Harold Ford Jr. - Disrespectful Sissy

On Saturday, July 9th, Harold Ford Jr. was supposed to make a speech to the Democracy for Tennessee Convention. Representative Ford was invited to this event two months ago and had as of Wednesday the 6th confirmed through his staff he would be defintely coming to the event. Many of the attendees of the convention didn't think would actually attend. Even though almost every one was a democrat, it would have been a tough crowd. (The last thing Harold Ford would like to do is speak to an informed, progressive crowd. A root canal would probably be more preferrable for him.) I know at least two of the questions he would have faced. 1. Do you regret voting for the Terry Schiavo bill now? 2. With new apparent ethics violations by Congressmen Cunningham of California, Nye of Ohio, and even more for Tom Delay, why haven't the democrats in Congress and specifically you , not filed for an ethics investigation? One way or the other Representative Ford, you are leaving the Congress. So why not try to help clean-up the place before you go?
If Ford had attended the event, I and all the other activists may not have liked him any more but at least we would have gained an ounce of respect for the man. It takes someone with a backbone to stand up and take his lickings. But here is the problem with Harold Ford jr. He doesn't have a backbone. Because of that backbone impairedness, Representative Ford turned 125 democratic activists from being merely unexcited to postively hostile about his campaign. Good job! (In fact it is about as good a job as that sorry commercial about the Iraq War you have running on TV. What exactly are you saying in that commercial? "I, Harold Ford jr. have been to Iraq. It really sucks there and I have no idea what the US should do. Therefore, I will spout 15 seconds of empty rhetoric. P.S. I'm not John.")
Today, Harold Ford jr. looks weak. He has nowhere to go with his campaign. He can't campaign against Bush (Hell, he voted for almost everything Bush wanted.) and he can't go back to the left because of the bankruptcy bill, Schiavo, and his flirting with republicans about SS privatization before polls showed it was unpopular. (Note for Ford-The progressives in the state don't like you and don't trust you. Good luck on getting a job at MSNBC after you loose this election! Say hello to Keith Olberman for us.) It is becoming painfully clear that he may be a paper tiger. Never having been in a tough campaign is hurting him. I will give Harold Ford jr his due. He is a slick and talented politican. He can be funny and charismatic. It is just to bad he doesn't believe in anything. He's stuck with running a hollow, republican-lite campaign during a time when republican-lite is quickly becoming a pejorative term in the Democratic Party. It sure will be tough to reinvent yourself Harold.
In addition, Ford left Kurita the opprotunity to capitalize on his mistakes. Six months ago, Kurita was, to be honest, a bad candidate. She didn't have a message and seemed unprepared for prime-time. Perhaps she bet Ford would not run and was caught flat-footed. On Saturday, she still had a couple issues about which she needed to tighten up her responses (particularly about the war), but she was a hundred times better than just 2 months ago. If her learning curve is this steep, in another six months Harold Ford jr could be running against an Ann Richards clone. (She'll be out there proposing ethics legistation in the Senate and traveling around the state shooting guns at campaign events. Imagine Ford shooting a gun. It's like Dukakis in that tank. Down right emasculating.) Plus, Kurita got to pummel him in front of these 125 activists. Guess what they were all saying after her speech? "She is still a little too conservative but at least she stands up for what she believes in and she's not a disrespectful sissy like Harold Ford jr."