Corker opens up 10-point lead on Ford (TN Senate)

[TornadoTN]

Well, it looks like Harold's "Act like a Republican" dog and pony show has backfired. He is now down double-digits in one poll and teetering close to that margin in several others. While I am ashamed of my state of getting behind Bob Corker, who will prove to be just as worthless as Frist and Alexander, over the past month I have saw this coming. Ford has turned his campaign into a "say-whatever-do-whatever" mentality and has sprinted as fast as he could to align himself with Republicans and distance himself from Democrats. This will probably be the nail in the coffin for this race because a lot of Democrats, like myself, have felt totally abandonded in the past month, so much so that volunteering has dropped off at local offices. While most of us will vote for Ford (I already have), it doesn't bode well when your base starts throwing their hands in the air in disgust and Indepdents who wanted to see actual change and progress, well, they will end up voting for Corker because Ford just didn't bring enough to the table to set himself apart from the Republicans. Flawed logic? Not entirely. In early October, I saw Ford at a campaign event where he gave an impassioned speech on how we need to change our policy in Iraq and get new leadership in charge at the Pentagon. Now, one month later he has abandoned that approach and has even went as far as to try to paint himself as a "friend of the President, even though we disagree on some thing".

We Tennesseans certainly deserve better than Bob Corker and I still hold out hope that Ford can somehow escape with a narrow victory. But once again, the candidate that we picked ended up trying to triangulate his positions rather than standing on his own. As someone who was excited about the Ford campaign, volunteered, and donated, I feel betrayed and let down by our very own candidate who failed to see the sentiment of the majority of Tennesseans and instead chose to try to be "Everyman" instead of his own man.

Edited to add link to article and poll:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061102/pl_nm/usa_elections_poll_dc">http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061102/pl_nm/usa_elections_poll_dc

[BootinUp]

1. Is it possible

that the last debate had a big impact? I thought Ford was pretty weak and Corker seemed to be in a groove? Opinons?

[TornadoTN]

4. Very possible

Ford has self-destructed by trying to formulate his answers and plan so that they appeal to the mythical Republican swing voters. In this state, that is something that is a rarity, if it even exists at all.

Corker is slime, but he has figured out that he has to shore up his base and let Ford drive the remaining independants over to his side. It's sickening all the way around.

[Sensitivity]

82. Newsweek Managing Ed. from TN confirms: Its all about the BlackMan -Blonde scare

Deep Southern shame about "Miscegenation" and
history of lynching of Black men who made passes at
white women.

[TornadoTN]

84. Pretty ashamed to be a Tennessean if thats true

I don't know anyone that looked at it that way that are semi-sentinent human beings. Most people thought it was disgraceful that they were attacking Ford in that way because after all, Ford isn't married.

Ford had a perfect opportunity to destroy this ad around the time the Mark Foley scandal broke. But he sat on it because he didn't want to offend his Republican friends.

[trumad]

2. I'm telling you.... If he acted like a Dem he'd probably win this thing...

instead he's acted like a whore.... People aren't stupid and the know a whore when they see one.

[TornadoTN]

5. Yep, it's all about Harold, rather than the issues

I'm telling you, I'm absoloutly sickened about Ford over the past month. We all knew he was moderate and certainly wasn't an ideal candidate for us left-leaners, but he has totally lost his identity by trying to pander to the right wing. All we have left is a candidate that doesn't know which side of the aisle he stands on - voters see through that charade.

[okieinpain]

28. I agree, the few times I've seen him on the tube, he has been as

bad as a repug

[DemocratSinceBirth]

49. I Guess That's Why Tennessee Hasn't Elected A Democratic Senator Since 1990....

.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

58. What Was Al Gore Acting Like When He Lost Tennessee To Dimson?

At least Ford is going to lose to a fellow Tennessean and a presumably sentient human being...

[Uncle Joe]

79. President of the United States, not President of Tennessee

Also many Tennesseans were brain washed as to his integrity by the mass corporate media because Al empowered you and me when he championed the internet, taking some of their power and giving it to us, sort of like Prometheus. Integrity was the defining issue during the coup of 2000. Do you remember Bush bringing honor and integrity back to the White House? The media had waged a "War Against Gore" for the better part of two years beginning in March of 1999, this after an eight year witch hunt against Clinton. Instead of giving Al credit for his legislative vision and achievements, they slandered him relentlessly. The same mass corporate media enabled Bush to power camouflaging his shortcomings even reversing themselves and their focus groups overnight as to who won the debates.

The people of Tennessee just as the rest of America have to live in the reality or *Matrix created for them by the mass corporate media. Today however, I believe little by little the people are becoming unplugged from this false reality and the internet is aiding in this endeavor.

* See movie for details

[DemocratSinceBirth]

86. I'm One Of Those Reality Based Democrats.

Let me preface my remarks by saying that I worked for and contributed to the 1988 and 2000 Gore presidential campaigns...


I met Al Gore and shook his hand when he was campaigning in Eola Park in 2000... I met Tipper Gore when she was campaigning at the 91st Aero Squadron in Orlando in 2000... She bent over and kissed my mom who is wheel chair bound...

Now that we get that out of the way...

A poster said Harold Ford is losing because he's a "faux" Democrat. Faux is my words...

My response was Gore was a true Democrat running a populist campaign in 2000 and lost to Dimson in Tennessee...

Oh, your argument is different from your fellow Tennessean here... He's arguing that TN rejected Gore in 2000 because they felt he ignored them. You're arguing that Dimson won because of the "integrity" issue. But at the end of the day Tennessee rejected their native son in 2000 and hasn't sent a Democratic senator to Washington since 1990. Those were major obstacles for Harold to overcome.

[TornadoTN]

90. No doubt that there are obstacles

But the time for change is now and the political climate across the state -nay, across the country is/was ripe for a Ford victory.

There are a lot of reasons for Gores loss of Tennessee in 2000. Some have even said that there may have been voting problems that went unnoticed because of the Florida debacle. But in the end you are right and this state has to make amends for it sometime. But I don't think that Tennessee is red by any stretch. Most voters in the state are unaffiliated and are now having a hard time trying to get by in this country.

If Ford couldn't/can't capitalize this time and under these circumstances, I have serious questions as to why and how his campaign was conducted as well as his voting record DURING this campaign. As another poster wrote in this thread, at the end of the day a lot of voters felt that there was not enough difference between the two candidates and the devil you know is better than the one you don't.

[Uncle Joe]

96. At this time, I believe Harold Ford will win this race,

admittedly based on anecdotal evidence, just the number of yard signs and bumper stickers, I see driving around middle Tennessee. Also the mass corporate media seem to be more just in their coverage than they were in 2000, in spite of what Zogby says, I am feeling somewhat optimistic.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

105. As Someone Who Almost Went To Vandy

Let me say keep hope alive...

I'm pretty sober and dispassionate when it comes to picking winners in sports or politics so I'll keep my prognostications to myself...

Let's wait for the election... Anything else is unfair to Harold and all our candidates...


I have learned as am sure we all have learned, sometimes the good guys don't win...

[Uncle Joe]

109. This is true n/t

[emdee]

101. Many people in my area of TN....

are blinded by the Right's claim of owning Religion. They believe it for some odd reason even though every single day it's proven otherwise. I don't get it but see it every day.
emdee

[Greeby]

3. Ford should have listened to Truman's advice

“Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time”

[trumad]

7. Excellent quote

excellent

[The Magistrate]

Those Who 'Throw Their Hands In The Air In Disgust', Sir

Are not "the base": they are just another slice demographic squawking for a worm in their beaks. The base is what votes and works for the Party's candidate, dependably and loyally.

[sampsonblk]

29. You got it backwards

The party is supposed to work for the base. Not the other way around. If a party fails to work for its base, it loses.

[sampsonblk]

31. No way!

Ya mean voters prefer strident candidates who believe in stuff and stick to it? No way!

Bill Clinton said it at least two years ago. In this day and age, voters will choose strong and wrong over weak and right.

Decide what you stand for. Mean it. Hammer it home.

[TornadoTN]

36. Precisely

I am not under the illusion that Ford should be a left-wing liberal on every possible issue. At one point, I even felt good about Ford being a moderate because he did have that appeal across the spectrum. He portrayed himself as someone who stood on his own and believed in basic Democratic principles. That just simply isn't the case now.

I can tell you from my expierence in the campaign that they didn't want Democrats involved - they wanted moderates and Republicans being the mouthpiece because they felt like they could sway Republicans over to Ford. In fact, the local campaign director didn't want Democrats working in the office or doing the visible work because they, in his words, were "too partisan". People want a change in Tennessee, but we simply do not have it in this race because the voting populace can't tell the difference between the two candidates, so they just go back to voting the way they have voted in the past.

[BootinUp]

46. minor correction

you said:

"...If a party fails to work for its base, it loses."

I submit they both lose.

[sampsonblk]

50. You are right

They both lose

[The Magistrate]

80. What Can Be Relied On, Mr. Sampson, Is The Base

What cannot be relied on, what goes fickle at the sticking point, is something else. Someone may choose to decline to vote for a candidate of the Party, certainly, but once they have done so, they can no longer speak of themselves as part of its base.

"'We gladly feast on those who would destroy us.' Not just pretty words...."

[sampsonblk]

114. A 'base' is not a club or a religion

The 'base' is made up of individuals who have beliefs and aspirations. Those people choose their leaders, not the other way around. No party or party leaders own any of us. None of them have any right to our votes. And they should remember that its their responsibility to maintain our support for them, not ours. Its their responsibility to be loyal to the supporters. Or else they should expect to come up short on election day.

As someone else said, Republicans understand this. And they almost never stray from it, no matter what happens.

[Ms. Clio]

107. The Repubs sure as hell know that

They work with utter loyalty and efficiency for their base, corporations and the wealthy.

[TahitiNut]

108. That's the kind of perspective that gladdens me that I'm an independent.

Such a geometry of political positioning is inherently amoral, imho. It is, of course, the antithesis of a deontological ethic, focuses solely on the means - to a 'end' robbed of any merit whatsoever.

[Eric J in MN]

6. I don't trust Zogby polls.

Harold Ford may lose, but if so it will be by less than 10 points.

[trumad]

8. Or more

[INdemo]

16. I dont believe these polls

http://www.gradethenews.org/dreamhost%20files/pagesfolder/Pollstory3.htm

#7

[wakeme2008]

9. If I was a volunteer working with him yesterday

I would have got up and walked away after his attack on Kerry. :shrug:

[KharmaTrain]

19. This Last Minute Pandering Is Killing Him

Does he think there's votes to be mined from the relgious right? Honestly, I can see running a "purple" campaign and know that Ford's always been a social conservative, but he's seems to be going after some vote that I sure don't see. Maybe you do.

[TornadoTN]

22. That's the perplexing thing about it

He has abandonded any issues that appeal to the Democratic base. I'll even go as far as to say that he has given up trying to appeal to moderates or Independants.

Now, it's all pander to the Republicans and the religious right that won't vote for him no matter how many Bible quotes and Jeses references that he makes. My head is spinning in disbelief of what he has turned into lately.

[KharmaTrain]

26. Thank You For Your Work...

I live in a purple district...and my Representative, Melissa Bean, has had to pander to the moderate Repugnicans...the fiscal conservatives and it looks like this strategy will get her re-elected. The talk here is that she will operate differently under a Democratically controlled house as she won't be forced to vote on issues that were targeted against her (bankruptcy bill) and with a Pelosi controlling the agenda vs. a DeLay, the direction the House and she takes will be far different. We shall see. I've sent my money and have done volunteer work for Tammy Duckworth this year.

I used to really like Harold when he was first elected and would accept him taking a more conservative stand on social issues but you are very correct in wondering why he's turned his back on the Democratic base. Aren't there enough votes in Memphis and Nashville to carry the state? Seems like he's trying to win it in Chatanooga.

But who knows, Zogby polls are known to be outliers...and I didn't see the undecided numbers. Here's a case of maalox...you're gonna need it.

Cheers...

[TornadoTN]

32. Tennessee is such an interesting political landscape

Middle and West Tennessee tend to be more Democratic, with Chattanooga+East being Republican territory. To win Tennessee, you have to first secure your partys base and then eat into your challengers middle-of-the-road demographic. Bredesen proved this by shoring up his base and then cutting into the moderate vote in Eastern Tennessee - all without selling himself out entirely to the Republicans.

I think this election cycle people are fed up with the war and genuinely concerned with our standing in the world. Tennesseans are no different. They see so many jobs being outsourced while the fat-cat Republican CEO's get richer and richer. I can stand Ford being a social conservative, what I can't stand is his propensity to sell out every single bit of his base in order to get the Republican vote. It's the "the Democrats will vote for anyway" mentality that has really put me off on this election. Just look at my posts today in this topic, I am genuinely disheartened by what I see. I'm not asking Ford to be a liberal, but at this point noone really knows what he is since he has changed so much over the past month or so.

I'll keep my hopes alive but from what I see here on the ground, things certainly aren't looking good.

[KharmaTrain]

41. Consider It A Learning Experience

I think Claire McCaskill will win next week...and based on her '04 loss than anything else. She learned where the elections were won and lost in her race against Blount and is not making the same mistakes...shoring up the base while reaching out where possible to the rural areas...hopefully she'll get just enough to send Talent into retirement.

As an outsider, Ford appeared to be the only Democrat who had name recognition that could win a statewide campaign. Keep the hopes alive...also the network you and others have made. They could lead to bigger and better things in '08. Hopefully someone is studying what's going on closely and will now be able to emerge with positions that are not only more to our liking, but will win on strength rather than weakness.

[TornadoTN]

45. Good luck to you too

McCaskill looks pretty solid and I think that she learned that she needed to hold her base first and foremost.

You are right about his name recognition, which is something that the Democrats in this state have been lacking since Al Gore left to become Vice President. A lot of us have been scratching our heads trying to figure out what the party has been doing since then and noone can come up with any decent answers. It's disappointing to see the race come down to this after we all put in so much hard work and hard earned money to field a candidate that would at least give us somewhat of a voice in Washington. We need to start cultivating candidates now to be ready to run in 08 and beyond, because we certainly don't need another candidate that can't figure out who he is and wants to entrench himself in some fairy-tale world where Republicans like him and vote for him.

[speedoo]

55. Isn't the Knoxville area fairly progressive?

I mean, since it's a university town?

[TornadoTN]

62. The city, yes - outside of that, not so much

It's blue in theory, but there is a lot of old-money Republicans that live on the outskirts that things get really rather dicey when elections come around.

If I had to classify Knoxville, I would put it purple and Corker is getting a lot of support from the Knoxville area.

[oc2002]

10. I hope Ford loses, We do not want another LIEberman or Rebulicrat.

Even if it means losing a seat, because in the long term it hurts America not helps.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bigtree]

13. I don't think Ford would be that extreme, despite his campaigning to the right

We could use his votes on the Democratic issues which he has so faithfully championed which don't involve the death penalty, abortion, and Iraq. Further, his junior seat and influence would be tempered by a fairly liberal potential Democratic majority in the Senate.

[TornadoTN]

18. That's the only reason I still voted for the guy

We need his vote and his number to sway the power in our direction. Other than that, most people don't see the difference between the two candidates - especially after Ford's vote for the "Torture Bill".

While I certainly hope that he wouldn't be another Lieberman, the thought has crossed my mind because he and Lieberman campaign so very much alike and vote in the same manner.

[KingFlorez]

25. Thanks for letting us know who you really want to control the Senate

Mitch McConnell thanks you

[bigtree]

11. That may have been a factor, but it wouldn't affect the number of republicans

who will come out and vote for their (wink, wink) good ole' boy. I think it was a mistake to make too much of the racism in the campaign. It apparently has an appeal among the republicans there. It reminded them that they were about to send the first southern black since reconstruction to the Senate. I wish I was wrong, but, I don't believe so.

I hope Democrats can rally and overcome the hordes of racists who will be coming out to put Ford 'in his place' and 'keep him down'. Overcome. No fear.

I would note that republicans are solidly behind Corker, no matter what his views on the issues of the day are.

[TornadoTN]

15. Ford needed to learn this:

"I would note that republicans are solidly behind Corker, no matter what his views on the issues of the day are."

No matter what Ford does to try to get the Republican vote, it isn't going to sway a damn one of them! The local field director here in my area of the state went out of his way to try to get the Republican vote, so much so that he was turning away loyal Democrats because he felt they were "too partisan".

While I'm sure race may play a factor in a small section of voters, I think the majority of voters here just wanted a clear choice between two candidates. Keep in mind that not all voters are as tuned into politics as we are, so they are choose their candidate on one or two issues and hope for the best. Ford hasn't offered much in they way of a choice or a change of direction that so many in this state believe we need.

[bigtree]

23. the point was,

the republicans want their man to win so they are solidly lining up behind him.

Our side appears to be quibbling about our Democratic nominee to the degree that it may be threatening his position in the contest. The principles that folks are expressing are fine and correct, but, none of those ideals will be furthered by a Corker win. This notion that Ford has turned folks off is a reflection of the Democratic voters and their commitment to party. I think it matters a great deal to achieve the majority. I don't think there would be the evil that some folks are complaining about if we allow the conservative Democrats on the ballot to advance with our support. I think a great deal could be achieved with that majority. The rest, to me, is a diversion from that goal. I think voters should be persuaded to support the party. The alternative is much worse than a Democratic majority with a right-leaning Ford would ever be. I don't see how folks don't realize that after the 2000 and 2004 'alternative party' nonsense about Bush would be better than Gore or Kerry because they didn't kowtow to one issue or another. It's silly and self-defeating to knck our nominee so close to the contest day. The republicans seem to understand that; some Democrats seem to think the debate is all that matters, damn the politics, damn the consequences.

[TornadoTN]

24. I see your point, but I disagree

It's not about not voting for Ford, I voted for him and most all of the Democrats that I know did the same - despite our disapproval of the way things are going. I'm mainly talking about the undecided, the moderates, the independants out there that may have in the past voted Republican but see things as going badly at home and abroad. They wanted a change, a difference, but to be quite honest, they don't have one right now. So they go back to voting for Corker because Ford didn't offer anything constructive as an alternative.

Sure, we know there are differences between the two and I would tell anyone that I know to vote for Ford. However, on the surface and on the street, people just are not convinced that Ford is enough of a change or even offers any new ideas that would make them cast their vote for him.

I consider myself committed to party but I am having a hard time swallowing the "Ford pill", if you will. I sacrificed my principles and voted for him in the hopes of the greater good of having a Democratic majority. But I don't feel good about it because he morphed into a totally different candidate just a little over a month ago. I think a lot of voters here feel the same way and this has pushed them back into line with the Republicans.

[Tesha]

14. "Given a choice between a Republican and a Republican..."

"Given a choice between a Republican and a Republican,
the Republican wins every time".

Tesha

[William Bloode]

17. Looks like all that weaseling did him no good.

I was very enthused at the possibility of Tennessee electing a black senator. I led with my chin though it seems. Fact was the more i listened to him, the more i disliked him. I saw this weekends Real Time where he was on. I'm telling you he came off badly, very repukey. I am not against religion in anyway, do what ya feel. I do however get nervous when politicians have the 12 commandments printed on the back of their business cards as Ford does. Maher gave him a real hard time, and more or less told him he was more of a republican than Dem.

He's got 3 big strikes with me.

#1- His torture vote. This made me burn a check i had written to donate funds to his campaign.

#2- Saw Real Time, the 12 commandment thing really creeped me out.

#3- Coming out on his own to ask Kerry to apologize. Final straw! You don't stab a brother in the back.

Overall i hate to see him lose, i know we need the seat. I do have to say it's his own fault, his own actions are screwing him.

[TornadoTN]

20. Your points echo my sentiment exactly

The bad thing about it was in late September, he was leading - mostly because he was shoring up the base and standing on his own. Fast forward to today and he has gone into full "Please Republicans, like me! Please!" mode, effectively pushing the fence-sitters over to Corker.

I even asked Ford himself about his torture vote and he didn't give me a clear answer. It was quickly transformed into "fighting the war on terra". What struck me was that he was spouting phrases that the President himself had used to justify it. That was the point that I felt that this election was going to spin out of control. I had no idea that he would push himself this far right in the hopes of getting elected.

[Robbien]

21. You should send your message to the Democratic party leadership

They need to stop listening to their high priced consultants and take a look at what is actually happening on the streets.

[Sensitivity]

27. The Debate did not help -- Red necks found out he was black

and then got the message of all those "Call Me" ads.

I think Ford was an idiot not to go on the attack against
the repub slease machine that was distorting Kerry
just as it was sliming him.

But that is not what's behind the falling away of Red neck support.

[Jersey Devil]

30. This Zogby interactive poll is likely an outlier

You have to wait for other polls to see if they compare. I don't trust interactive polls. They can be manipulated and you can vote in them as many times as you have email addresses.

[TornadoTN]

33. True

But some of the internal polling that was being conducted by the campaign itself was showing a strong trend to Corker after the last debate - around 5 points with the MOE at 3.

Zogby is hardly ever accurate, but seeing the way things are here on the ground and feeling the pulse of the community, I am not feeling very confident.

[BootinUp]

38. Did it say it was the interactive poll? I missed that

I agree the interactive online polls are crap.

[TornadoTN]

40. That's true and there is still hope

But things on the ground aren't looking good and a lot of the internal polling is showing a strong surge towards Corker after the last debate. While I don't think this will be a 10 point race, I don't think its going to be really very close either.

[Jersey Devil]

44. I believe all Zogby polls are now interactive

I've been polled by Zogby about 5 times for New Jersey. I could be wrong about this but I believe all they do now are interactive polls.

[Sensitivity]

52. Please Confirm this. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS SO AT ALL

[Jersey Devil]

53. Here's what Zogby says

They do say they call people:

Online polls are conducted by the company's Zogby Interactive unit.

Phone polls are conducted by Zogby International.

But they also say this, which suggests to me that phoning is done only to supplement interactive polls:

Zogby telephones about 2% of respondents who completed the interactive survey to validate their personal data. To solicit participation, Zogby sent e-mails to individuals who had asked to join its online-polling database, inviting them to complete an interactive poll.

Interactive Polls are supplemented by phone polls when needed. This is done to ensure proper demographic representation, especially among hard to reach groups.

15% of the company's U.S. database of online-poll participants are "regulars," who take part in half of the interactive polls the company conducts; the balance of the names of respondents in the database change frequently. Likely voters in each of the 25 states followed instructions sent by an e-mail that led them to the survey located on Zogby's secure servers in Utica, N.Y. Those polled were asked unique questions pertaining to the horseraces in their state.

http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1064

[indepat]

34. Ford's fear of being labeled soft on terra et al by acting/voting like a 'puke

looks to have gotten him his just desserts and us a 'puke Senate.

[gauguin57]

35. Oops! Well, that's cuz I put a curse on Ford's head after he turned his back on Kerry.

Harold Ford is a little GOP-ass-kissing punk, and I put a curse on him yesterday after he embraced the GOP lies and called for Kerry to apologize for something he had no business apologizing for.

Punk.

[KingFlorez]

37. Zogby has had some odd numbers recently

One time they had McCaskill up by 12 points, which was impossible in such a close race.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

54. Zogby Is A God Awful Pollster

but I'm not optimistic about Harold's chances...


He had two obstacles to overcome...


Tennessee is a reliable red state... After all it rejected it's own native son in the 2000 race... And I don't give a rat's ass if Al spent most of his life in Washington. His roots were authentically Tennessean...

Harold Ford is African American. There still is reluctance by some to vote for an African American...

[TornadoTN]

71. In my opinion, Tennessee didn't turn its back on Gore

Rather, it was the other way around. He barely made any campaign stops in Tennessee during the campaign, instead opting to campaign in other states that were considered "at risk". The campaign took the view that Tennessee was always theirs by default and in doing so made people vote to "send a message" to Gore and some voted against him rather than for Bush. Right or wrong (which it most decidedly was), Gore lost Tennessee rather than Bush winning it.

Tennessee is a purple state with a proud history. Frankly, I enjoy the political dialogue of the state because it generates real ideas rather than developing tunnel vision.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

77. Gore Was Their Congressman And Senator As Was His Dad...

Logically he should have assumed that Tennessee's votes were his...

How many other candidates have lost their home states?

Last one I can think of is George McGovern...

I think Woodrow Wilson lost his home state but was he a Virginian or New Jerseyean...


Al Gore was every bit a Tennessean...

[TornadoTN]

83. Your preaching to the choir

I know exactly what you are saying and I agree with it. But that's not the way a lot of people saw it across the state. Blame on the media and poor damage control by the campaign, but Gore was never seen a Tennessean in that race. A lot of Tennesseans felt that he had forgotten about them when he became Vice President.

My father, who has always been an Independent was saying the same thing in 2000. I, myself, was wondering why Gore decided to overlook Tennessee when the polls showed the race tightening. Bush was making repeated stops in Tennessee and the Gore campaign still felt that the state was theirs anyway. It was those strategic missteps that helped hand the state to Bush when early on it looked like a sure win for Gore.

Imagine how different things would be today if my own state had gone to Gore. While I'm ashamed of it in retrospect, I do understand why people may have been turned off by it at the time. Hopefully people will learn from that misstake.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

89. Nothing To Be Ashamed Of...

You didn't do anything wrong ...

I worked for Gore in 88 and 00...

As a fellow southerner if I have a bias it's in favor of left of center southern Democratic candidates...


Gore didn't spend a lot of time in TN because it was a very close race and his presence was needed elsewhere...


Back to Harold... He overdid it a bit... But one can't ignore the obstacles he had to overcome...

I'm a Floridian... I think the Ford "model" could work here but you can argue Florida is a southern state in geography only...

[Marie26]

39. His vote for the torture bill

was inexcusable, IMO.

[bigtree]

42. Corker would perform the tortures if Bush asked him to

along with almost every member of the republican party

[TornadoTN]

43. That among other things

Recently he even made the comment on the campaign trail that he and the President were friends and got along well. So much so that Bush calls him "Fordy". This was on a campaign stop, where he should have been riding the wave of distrust and unrest against the President rather than rushing in to embrace him. I thought at that moment that Bush himself would come out and give him a hug & a kiss, a la Lieberman.

[Marie26]

59. "Fordy"?

:eyes: Well, at least I won't be so heartbroken if he loses.

[TornadoTN]

60. I swear to you, it's true

It was during a campaign stop in Johnson City, Tennessee that he said it. He's also referenced it a few other times at other places across the state.

To think that Ford thought it was a good thing to trumpet that Bush calls him "Fordy" is beyond me.

[Individualist]

85. as was his vote for warrantless wiretapping.

[Marie26]

87. Wow, I didn't know that.

If there's no difference between the Dem & Rep., why would people vote for the Democrat? I think Ford has chosen a really bad strategy here.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

100. How About Heath Schuler And Gene Taylor?

They are arguably more conservative than many GOPUERS...


But if they are willing to caucus with the Dems then I have no problems with them...

[Marie26]

111. Does that go for Lieberman as well? nt

[DemocratSinceBirth]

117. If Joe Caucuses With The Dems I Can Live With Him.

I haven't joined in the dogpiles here on him but if he doesn't caucus with the Dems I will feel betrayed...

I (mostly) have no problem with right wing Dems if they caucus with the party...

[wholetruth00]

47. In TN, his sking color was the nail in his coffin long time ago.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

51. The Only Southern State The Ford Model Has Ever Worked Is Virginia....

Ironic that the capital of the Old Confederacy was the first southern state to elect an African American to a "high" statewide office...


I put "high" in quotation marks because Georgia's Attorney General is African American...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

48. Ford Did What He Had To Do Be Competitive But It Wasn't Enough.

Sorry, but I never thought he had much of a chance in s statweide race in Tennessee.


Does anybody think a pro-choice, anti death penalty, pro gay marriage,immediate pull out from Iraq Democratic candidate would have fared better in Tennessee?


Respectfully, I don't think some DUers fully understand regional ideological differences...


People here have implied that Harold Ford was a bad guy or a "whore" for the positions he took...

Why don't they run for a statewide position in, say, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Georgia..

[TornadoTN]

57. I believe you are missing my point

I'm not saying he should have been a left-wing liberal, on the contrary, that most certainly would not have worked in Tennessee.

I felt he had a shot in Tennessee at first, mainly because you knew where he stood on the issues and he seemed to be above the common politics that has been pervasive in our state. However, he decided to run to the right as fast as he could when he felt that the base was in his pocket. By doing so, he pushed the middle of the road independant over to Corker because he wasn't showing them any reason why they should vote for him - just that the two candidates had a lot in common. That also may have led to an erosion of support among Democrats that felt he had swayed way too far right rather than trying to be a moderate candidate that appeals to both parties.

Above all, this state is ready for a change and I believed firmly that this was the year that we would elect a Democratic Senator that would represent us well. Harold never defined himself, he never illustrated the differences between himself and Corker or between Democrat and Republican. There is very little difference between Ford and Bush himself on a lot issues and Bush isn't very popular in this state, so why did Ford run towards him rather than away? Ford was too busy triangulating rather than being his own man and running on his own platform. Most voters today in this state are so confused by Ford that they have no idea what he stands for.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

63. My Post Wasn't Really Directed Toward You...

And I did think Harold Ford did over do it... Some of his positions did seem to be taken out of expediency...

All that being said there is a reason there is a dearth of African Africans in high statewide offices. It's just a bit more acute in the south but not by much...


But some DUers, as well intentioned as they might be, have no idea what it takes to win a race in a red or purple state.... I have said this many times... Most folks only talk to folks who think like themselves and consequently think everybody thinks like them.

[TornadoTN]

68. Agreed

That's what I hoped to see with Ford - people opening up from all ideologies and getting behind a candidate. He was doing a masterful job during the summer months of uniting people to a common cause, but then something happened and it all went by the wayside in favor of the new "to the right" Harold. That didn't set well with me and I have an abundance of friends (and family) that are to the right of me or are outright Republicans. Even some of them are trying to figure out what Ford is doing because he is coming across as trying to align himself with Corker rather than to differentiate himself.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

70. Ford Had A Uphill Battle.

After all Tennessee rejected its native son in favor of Dimson in 2000 and hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 1990...

[cutlass442]

118. I agree with you

If Ford had just stuck to being the man he is, the race would
be a whole lot different. Being a quasi-repug is not the way
to win a race. Also, why all the time in Shelby Co.? He should
have the west sewn up, and worked hard in the middle and east.

[mod mom]

56. I don't trust Zogby looks at these polls:

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/#block-views-breaking_polls


Nov 2
Corker (R) 53%, Ford (D) 43%
TN-SEN
Rasmussen
Nov 2
Corker (R) 48%, Ford (D) 47%
TN-SEN
CNN
Oct 31
Corker (R) 52%, Ford (D) 44%
TN-SEN
Zogby Int.
Oct 31
Corker (R) 49%, Ford (D) 48%
TN-SEN
Benenson (D)
Oct 30
Ford (D) 48%, Corker (R) 43%
TN-SEN
Rasmussen
Oct 27
Corker (R) 47%, Ford (D) 46%
TN-SEN
DSCC
Oct 26
Ford (D) 47%, Corker (R) 45%


Example of Zogby in OH Sen Race which the RNC bailed out of:

OH-SEN
Zogby/Reuters
Nov 2
Brown (D) 49%, DeWine (R) 42%
OH-SEN
Zogby Int.
Oct 31
Brown (D) 49%, DeWine (R) 47%
OH-SEN
SurveyUSA
Oct 26
Brown (D) 57%, DeWine (R) 37%
OH-SEN
L.A. Times
Oct 24
Brown (D) 47%, DeWine (R) 39%
OH-SEN
Mason-Dixon
Oct 24
Brown (D) 48%, DeWine (R) 40%
OH-SEN
Zogby Int.
Oct 19
Brown (D) 49%, DeWine (R) 45%
OH-SEN
NYT/CBS
Oct 17
Brown (D) 48%, DeWine (R) 34%

Zogby hired a known GOP Operative Fritz Wenzel (Whose son is Coalitions Coordinator for the OHIO Republican Party) and since then their polls have differed vastly from others.

[Nimrod2005]

61. I still think Ford is going to win...He is a strong candidate

More importantly, perfect for TN.

[TornadoTN]

65. Lets hope - but I don't think he's perfect by any stretch

His continual support of the Bush administration policies on Iraq and the war on "terra" make him less than ideal. Most Tennesseans are sick and tired of the war, among other things. If we truly had a candidate that was outspoken about the war rather than Ford's incessant "stay the course-esque" position, I think you would see a lot more support for the Democratic party.

Quite simply, there just isn't enough difference where it counts to make people switch.

But here's to hoping we can pull this one out and give Ford a shot.

[progressivebydesign]

97. Sad, though, that attack ads and sleazy tactics seem to work.

Sounds like the GOP has made sure they sleazed things up, and apparently many voters (all the while bemoaning negative ads) are falling for them.

[goforit]

64. A lightenning bolt to all MODERATE DLCrs!!!!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

66. I Can Come Up With Fifteen To Twenty Five Moderate Democratic Senators If Given Enough Time

eom

[Radical Activist]

67. Conviction wins votes.

Too bad most Democrats just don't get it.

[Tatiana]

69. I still believe Ford will put this one out - it'll be a tight race, though.

And Ford has made extremely poor decisions in the home stretch of this race. Hell, it's TN. He isn't going to pull in any Republican voters. They will either vote for the Republican or stay home. He should have been trying to appeal to the Gore-type Democrats and independents. AND he should have simply left the Kerry situation alone.

Honestly, for such a smart man, I can't believe Harold has been so stupid. This type of whorish, pseudo-Repuke behavior is beneath him.

[TornadoTN]

72. You summed up all of my thoughts in your post!

I have been rambling about all morning on this topic because it really is bothering me and here you come and steal my thunder by wrapping it up in a short post!

:toast: :rofl:

[DemocratSinceBirth]

73. What Gore -type Democrats?

The Gore-type Democrats in Tennessee who rejected Gore in favor of Dimson in 2000 and handed him the presidency...


If Tennessee voters gave their presidential votes to their native son as home state voters presumably do Dimson would never have been president...

[TornadoTN]

76. The pre-Vice Presidency Gore Democrats

When Gore became Vice President, he disconnected himself from Tennessee to some extent. In fact, he barely even campaigned in Tennessee during the 2000 election. That disconnect led to his defeat because a lot of voters just didn't feel any connection with him at all.

Sure, it's silly for people to take that approach, but I have talked to a lot of people that have indicated that this is precisely what happened. A lot of them are now regretting their vote and voting Democratic.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

81. Respectfully... The Fact That Dimson Beat Gore In TN In 2000

Respectfully the fact that Dimson beat Gore in TN in 2000 blows the argument that Ford will lose because he's not "Democratic" enough right out of the water to any fair person...

And it wasn't particularly close... I think Dimson beat Gore in TN 51%-47%...


If Tennessee gave their votes to their native son like home state voters by tradition usually do we would have been spared our long national nightmare...

[spanone]

74. Corker just stuck another MILLION bucks of his own money into campaign.

The nastiest ads money can buy.

[wisteria]

75. The "call me "ad gave the people of TN a good excuse not to

vote for Ford. Not voting for him simply because of his race wasn't honest, but not voting for him because he used bad judgment in partying at the playboy mansion opened him up to charges of not having the moral convictions he claimed to have.

I want to know when our party is going to stop pandering to get the Southern vote. Campaign, present our platform, talk about ideas, but don't try to manufacture a candidate that is a clone Republican.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

94. He Didn't Party At The Playboy Mansion In Beverly Hills...

He went to a party sponsored by Playboy in Jacksonville during SuperBowl week... Huge difference...

[wisteria]

115. Oh, I know, but people don't care about the details unfortunately. n/t

[Horse with no Name]

78. People are ready for a change

If he isn't appealing to voters as a "breath of fresh air"...then they will fall back to the old adage that "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know".
Pity. It was Ford's race to lose.

[ScreamingWhisper]

88. The Ford family has been a fixture in politics from my area of West TN

for as long as I can remember. I was hoping that Jr. would finally be able to lead his family name out of the
malaise of negativity that surrounds the Ford name. He's taken (mostly) the high road in this campaign, compared to Corker.
Tennessee has always been conservative (D & R)...so I've been holding my breath this election season to see if Jr. could finally soar out of his Father's and Uncle's shady shadows. Many in this district felt he was appointed his congressional seat (sorta like a dynasty...) and I felt this was the first opportunity for Jr. to really show his stuff and shine.

Still holding my breath....

[TornadoTN]

91. Welcome to DU!

Glad to have you aboard as a fellow Tennessean.

Through my disappointment over Ford, I'm still holding onto a glimmer of hope.

[ScreamingWhisper]

93. Thanks. Same backatcha

[emdee]

104. Welcome to DU from another West Tennessean...

My county usually goes Democratic - I'll be anxious to see if Ford wins this county whether he wins the state or not.

Oh, I don't think I can stand hearing Corker - I think he even grates on my nerves moreso than Frist! And, that's saying an awful lot.

It will be funny, however, when Frist finally realizes that the Republican Party is finished with him and will NOT back his run at the Presidency. He's been their lapdog all these years and they'll drop him like a used hot potato.

We in Tennessee had best be wide awake before any surgeries --- I'd hate to know he was my surgeon if he goes back into practice.

emdee

[brentspeak]

92. Tornado, don't throw in the towel

Do what you can to build up the Tenn. Democratic party to what it once was. If you can find genuine, true-blue Democratic candidates, make them the primary voice of the Tennessee Democrats.

[TornadoTN]

106. That's another issue entirely

We have tried to get candidates that are more left of center, but the powers that be in the TNDP always overrule it and dump money and resources elsewhere - even when the candidate is a proven winner. They always seem to want the Right of Center candidate in any race and will go to any lengths to have it. It's almost as if they don't want any debate or discussion on the real issues, they just want the races to be personal attacks and baseless accusations.

I donate a sizable amount to the party and to the candidates during election cycles, but I'm not going to be doing so to the state party any longer. Maybe once they realize that there is more to the party than just trying to play nice with Republicans, we will see things start to change in our state.

[progressivebydesign]

95. Did I just read the Ford jumped on the attack Kerry bandwagon? n/t

[ecstatic]

98. Or is it Kerry's big mouth that destroyed his hopes? nt

[DemocratSinceBirth]

102. I Don't Blame Kerry For This...

This was an uphill race...


This was coming...

[politicasista]

113. I don't blame Kerry either

I live in TN. We have no media here. Everyone knew before the GE started that this would be an uphill race for Harold because he would be the first black senator from a southern state since Reconstruction. Unfortunately, racism still exists here, long before the tacky race baiting ad came along.

I am still hopeful he can pull this out although Corker, Frist, Alexander, and the RNC will stop at nothing.

[emdee]

99. I'm in Tennessee....

most people I talk to go back to the Ford name. "I can't vote for a Ford." When I try to tell them that we all have family members who do wrong and then ask what Jr specifically has done, they don't know.

Jr has botched this himself. I was furious yesterday when I found out that he wanted Kerry to apologize. That just showed weakness.

I don't want to give up the race so quickly and would be ashamed to vote for Corker personally, I see many who are going to do just that.

emdee

[LaPera]

103. I've only seen Ford one time-On Bill Maher & I thought, I'd never vote for this asshole....

I thought wow, what an uptight conservative humourless "democrat" I also thought he was playing some kind of role...so righteous and Christian with the Ten Commandments on the back of his business cards...I live in California (not TN) and I thought to myself... I'd never vote for this asshole, maybe, perhaps, I would only because he was calling himself a "Democrat" and there was no one else more liberal & progressive on the ballot...again, I don't live in TN....

And I don't watch any television news, but from what I saw last week on Bill Maher's show, Real Time on HBO, I saw either a phony actor or an uptight judgemental robot...Talk about someone who needs to lighten up and not take himself too seriously...

I'm sure last weeks "performance" on Bill Maher did nothing to help himself.

And jumping on fellow Democrat John Kerry this week certainly didn't help himself in my eyes either!

[WI_DEM]

110. interestingly Ford began to fall after than racist ad--so what does that say?

[ProgressiveEconomist]

112. IMO Ford's support may not really have changed very much--the new

numbers may just reflect more honesty among poll respondents.

The "Playboy Bunny" ad may have emboldened those who previously would have expressed false support for Ford. The ad and its saturation coverage in the national media may have made it "OK" to tell the truth by showing there were tens of thousands of Tennesseans who regarded a Black man's Senate aspirations as a joke. After the ad appeared, it may have clicked in the minds of closet racists that, "It's not just me--it's OK to tell a Yankee pollster my real feelings about a Black candidate."

The 10-15 percent swing is in the range of the Election Day surprises experienced by Doug Wilder (VA governor), David Dinkins (NYC mayor), and other candidates who became the first Blacks to win the offices they sought. While they were far ahead in pre-election polls, they won by whiskers on Election Day.

The only major Black candidate not to experience this phenomenon was Sen. Carol Mosely Braun of IL--and her Republican opponent also was Black, confirming the pre-election poll "bias" as a racial phenomienon.

[WCGreen]

116. The momentum seems to be heaed toward the Corkster...