DEFENDING HAROLD FORD
No, I have NOT lost my mind. And you read the title correctly.
Face it, I don't like Harold Ford's politics. 'Nuff said. But when people start attacking the man because he's a bachelor and has no kids (which is a plus because too many brothers have kids they aren't taking care of out of wedlock), well, my instincts as a Christian kick in and I have to defend this guy's right to live his life the way he sees fit, married or not.
From the comments board at Half-Bakered:
The way to beat Ford is for his opponent (whomever that may be) to play up the 'wife and family, regular guy' angle. Ford is a bachelor with no kids and he never worked in a normal job in his life. As heir to a political dynasty he went to college and law school and then straight to congress. No joke. He graduated law school in Spring '96 and started campaigning that summer.
His opponent should have years of experience doing something in the private sector and preferably a wife and a few kids. Mention them often. What's Ford got? An empty house, corrupt relatives, and experience doing nothing but politics. As a long time Ford follower I would be shocked, stunned really, if he won the Senate rate. What he's selling won't find many buyers in Middle and East TN.
Rant Wraith Homepage 07.28.05 - 12:15 am #
And here's my response:
Two comments:
One blogger said to play up the fact that Harold Ford is a bachelor and has no kids. What does that have to do with his qualifications to be in the U. S. Senate? Personal attacks on Mr. Ford's private life aren't warranted, and I say this as one who believes his political stances spell "selling out for personal gain."Many married politicos are closeted gays and are currently being exposed as the hypocrites they are, especially those espousing family values. So, IMO, a candidate's private life should remain that, unless it influences his/her stances on political policy. Has anyone gone after Rosalind Kurita for the same things as you have with Harold Ford?
Two, Ford's voting record (Bankruptcy Bill, School Vouchers, Privatization of Social Security, and elimination of social programs designed in FDR's "New Deal" to assist the poor and downtrodden) are the REAL issues. His positions on them sucks BIG TIME, and that's what all of you in Tennessee should focus on. The things that his father's generation benefitted from, as well as himself, are those programs he seeks to trash. He is aware of my positions on these issues, because I've told him about them during Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Weekend on several occasions when I've had the opportunity. Like any self-seeking politico, he blew me off, until those of you in Memphis, not drunk on the GOP Kool-Aid, started lighting fires under his collective horses' rear end on the matter, and forced him to publicly change his position. Politicians who respond in this manner will say and do anything to retain public office, regardless of their first obligation, which is to serve the people who elected them.
Should he become your Senator, God help all of you, because he really will be no better than Zell Miller. But his lack of a wife and kids should not be the issue in this campaign. Even though I hate his policies, I would also hope he's not pressured to go get a wife just to cater to what you think should be seen in a candidate.
Example: Rep. Don Sherwood is a married father of three daughters, who is being accused of physically abusing his 29 year old mistress of five years by choking her. The married politicos are either married and having affairs on the side, or married and having homosexual affairs. As much as I dislike Ford's political views, he's more honest by remaining a bachelor until he finds a woman who he loves and who loves him, regardless of whether or not he wins that Senate seat.
Flame away. Oh, and Harold? I'd defend anyone who's attacked personally, because IMO, it's your qualifications to do the job, and not your personal life that counts.
Now, allow me to go back to ranting about this guy's POLITICS...yeesh
posted by The Christian Progressive Liberal at 9:14 AM
2 Comments:
hello. i know that Ford has some issues that we liberals don't agree with.
However, people can change their minds on issues once elected. Take Frist and the stem cell research debacle, for example.
remember that the main issue is do we want someone like ford who doesn't hold the exact ideals that we hold or do we want a conservative, someone who will destroy our civil liberties, control our private lives through jesus christ, vote for wars and war budgets for invasions based on lies for the sole purpose of exploiting natural resources belonging to sovereign nations, "supporting the troops" by stripping them of their veteran benefits, appointing federal judges that are anti-affirmative action and anti-environment, voting for CAFTA, voting to export jobs, voting to protect big business through, cutting taxes for the rich and burdening the working class and the poor to make up for it, etc. etc. ?
i am tired of people outside of tennessee criticizing our democrat candidates. You don't know what it's like to live in this state. You don't know what it's like to realize that no matter who you vote for, the christian control freak racist conserrvatives outnumber you by 3:1 and the person you vote for probably won't win. but you try and try again every time there's an election.
you people who live outside of the south have the luxury to step outside the moderate box.
ford, unlike obama, doesn't have that luxury. in order to get votes in this state for the Senate seat, he is going to have to pander to racist religious control freaks.
let's stand behind what we're given in this southern state, and when he's elected then we can have these conversations.
you have to crawl before you run!
Hi, Banana, and thanks for visiting the blog:
Okay, let's go with your example - but please remember, I've met Harold up close and personal, and nothing he said or did convinced me that he had the best interests of those of you in Memphis at hand.
I have relatives who live in Memphis, and it is what they tell me, coupled with being acquainted (and not that much) with Harold that I comment as I do.
I understand that he has to play to a large constituency outside of Memphis that still worship Nathan Bedford Forrest - however, you don't have to trash your own family in order to distinguish yourself from them. His last name is FORD - therefore, more or less, he's expected to be a politico in the same mold of John, Joe, Harold, Sr and now, Ophelia, who I understand ran against Joe for a political office (I would love to be a fly on the wall during holiday gatherings after THAT happened, LOL)
I'm not saying Harold should march lockstep with liberal Democrats - some do have good ideas. What gives me heartburn is that he votes on legislation that could either directly help constituents in the 9th district or harm them irreperably (you think you in Tennessee can afford that BK legislation if you get sick or lose your job, cause in Cali, we're already running for cover).
School vouchers work when they're fully funded. Why doesn't Harold mention that fact?
He initially supported the Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. Connecticut. So now, if Wal-Mart wants to build a supercenter and your house is in the way, according to Kelo, the Government and Corporations can take your house and to hell with you and protesting!
Frist is a joke and should be replaced. Obama got in easily, but he's starting to act like Harold when he was elected on a progressive TICKET. I can tell you, if Obama doesn't clean up HIS ACT, he will be a one-term Senator.
Harold has a lot of promise, as long as he listens to wise counsel and I've said that about him, too. What worries me is his "I'll do anything to get that Senate seat" attitude, if it means prostituting himself to the highest bidder or trashing Uncle John and calling him a public embarrassment to score points with whites in East Tenneessee.
I think Whites in Tennessee want to see an alternative to Bill Frist, but if it's an African-American, how much more does that brother needs to stand for something and quit falling for anything that's politcally expedient to his personal agenda.
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