Tennessee Dems Content With Ford?
In my life as a freelance writer I had been working on an article for a local publication about Tennessee State Senator Rosalind Kurita, who is currently running for the U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated by Bill Frist. Recently, my editor told me to stop working on the article, saying, "Honestly, I think the moment has passed on this. We talked about it . . . when Kurita still had some chatter. She doesn't now."
She's right. Six months ago Rosalind Kurita seemed to be in position to make the campaign interesting. Now, with months still to go until the primary, Harold Ford, Jr. is the assumed Democratic nominee. (Kurita's staff may have hurt her chances by not communicating well with writers trying to cover her campaign.)
As an independent, I don't vote in primaries; so what will this mean for the general election? I suppose Dems have some bonus time to build up Ford while Ed Bryant and Bob Corker duke it out for the Republican nod (sorry Van). Ford certainly has name recognition and boyish good looks, and the fact that he has served in the U.S. House for ten years makes him a much stronger candidate than Kurita. On the other hand, Ford has more baggage and could be an easy target for the GOP. He was educated on the east coast, failed the Tennessee bar exam (as did Republican candidate Van Hilleary), and will have to distance himself from the black sheep in his family. Some Dems may find Ford's voting record worrisome. Kurita, though conventional wisdom says she would get beaten soundly in a general election, is spotless by comparison, and her career as a nurse could be endearing to Tennessee voters. She has also pulled electoral upsets in the past (albeit never in a statewide election).
But Ford is the obvious Democratic choice to fill Bill Frist's seat and honestly has been for years. If he wins in November, he would be the first popularly elected African-American Senator in the former Confederacy. Sadly and inexcusably, a Rasmussen poll found that, "Thirteen percent (13%) of Tennessee voters say they know family members or friends who will vote against Ford because of his race." Part of me wants to see Ford win just to make those people angry.
She's right. Six months ago Rosalind Kurita seemed to be in position to make the campaign interesting. Now, with months still to go until the primary, Harold Ford, Jr. is the assumed Democratic nominee. (Kurita's staff may have hurt her chances by not communicating well with writers trying to cover her campaign.)
As an independent, I don't vote in primaries; so what will this mean for the general election? I suppose Dems have some bonus time to build up Ford while Ed Bryant and Bob Corker duke it out for the Republican nod (sorry Van). Ford certainly has name recognition and boyish good looks, and the fact that he has served in the U.S. House for ten years makes him a much stronger candidate than Kurita. On the other hand, Ford has more baggage and could be an easy target for the GOP. He was educated on the east coast, failed the Tennessee bar exam (as did Republican candidate Van Hilleary), and will have to distance himself from the black sheep in his family. Some Dems may find Ford's voting record worrisome. Kurita, though conventional wisdom says she would get beaten soundly in a general election, is spotless by comparison, and her career as a nurse could be endearing to Tennessee voters. She has also pulled electoral upsets in the past (albeit never in a statewide election).
But Ford is the obvious Democratic choice to fill Bill Frist's seat and honestly has been for years. If he wins in November, he would be the first popularly elected African-American Senator in the former Confederacy. Sadly and inexcusably, a Rasmussen poll found that, "Thirteen percent (13%) of Tennessee voters say they know family members or friends who will vote against Ford because of his race." Part of me wants to see Ford win just to make those people angry.
posted by Tinley | 3:29 AM
1 Comments:
This race could prove to be interesting. I like Rosalind (she was my state senator when I lived in Middle TN), but she doesn't have the name recognition that Ford has. Ford does have the family baggage (every family has a crazy uncle...right?) to contend with, but he has done well in Washington. His voting record may cause indigestion for a few of the folks on the far left of the party...but not as much indigestion as would be caused by an Ed (Looney Tunes) Bryant in the seat.
Wayne
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