AHHHH!!! Anybody read these Harold Ford comments?

[rocktop15]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/12/14/214856/29


Harold Ford recently spoke to a Hamilton Country Democratic fund raiser in Chattanooga, TN about his upcoming run for Senate in TN as a Democrat. I live in Chattanooga,TN and was shocked at these comments. He will definitly not be getting my vote after reading these. In the meeting, he expressed vocal support for the constitutional gay banning amendment, criticized Kerry and Gore, and spoke in right wing rhetoric---ie "America is the greatest country in the world."

What the fuck is wrong with the Democrat party? Can we have a nationwide meeting held to tell these supposed leaders about DEMOCRATIC values? Ahhhhh, when will this ever end?

[Worst Username Ever]

1. Democrats are going to vary from region to region.

We'll never get one elected in that area that supports gay marriage. Just like a republican is going to have a tough time gettin elected in MA if s/he is pro-life. None of the parties are so unified that they are going to have the exact same platform from state to state.

[Sandpiper]

2. Harold Ford is a DLC tool

n/t

[Redleg]

3. Are Democrats supposed to say "America is NOT the greatest country in the

world?"

I agree that he shouldn't have criticized Kerry and Gore. I also disagree with his stance on gay marriage.

[rocktop15]

7. If you cant say anything nice......

then don't dont say anything at all. Go read a Noam Chomsky book to see how great this country really is.....

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the country I am living in. But it certainly has a ton of setbacks. Using simple, phrases that appeal to Joe Six Pack is just politics for the ignorant. Plain and Simple.

"Bring It On"
"I'm a Uniter, not a Divider"
"America is the greatest country in the world."

etc.

[theboss]

12. So, according to you, Noam Chomsky should be our political guru?

I hope you like seeing 75 Republican Senators and 350 Republican House Members.

[rocktop15]

15. No but........

his ideas can be articulated in a way that shows what a hold corporate power has on our democratic system and how the majority of politicans do not place any value on what WE, the people, have to say. He juxtaposes what is happening now in America with what happened in the 1960's---ie. the political climate that brews massive uprising and revolt......in other words, a very positive change that is happening right now. There had never been such massive protests against the war as to what we saw before the US invaded Iraq.

[theboss]

21. What does that have to do with whether the US is a great country or not?

I still don't see how national pride is a right-wing value? I think it's an American value.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

27. Nationalism is a right wing value.

Always has been.

[theboss]

38. Patriotism doesn't belong to either side

I fail to see where thinking you live in a swell place qualifies as nationalism.

[Royal Observer]

42. Patriotism belongs

to the side that claims it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

48. "Patriotism is the most foolish of passions, and the passion of fools."

Schopenhaur got that right. I like where I live, but then I've lived in, or visited other countries that I liked as much or more. "Patriotism" means love of one's country. I don't "love" this piece of real estate any more than I love the real estate in Japan, or Taiwan or Mexico, or Canada, or the UK.

But, I'm one of those durn "one-worlders" that the right wing fears.

[Radical Activist]

24. No, he should be Secretary of Defense

That would be so cool. hehe
:smoke:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. More than cool, it would be sane.

As opposed to the obvious mental deficiences paraded by Rummy.

[mitchtv]

50. with Dems like Ford,

same difference.let him go

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

26. Well, he could try telling the truth about America.

Which is, that it certainly isn't the greatest country in the world.

[Redleg]

39. How about saying "these things are what America great and these things

are what America needs to work on?" Doesn't that make more sense?

[theboss]

41. I am sure he did that

I mean, every politician does that. If he didn't point out the things he would fix, why run? Do you really believe his speech was, "America is perfect. Elect me and I won't do anything."

[Redleg]

49. I'm just going by what the poster said.

EOM

[Geek_Girl]

35. He said One thing that really bothered me

That the daily kos post did not mention and that was when he was talking about education, he said something like, "If Americans were better educated we wouldn't have to hire people from overseas to do the work." That's what really got me.

[JI7]

4. he plans to run for Senate from Tennessee

[mattclearing]

5. Speaking of Republican rhetoric,

It's the DemocratIC Party. Democrat is only an adjective for Republicans.

Not saying you're one of them, but it's important for us to be aware of their language techniques and avoid letting them slip into our speech.

[mzmolly]

9. *cough*

;)

[pmbryant]

6. "America is the greatest country in the world" == Right-wing rhetoric?!?

Since when is saying "America is the greatest country in the world" mere right-wing rhetoric? That's what the GOP wants you to believe, but it is pure BS. Please quit repeating GOP talking points.

--Peter

[mzmolly]

8. What happened to allowing people to think for themselves?

I tire of the "my way or the highway" mentality on the left. Or the appearance of total intollerance by some who wish to divide?

"Al Franken sucks, he says there was not major fraud!"

"Michael Moore is a sell out ..."

"John Kerry isn't far enough left because he voted for X."

Yea, that's the way to build a strong party. :eyes:

Fer cripes sakes, Juliani is pro-choice, pro-gun control and pro-civil unions. He's still an asshole who supports the * agenda of passing this countries financial burden on to the poor and middle class - and later to our children.

We have got to allow for differences while supporting candidates we agree on most issues with, if we want to succeed.

I don't care personally if one chooses to support Harold Ford, but the fact that he's on the conservative side of the Democratic Party is NO GREAT SURPRISE to most people here.

:hi:

[rocktop15]

10. I agree 100% with you

ssia

[theboss]

11. Wait....National pride is now a right-wing cause

Well, then I guess my family of life-long Democrats are all right-wingers since we put out our flags on the 4th of July.

That may be one of the most supremely stupid things I've seen here.

So, Democrats should run on the "America...not that great" platform?

[mzmolly]

13. In some circles, the "Liberals are unpatriotic" meme travels far and wide.

hmmm. ;)

[LSparkle]

14. "America ... not so great" -- Jon Stewart

Just sounds like a Stewart-ism!

[Egalitariat]

16. You're right. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever read here...

and it shows how ignorant the poster is.

For a Democrat to win in Tennessee, the message is going to have to be a little different from Ted Kennedy's campaign material.

Of course, sticking true to our ideologies and having no chance of winning a Senate seat in Tennessee is a good idea also.

[rocktop15]

17. Perhaps

But, personally, I would rather stay true to principles and not just be a textbook politician playing to the whims of the people. Oh well, I will continue to bitch while my Democratic party continues its long spiral into the Republican abyss.

[mzmolly]

18. Heh heh.

"Republican abyss" good one. :hi:

[Tansy_Gold]

20. I gotta agree, mzmolly and rocktop.

Where is it carved in stone that a left-wing liberal Democrat can't win in TN? Aren't there a lot of folks in TN -- and in other states -- who just plain didn't vote on 11/2/04? Is it maybe, just maybe, because they saw not a whole lot of difference between the candidates and said, "Aw, hell, Marge, I ain't gonna go down there to the school gym and stand in line just to vote. It smells like kids' old sneakers in there, and I don't like standin' there with half the county starin' at me 'cuz they know I'm gonna vote for a loser. If there was a Dem that stood for somethin' other than tryin' to kiss Bush's ass, I might do it, but it ain't worth it. Now if there was some guy would stand up and say 'George W. Bush is a frat boy liar and he lied us into this goddamned war so's he could line the pockets of his rich-ass friends with fat military contracts,' why then I might do it, Marge. But it just ain't worth my time."

Tansy Gold, who is soooooooooooooooooooooo furious at her AZ Dem party she could spit

[MisterP]

19. he'll lose; even if the machines aren't rigged, even if he signs PNAC,

he'll lose. And we'll just keep sliding right and right and right and right

[AP]

22. He's not running for Senator of the Communes of Berkeley & Cambridge.

He's running in TN.

And since when is it right wing to say that America is the greatest country in the world?

Bush notwithstanding, I still believe that is true and that it will prove its greatness by electing someone like the guy in my avatar pic president in 2008.

[Radical Activist]

23. Can we get the new Al Gore to run for Senate again?

You know, the cool populist progressive that showed up after he lost? The one that spoke out early against the war in Iraq. I would really love to see him get elected from Tennessee.

When Lamar got elected there was talk of Tipper running. I wonder if she's thinking about it this time.

[Royal Observer]

32. I doubt it

He would stand no chance of being elected in TN. Maybe we talk him into moving to NY.

[Radical Activist]

25. Tim McGraw for US Senate?

Anyone else hear the rumor that he might run in Tennessee as a Democrat? That could be interesting.

[Geek_Girl]

34. Really?

Please tell me it's true. That would be so wonderful anyone but Harold Ford and the republican wacko's around here.

[Radical Activist]

36. I heard the rumor. Here's a link I just googled

I don't know his politics but I think it would be great because he could get all the swing voters in Middle Tennessee. Statewide elections in Tennessee are decided by which way Nashville and middle TN go, not in Memphis.

It looks like he may not be interested this time, but I wonder if someone is trying to persuade him to run now. It would be a very good thing for the Democratic Party to have a major country music star be in the US Senate. That could help us win in '08 as well just by having him as a spokesman.

http://www.time.com/time/press_releases/article/0,8599,695833,00.html

[Royal Observer]

28. Harold Ford is a Southern Democrat

Black or white they are all the same.

[Geek_Girl]

37. Gore Is a Southerner

and He's progressive.

[Royal Observer]

40. In Tn

Ford is a progressive

[Geek_Girl]

44. Uh No

I don't think so.

[spanone]

45. You mean like Joe Lieberman?

[QC]

46. Yeah, Zell Miller and Cynthia McKinney are just alike....

:eyes:

Feel free to try again when you have something intelligent to add to the discussion.

[Geek_Girl]

30. Yep I was there

When I got my little invitation in the mail to hear him speak I was so excited. Thinking now we can get back to business of rebuilding the party. I was hoping to be inspired.

But after listening to him speak it was like a punch in the gut. I went home and cried. I'm not sure what to do now. But I just don't think I can vote for him.

I know I live in a red state and in the reddest part of a red state and politicians have to adjust to the geography but it was just too much for me.

[rocktop15]

31. Do you live in Chat?

I live in Chat and was seriously thinking about going to it but, alas, didn't.....thankfully! I remember hearing Moore speak in October up in Nashville on the Slacker Uprising Tour and was so fucking pumped and ready for TN to go Blue November 2nd..............but that did not happen =(

So I sit here now reading book after book about the Bush administration getting more pissed off by the day. Hopefully one day I can take my political science degree and go knock some doors down and change this country for the better!!!!

[Geek_Girl]

33. Yes I live in Chat

I wish I hadn't gone though. It may have been an easier pill to swallow getting behind him in '06. Now I just don't know.

[Zen Democrat]

43. Ford was a "guest" on Tony Snow's radio show last week ...

And Tony called him his "favorite Democrat" and a future presidential nominee that he could support. That was all I needed to hear.

Ford wasn't this conservative a few years ago. Alas, he's just another politician swinging with the wind without core convictions.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

47. I can deal with Dems who fudge on social issues

There really are local considerations. If you're in a region where all the GLBT people are deeply closeted, you might not want to make gay rights a major part of your platform. But you can deflect criticism for supporting gay rights by saying, "So don't marry another man/woman if you don't want to. Now let's talk about something that's actually important to YOUR life."

It's the allegedly Dem politicians who attack Dem candidates with a right-wing critique or who indulge mindless jingoism ("This is the greatest country in the world, and we kick ass, we don't care whose") or who suck up to right-wing pundits who really fry me.

Instead of indulging the knee-jerk patriotism, how about a little gentle acknowledgment that we need improvement: "I want this country to be all that it can be."

Instead of attacking Dem candidates in Republican terms, they can just not say anything about them.

Instead of sucking up to right-wing pundits, stand up for some constant principles.

What's so hard about that?

[ShaneGR]

51. Sorry, he's running in Tennessee, not San Francisco....

Deal with it.