Ford should have taken a page from Sherrod Brown

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

You don't have to run as a slightly-less offensive wingnut to get rural voters.

Instead of screaming 'me too' for every idiotic position the gop has, brown has taken economic issues to the voters with positions they relate to—much like the great Mr. Wellstone.

the DLC fake GOP-lite thing doesn't fool anyone who votes by wingnut standards.

That's why Brown's winning handily and Ford's ambitious, egotistical phony ass is barely hanging on

and as a WV Democrat, I'm constantly insulted by the DLC's contempt for people here

Dean has it right with the 50-state strategy and come election day, don't let the self-serving guys like Rahm and co. take all the credit for their non-campaigns

[FredScuttle]

1. Thank you

Ford is a fraudulent Democrat, a sellout to every principle the party used to hold dear. And many posters on this board are all to eager to enable his dereliction of duty all in the name of winning one Senate seat. Pathetic.

[VeggieTart]

2. I felt like throwing up when I saw the clip on Countdown

Harold Ford, I'm against gay marriage! I'm a Christian. But then I realized, well, it is Tennessee, and they aren't all that progressive when it comes to women, gays, and those who don't identify as Christian.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Another difference is Ohio and Tennessee are different...

...political environments.

In Ohio, Bush officially got 51%, and probably would have lost if there had been enough voting machines provided to black neighborhoods and college campuses.

In Tennessee, Bush got 57%.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

4. Cincy and Nashville are only a few hours apart

we're not dealing with parallel universes here and our party needs to quit buying into this red state/blue state nonsense.

stand for something, articulate and the voters will come

pander to lowest common denominator b.s. like ford and you'll have a hard sell

[Eric J in MN]

5. In Minnesota, nearby Congressional districts...

...with a similar difference of Bush got 51% in one and 57% in another create different environments for candidates.

Bush to 51% in MN-1 and 57% in MN-6.

A lot more money has gone into MN-6 for Patty Wetterling (D), but maybe it would have been better to concentrate on MN-1's Tim Walz (D).

We'll find out on the evening of Tuesday, November 7, 2006.

[TahitiNut]

8. I see that 'logic' a lot on DU, and I wonder ...

... why the GOP doesn't seem to behave the same way in 'blue' states. When I think about that, I can only conclude it's a rationalization (excuse) for an absence of principles and political cowardice. It takes some doing to be more cowardly than the GOP. Funny how Dennis Kucinich seems to win as 'left' as he is. Yeah, I know ... regional differences. Michigan was red ... but Carl Levin seemed to keep winning even when Blanchard was wallowing in the state house. He's far from being a 'DLC Dem'. Now, as the state has swung blue, Debbie Stabenow voted in favor of torture and against habeas corpus - even though she had a 15 point lead and a campaign account to gag a mule.

Duncan Hunter and Duke Cunningham have been some of the absolute worst - in bright blue California. Yeah, I know ... regional differences. Then there's Peter King in New York ... as fascist as they get. Yeah, I know ... regional differences. There's always a 'reason.'

I'd call it "spine" ... and integrity. How much are corporations paying for spine and integrity these days?

:eyes:

[Hippo_Tron]

13. Carl Levin was elected in 1978, things were very different then

[TahitiNut]

14. But HE wasn't.

And he's been re-elected during the abysmal Blanchard years ... and when Michigan went bright red.

[global1]

6. I Guess That's Better Than Ford Taking A Page From Mark Foley...nt

[ruggerson]

7. hey if that's what it takes to elect a Dem in Tennessee

I'm all for it.

I want to win the Senate. Harold Ford is just one cog in the larger picture.

Some people around here can't see the forest for the trees.

[WCGreen]

12. Agreed....

This is a battle in a larger war...

It could prove to be the pivitol battle as well...

The Dem's have been losing so much that even the media looks upon them as loosers...

We need victories that are not expected and then we need to participate in the govenrment and show the country what it is like when adults, serious adults, are running the show...

[JI7]

9. there is a huge difference between running in Tennessee and Ohio

and what it takes to win statewide.

the fact Ford actually is close and has a chance in the state shows how well he is doing. the state is so conservative, Gore lost it even though it was his own home state.

[cnlst8]

10. I agree with JI7. TN is a lot more conservative than OH.

TN is a lot more conservative than OH. What works in OH doesn't mean it will work in TN. For a black Dem candidate to even win there is short of a miracle. It's the sad truth.

[WCGreen]

11. Big difference...

Even in the Rural areas of Ohio, the tradition of strong labor and Unions have legs...

In Tenn., not so much....