Back in the day, when the brotha was in the House and seen as a rising star in the Democratic Caucus, I would see Harold Ford, Jr. at the Starbucks on Pennsylvania and 3rd, SE. I'd be reading some history book for class, and I caught his eye occasionally when he was in there. We'd do some bourgie version of a brotha nod, and both return to our respective worlds.
I didn't feel like I'd gained a measure of the man until he ran for the Senate in Tennessee. And what a measure it was. Ford became a Southern Republican in every way except that he was black and still some version of a Democrat. That is all well and good. In the end, however, that drag didn't really work for Ford (and this ad didn't help much either).
So Ford packed his bags and moved to the Big Apple. Cool. If one has an opportunity to cash in, then I say do you. And he has. But when I heard that he was considering a run for the Senate in New York, as a Democrat, I shook my head and laughed.
Ford is making a fool of himself, and he is smarter than that. He has a solid record of his own to run on. I may not agree with much of it, but it is his record nonetheless. It becomes a question of integrity, when he goes about doing as he has done. Ford is trying to be all things to all people, and the folks of New York aren't buying it. And now, as posted over at Rod 2.0, Ford is refusing to do interviews with the New York press, seemingly for fear of being asked substantive questions on his record.
I wonder if Ford is afraid that his actual political record will show that he is essentially to the right of Republican Dede Scozzafava,and we know what happened to her. The New York GOP may be looking for a potentially charismatic black candidate for a major office. Perhaps Ford should look there, since he seems determined to challenge Senator Gillibrand.
BTW, check Rod 2.0 for this series of posts on Ford.
4 comments:
Ford strikes me as a Democrat version of Mitt Romney. When he was running for Governor of Massachusetts Romney could "do" liberal. Running for President he could renounce his entire record as Governor and "do" conservative.
The guy has no convictions that can't be changed to fit political expediency.
I don't think Ford has a ghost of a chance in N.Y. A lot of people may not be able to grasp the complexity of policy issues, but they can spot a phony pretty fast.
I can only hope Harold joins the Republican Party.
What is with all the southerners bringing their carpet bags and political ambitions up north?
I think Hillary's progressive bonafides were more palatable to New Yorkers than Ford's socially conservative positions will be.
On the other hand...I think he'd be a slam dunk running as a Republican.
what worries me is that if Ford gets momentum then will have to see X-Mayor-Rudy ONE MORE TIME proving that he IS New York always was and will be - - - I mean I think HRC was bad, but HF.Jr. might cause him to declare himself as "candidate-for-NY-for-life"
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