960s.



NO WAY does that man get any money from me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Ford_Jr

[Clark2008]

44. And you and I will continue to disagree on this

I will work for him (Wes told me to) and I will vote for him.

You don't have to send money, but he's got a better chance than Kurita.

:hug:


PS. I don't trust Wiki since it can be edited by anyone. That sounds like someone's opinion. My link above proves that he's more liberal than he's given credit for on this board and it combines a list of several liberal and conservative special interest groups. He ranks high on liberal issues and low on conservative issues, save his middlin ranking on corporate-protection issues (he ranks high in supporting the Chamber of Commerce, but gets middle rankings on other corporate issues). Just wanted to make sure you saw that.

[Vadem]

37. Why should I help a Republican lite???? That is how I view Harold...

Ford! Am I wrong?? I don't think so!

[bigwillq]

40. He has really turned me off

in recent years.
I really like him in 2000, fresh, new...

I don't want to see a Repuke win but I think we can do better.

[mistyeye]

43. Ford also voted for the Sensenbrenner immgration bill (HR 4437) n/t

[MisterP]

47. he can call Rev. Moon for help!

[populistdriven]

52. lol

:rofl:

I agree, it sucks how conservative the DNC/DLC is but what is a liberal to do?