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Harold Ford, Jr. Goes On Morning Joe And Finally Sounds Like A Senator

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by Frances Martel | 1:41 pm, March 2nd, 2010

» 9 comments

Harold Ford, Jr., the former Tennessee Democratic Congressman whose non-run for US Senate in New York ushered in the definitive return of the word “carpetbagger” to American political vernacular, appeared on Morning Joe today to reiterate his reasons for not running and expand upon the comments he made in the New York Times op-ed published yesterday announcing his decision not to run. The short version is that he is such a party loyalist that he wants nothing less than a Democratic victory in New York, and while he believes he could have won the primary, it would have been such a tough race that the Republican candidate would have cruised to victory in November. He was surprisingly laid back, believable, and, with a supportive Joe Scarborough on his side, confident. Which begs the question: where was this Harold Ford for the past three months?

For the past two months or so, all the mainstream media was able to get out of Ford were severely economically detached quotes like “I landed there in a helicopter once” in response to being asked whether he had ever visited Staten Island and a messy collection of stories about whether or not he has ever paid property taxes in New York. Today, with the pressure off, Ford finally sounded for the first time like a legitimate candidate, a day after stating more believably than ever that he “refuse[s] to do anything that would help Republicans win a Senate seat in New York, and give the Senate majority to the Republicans.”

Sure, he couldn’t go an entire interview without saying something mildly out-of-touch (“I wish we could all be millionaires… that would’ve been part of my platform”), but, on the whole, this did not look like a man whose political career was just destroyed by a Gawker blogger. “We have not only a leadership void in Washington and Albany, but I think across all political circles,” he said, and finally defended his changes in views in a concrete way – by pointing out that all politicians flip-flop, all the time. “It’s just like there are Senators who are evolving on health care and evolving on the jobs bill,” he argued. “Do we say ‘no, we don’t want you because last week you weren’t in support of it?’ Of course not! We embrace them.”

Joe Scarborough, who has been similarly attacked by his own side of the political aisle for being too moderate, backed him up: “You have been branded as some right-wing nut by the Democratic establishment. Maybe that explains why they’re doing so poorly now across America.”

Watch the segment below:

Harold Ford, Harold Ford Jr., joe scarborough, Kirsten Gillibrand, Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Mika Brzezinski, morning joe, msnbc, New York, senate, Tennessee

marcus.lewis

As a Dem, a Ford v Republican senate race would have been a disaster for the Dems. I don’t really care as much about his policies as much as I care about that he has fundamental policies. He is a panderer who says whatever he believes is politically smart instead of espousing his true convictions. I would vote for a republican who has convictions before I voted for Ford.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Janet-Shan/1127645593 Janet Shan

While I believe Charles Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment strong-armed Harold Ford, Jr., into backing off, I don’t like the fact that he has flip-flopped on many of the policies he agreed on during his term in the House when he represented Tennessee. Seems that as soon as he moved to New York, he beliefs changed drastically. If I lived in NYS and he was on the ballot, I would not have voted for him because he flip-flops.

Besides, there seems to be a racial element to this. Why haven’t we had a strong black or Latino senator from New York State? Okay, maybe not Harold Ford, but a native New Yorker. Seems that they can’t rise to such levels in the Democratic Party in New York State. Sounds a little like Tammany Hall all over again.

http://blackpoliticalthought.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/people/Janet-Shan/1127645593 Janet Shan

Sorry, I meant many of his policies, not agreed on.
Jim R

Joe is always in rare form when his favorite Republican Democrat is in the house. It’s hippie bashing time baby!

Those “extremists” bashing the corporatists in both parties must be marginalized!

You missed the boat, Harold, time to re-invent yourself as a progressive champion before the tides of history sweep you out with the old, tired conservative policies that have repeatedly failed in spectacular fashion.
marcus.lewis

@Janet Shan:
“Why haven’t we had a strong black or Latino senator from New York State?”

Since the 1960s till today, there have only been 10 senators in office. Since 1981, there have only been 5. The last 3 senators from NY have been elected/appointed to office in the last 10 years (well Schumer was 99). Between 1981-1999 no incumbent lost their election, meaning that for 18 years any political new comer who was black or latino, really had no chance.

The 6 year term limits for senators is a huge reason why the makeup of the Senate lacks the diversity that is shown in the US population.

Another interesting fact, since NY’s ratification of the constitution in 1788, there have only been 65 Senators (and that’s about the same as the others who ratified around the same time). When looking at how long these Senators serve, its no surprise that nothing changes. Most of these people stick around for a long time and debate the same issues. Each new Senate session is essentially groundhogs day.
The Real Royal King

Ford needs to cast off Clintonism. That brand of Democratic conservatism worked well for eight (8) years, but it never built a legacy, did it? Without going back and comparing state-by-state, it seems to me that President Obama actually out-performed President Clinton in the South. What I am saying is that Clinton recast himself as a Republican, and he pulled to the right once he was in office. What elected Clinton and kept him in office was: (1) a profound weariness of Raygun policies relentlessly pursued by Poppy; (2) the force of his personality; (3) Gingrich and the Contract on America. President Obama seems to be more adept at reforming a Roosevelt-like coalition. I’m not sure how Ford, an adept politician and the subject of as filthy a campaign as we have had since Chambliss-Cleland, has missed this.
EdinNJ

Feb. Marist poll: Gillenbrand 47 Ford 24
March Marist poll: Gillenbrand 50 Ford 19

Meaning that Ford’s self-proclaimed listening tour, where Gillenbrand hasn’t even been campaigning, he managed to lose support and increase hers.

Perhaps that’s the reason he dropped out?
JamesA1102

I like Ford but thought he sounded like a spoiled child who didn’t get his way.
pyrope

Ford has a nefarious background. Back when he was in Memphis, his father was sent to jail and he narrowly escaped incarceration for racketeering and fraud. So….he pulled a Hillary Clinton and went to New York in hopes of filling a vacuum. Somehow, I don’t even think the Democrats want him around–he’s never going to be a Tier 1 candidate because of his baggage. I think of it this way: Given that the Democrats make room for people like William Jefferson, Charlie “Wrongel,” Chris Dood, Teddy (hic) Kennedy, Patrick (snort) Kennedy, and a host of other reprobates, that is saying a LOT!