Gillibrand: Ford 'underestimated me' (VIDEO)

[jefferson_dem]

Go Girl!

Gillibrand: Ford 'underestimated me'
Posted: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 3:50 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: 2010
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told NBC's Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports this afternoon that Harold Ford "underestimated" her.

"I think at the end of the day he may have underestimated me," Gillibrand said of Ford, who announced he would drop his intention to primary the sitting U.S. Senator from New York.

She added, "Only Harold Ford knows why he's not running. But I don't think there was a path for victory there for him. I've been running a very vigorous campaign. I've been working very hard on behalf of New Yorkers. And we had a very different record. And a very different vision for the state. Who we fight for was quite different. ... e may well be disappointed that people will have chosen me over him but that is the reality of trying to earn the support of 20 million people."

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On the potential threat by Daily News/U.S. News publisher Mort Zuckerman, Gillibrand said she has been outspent in 2006 and 2008, but "I was not outworked."

Here's a partial transcript of the interview:

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http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/03/02/2217280.aspx?ocid=twitter

[Cha]

1. I've been seeing videos of ford talking to

New Yorkers in coffee shops, etc..on the local news from Albany today and it was just weird.

Adios harold.

[PassingFair]

2. I think he misunderestimated the internets.

We KNOW what a jerk he is.

[Captain Hilts]

5. NYS has elected jerks before. He was a toadie for the NYC mayor. Non-starter Upstate. nt

[ChicagoSuz219]

3. The general consensus on Morning Joke was that...

...it had more to do with Mort Zuckerman's possible entry into the race than Gillibrand. Mort would have gotten the Wall Street money that Harold needed to run.

[leftynyc]

12. Zuckerman announced

through his paper the NY Daily News that he wouldn't be running. Me thinks they all know support has coalesced around Gillibrand.

[Captain Hilts]

4. DOA: The LAST thing NYS Dems want is a carpet bagger anointed by the mayor of NYC. nt

[Cha]

6. Now, I just Senator Gillibrand

on the local Albany news talking about Gov Paterson and, imv, she is a force to be reckoned with.

I'm sure there were other reasons that ford's not giving for his quitting(give me a break..harold ford=altruistic?!)..but, his polls must have something to do with it.

[bigdarryl]

7. YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!!!

[Kdillard]

8. Gillibrand didn't win in a Republican district by being a pushover. I also think

She has done a fine job as Senator. Harold Ford did not stand a chance and the more the voters got to know him the less they liked him.

[Bobbie Jo]

9. ....and overestimated himself, apparently. nt

[saltpoint]

10. Agree. Let me please second that.

I think Gillibrand is right that Ford underestimated her and you are right that he over-estimated himself.

I'm happy he's out of the Senate race there in New York.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

11. They say she's definitely one to watch out for in 2016 with organization like that I can see why.