Get off of Harold Ford's back already. We need a Senate Majority

[Perky]

A liberal can not win in Tennessee. He is within the Margin of error and had a great chance to be the first african-american senator for the deep south since reconstruction.

That alone in the Solid Republican South is huge. DINO or not...I really do not care. I want him to win.

To be a majority party in either house of Congress you have to have some moderate to conservative Dem's. If nothing else it is a geopolitical reality. You can not define the party based solely on social issues. The Reagan coalition brought together social conservatives, fiscal conservatives and those who want a huge defense department.

Just like the Repukes have to hold their noses and have a Lincoln Chaffee,as a Party we have to have some pro-life elements (Casey). some fiscal conservatives (Ford) and some folks who are pro-war on terror (Lieberman). Ben Nelson is not my cup of tea but I will take him too.

I am not enthusiastic about Jim Webb, but I will vote for him over Macaca Allen any day.

It is the nature of coalition politics.

I would take these four and Leahy as head of Judiciary and Levin leading Armed Forces any day, any time.

You might not like an individual's politics but the party can not allow itself to be defined solely on the basis of social policy issues.

BEING THE MAJORITY PARTY IS EVERYTHING when we have an idiot in the White House. It is all that matters.

[Perky]

1. kick to the top droppped waaaay too fast

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. You Need A Catchier Title...

eom

[vi5]

2. People in TN can do what they want...

And if I lived in a place like that where he was my only choice then I would vote for him.

But since I live in the actual progressive, tolerant state that made this decision and that he deems himself fit to criticize then I'm lucky that I don't have to hold my nose and vote for him. And I'm perfectly within my rights to say that I think he's a pandering SOB.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Is It Better To Win By Pandering Or Lose By Being Principled?

Should the perfect be the enemy of the good?

[vi5]

7. Again, I'm not saying he should or shouldn't......

I'm just asking that people not ask me to like it, or for me to be happy when someone from one of those precious, delicate red states whose values and decisions we're constantly being told we have to be so respectful of, doesn't return the favor.

I honestly don't give a shit if Ford is bigoted against gays, or if TN in general is. But when you criticize a decision in my state that has nothing to do with you or your state then I don't have to like it and I don't have to shut up about it.

[alarimer]

8. I unfortunately live in a red state (Texas)

I certainly would never vote for Ford for national office. I sure as hell hope he never runs for President.

The decision from NJ does not apply anywhere else. I wonder when the south and other areas of this country are going to join us in the 21st Century? I am really tired of hearing politicians pandering to bigots, wherever they might be.

[NaturalHigh]

9. I live in one of those "delicate red states"...

and I can tell you that Ford would probably be considered fairly liberal here. Most of us who are moderate are considered liberal. Sorry if we're not "progressive" enough to suit your tastes, but we Democrats in red states get pretty sick of being criticized because we don't meet up with certain ideological standards. It seems to me you want our votes but want to talk smack about us and pretty much disregard our feelings on issues. In that regard, the liberal faction of the Democratic party is very similar to the Republicans.

[vi5]

11. I'm far from the liberal faction...

...and Ford is the one talking "smack" here about my state.

[NaturalHigh]

29. I must have missed what you're talking about.

What state are you from, and what did Ford say?

[vi5]

30. I'm from NJ...

...and Ford commented on his disagreement with the NJ decision regarding gay marriage.

Which, as I've said in numerous posts is fine and it's his right to say what he wants and it's the voters in his state to decide what they want both from a representitive and on the issue of gay marriage. But after years of listening to red staters say that we blue staters don't have any right to criticize them for the decisions made in their states, based off of their values, and that we should just keep our noses out of it, for someone to go and do the reverse and then for people to suddenly decide it's o.k. to do this is rich in irony to say the least.

And again, my issue is more so that this is a man who appealed to people to condemn his opponent pandering to bigotry and prejudice (with regard to the racially tinged ads) and who then turns around and panders to bigotry and prejudice to score cheap political points of his own. Anyone who can't recognize that hypocricy just boggles my mind.

And again, I'm not and idiot so I understand the cold, hard pragmatic reality of the situation. I'm just saying it sucks.

[NaturalHigh]

31. I hadn't heard that he criticized the NJ decision.

I do know, however, that Oklahoma took a lot of flack here when over 80% of us voted for the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in our state.

[SouthernBelle82]

19. Ford has stayed out of the CT race except

the primary. I have followed Ford and haven't heard him speak about the CT race since Lamont won the primary so back off.

[vi5]

28. Uh, where in my post did I mention the CT race?

I'm from NJ. Ford felt compelled to bring my state into his pandering when he decried the progressive decision made by the NJ court. That's what I was referring to. So I will not back off.

[PassingFair]

4. Isn't Al Gore from Tennessee? n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. And

As a young congressman he favored the Hyde Amendment and wasn't friendly to gay causes.

[SouthernBelle82]

20. Or to us women

He for a long time thought that the government shouldn't pay for women to have abortion's.

[TahitiNut]

13. Let's not trouble the DLCers with facts.

:eyes:

It's funny how often we hear this lame, unprincipled excuse for "purple" Dems in red states, but fail to observe the scarlet reichbots in blue states. Duncan Hunter? Duke Cunningham? Peter King? (Sheesh!)

[The Anti-Neo Con]

10. He's still better than Corker.

Hands down better. I would hope you DUers from TN would vote for Ford over Corker.

[Orsino]

12. Get Harold off our backs.

He's got no business pandering to the bigots.

[SouthernBelle82]

22. So you want

Corker instead right? Someone who would never even listen to you and only would care about himself and money. I suggest you take a good hard look at Corker before you spew your shit. Ford is far from perfect but he does progress and he can change and listen if enough people speak to him. So are you a TN voter? If not than you have no say. I as a TN voter do.

[Beacho]

14. I'm as 'anti-DLC' as they come

But my gripe is them acting as gatekeepers to the party.

They're welcome to a seat at the table, but not BUYING the table and saying who can sit and where.

So anyone saying Ford's involvement with the DLC means we should elect that crooked ass, dung eating, race baiter Corker is off base

in my humble opinion, of course

[WI_DEM]

15. It's about civil rights

it has nothing to do with gay marriage but about civil rights. Here Ford is being attacked by his opponent for the color of his skin--and that is reprehensible. Yet, Ford had a chance to speak out on the civil rights of others and he didn't. Yet we are all aghast at the attacks on Ford--the jungle beats and all of that shit by his opponent. I think maybe sometimes even in elections you have to stand for something and on the issue of civil rights Ford fumbled. Sure I want Ford to win--Corker is an out and out racist and doesn't try to disguise it. Ford is a panderer, but he might in the end vote right on some issues. But in all liklihood he will be worse than Lieberman on many issues.

[madfloridian]

16. Memo to women

memo to the gay community....

From: the Christians and "conservatives" in your own party.

You are not as important as winning.

That is the message.

I don't accept excuses from red states, so-called, for stepping on rights that others should have.

I have excused it before, but I don't anymore.

[Perky]

17. Give me a frigging break

That is not what is being said in the least. You seem to not understand the difference between legislative and executive power. FIrst of all you are overstatating Ford's positions secondly, he is, if elected one voice in 100.

You would rather have Corker?

You would rather have a GOP controlled Senate?

I would hold my nose and vote for Ford to get that done. If you won't then find another party, because you do greater damage to this nation if you would rather have the GOP in control of the Senate then Harold Ford as a single voice among 100.

[Generator]

21. Has anyone on this great powerhouse of political thought of DU

Sorry but it's so obvious it makes me ill-that with DINOS in the Senate to make a majority it won't be a majority????????????????

Ford, Landrieu, fill in your favorite "we must vote for them" name here..will continue to vote with the Republicans.

It will be a Democrat in name only controlled congress. Why do you EXPECT them to change their values with a Dem majority,like they will magically whip off thier DINO cloaks to reveal the true Dem underneath?

And then presto, chango AMERICA is SAVED!!!!!

The most logical expectation of future behavior is past behavior. Of course evolution is possible. But a little leaning and favors should get them on the Republicans side that they so seem to want to be anyway in no time.

[Perky]

26. AGain a failure to undersdatnd the nature of the Senate.

Power is posited in committee chairman. Leahey as Chairman of the Judiciary is incredibly important given the potential for retiring justices.

Harold is nothing but a voice. Leahey gets the gavel and that is huge.

[SouthernBelle82]

24. And I love

how you lump all of us TN voters in the same. I don't care about winning. I care about who will do a better job for my state and actually care about my state. We are in such a horrible position in my state and Corker WILL make it worse. I care about that and I care about someone who wants to balance a budget and try to work out the health care system here which is in horrible conditions. It isn't about winning and if Ford is the person who can try to help fix this state then so be it. And because Ford doesn't jump up and do this and that doesn't mean this or that won't happen. You find me a candidate that will step up to lead and cares about the issues that you find that are important right now than so be it and get that person to win. Good luck! But if you're not a TN voter you don't have a say in who the people have chosen and the fact is that Ford won the primary so why don't you respect the wishes of the voters? Or does only democracy matter when you get your say and not anybody else?

[SouthernBelle82]

18. Yes

I agree as a Tennessean voter. Ford and Kurita are both pretty conservative for candidates for liberal me but I Ford is a good fighter and even though there is a good number of reason's to not like Ford on some of his past position's but he is way better than crook Corker. Also Ford voted I believe against CAFTA is what it was and he said it was because a mother and daughter came to talk to him about it so that showed me he listens and he signed onto John Conyers's Downing Street Minutes memo petition (one of the first twenty-five or so) so that shows me he's serious about Iraq. And yes it is important to gain control of the majority.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. Harold also voted for torture.

[SouthernBelle82]

25. And that's a shame but

Ford still won the primary and was chosen by the voters.

[mitchtv]

27. Ok Ok I got it... Porker is worse than Ford

I can't talk, having voted for Feinstein. I still smell intolerance. I'd wish him luck, except I heard that amendment shit again today. So I wish him Gay progeny

[Tennessee Gal]

32. Gay marriage is on the ballot here!

Ford wasn't trying to interfere with anything about CT.

[NaturalHigh]

33. Gay marriage is on the TN ballot?

I didn't realize that. If Ford were to speak out in favor of gay marriage or even the NJ court decision, he would probably get his ass handed to him in the general election.