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Ford camp meets with top Dems about possible gubernatorial run
A close advisor to former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. met with prominent Tennessee Democratic Party officials recently to talk about Ford’s interest in running for governor in 2010.
Michael Powell, who was a senior advisor to Ford during last year’s unsuccessful try at the U.S. Senate, met with top state Democrats which included state Party Chairman Gray Sasser, former Chairman Randy Button, former Deputy Gov. Dave Cooley and a high ranking official within Gov. Phil Bredesen’s administration.
The main topic discussed in the meetings is Ford’s interest in running for governor in 2010.
Powell couldn’t be reached for comment. But Tom Lee, a Nashville attorney who advised Ford during the Senate campaign, sat in on one of the meetings and said Ford is “deeply interested in public service.”
“And we felt it was important to let people know that he is seriously looking at running for governor in 2010,” Lee said.
“A lot of people have been asking him what his thoughts were, and Harold has always been straightforward with people about that, and so he wanted to be straightforward about this,” Lee said.
Powell also had lunch last week with John Geer, a Vanderbilt University political science professor who currently teaches a class with Ford on the presidential primary process.
Geer said the lunch wasn’t specifically focused on Ford running for governor — more reminiscing about the 2006 election.
But running for governor is something that Ford is “thinking about seriously,” Geer said, and is one of his options.
“It’s something he’s entertaining as a possibility, and it makes sense that he would,” Geer said. “I think he’d be a strong candidate.”
In late July, at the Democratic Leadership Council’s gathering in Nashville, Ford, the DLC’s chairman, was asked to respond to a July 3 squib in the New York Post where he apparently said he was “gonna be governor.”
Ford said his grammar was “much better than that” and he didn’t “respond to gossip.”
But during his speech later at the DLC conference, after saying that he saw how nice Gov. Phil Bredesen’s house was, Ford said that he was going to “mark that down as I go forward.”
Ford running for governor could possibly cause a confrontation with U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-Pall Mall), Ford’s former campaign chairman.
Prior to Ford losing his Senate race, Davis’ name had been associated with seeking the Democratic nomination in 2010 for the governorship.
Now, the pair could either face a primary contest or more likely, one or the other would decide not to run.
“Of all the contenders, Ford is the heavyweight because he has the name recognition,” Geer said.
When asked about Davis already being interested in running, Lee said that the governor’s race is three years away, no one is a candidate yet, and the Ford camp wanted “people to know that he is seriously considering the race.”
“That’s where his thoughts are right now,” Lee said. “And that was the only thing we were tying to communicate.”
Ford spoke this past weekend to the National Rifle Association.
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I have mixed emotion about this news. Every time I see him on Fox I cannot help but think that he easily can be the first Black President of the United States and that is scary.Another loss here may short circuit that but this state dosn't have a history of being to smart when it comes to electing Governors.Not only did we elect Phil the Shill once but we elected him twice and true to form he socked it to us just as he did in his second term as Mayor and his term has just begun.
Harold Jr. repair your home districts first, then come back. Those are the most pitful conditions in this nation. You can do it and everyone will respect you for it
idgaf, did it ever occur to you that Phil was elected twice because he did such a good job the first time? The majority of the people were right and you were wrong, get over it! Oh, and why would it be scary if Ford was the first black president? Couldn't you have just said that if Ford was president, it would be scary, or are you being racist?
Titian as one that thinks Surpass is a good police chief and its a good idea to give the Preds even more money I don't expect you to understand that it was actually a compliment to Ford.He is the Brightest star not only of his race but the whole democrap party. If he was running against the three stooges he would clearly be in the lead. He wold make Osama look like Osoma.
Compliment? ROTFLMAO!
I am enjoying an almost Ford Free Tennessee and would like to keep it that way.
I think that Tennessee has had all it can stand from the Ford family. From what they have shown so far, they are nothing more than a pack of lieing crooks. I know, I know, just because his family is like that doesn't make him like that. In most cases, the nut doesn't fall too far from the tree and I doubt very seriously that this is any different. Personally, I wouldn't vote for him for dog catcher.
Except for the 3% of voting Tennesseans who are racists & kept Harold Ford from the Senate, I don't see why Ford couldn't become governor. He might be better than mediocre Phil Bredesen, but I doubt it. Ford would probably continue underfunding education, underfunding health care, & occasionally killing some poor helpless slob in the name of societal vengeance, much as Bredesen has done in his pursuit of the vice-presidency. When will Tennessee elect someone who wants to help the state instead of himself?Tennessee has the means to be the nation's leader in education, leader in health care, leader in creating a better world for all its citizens, but it chooses an ambition of simply being better than Mississippi. What a shame.
Titan, of course Idgaf is racist. You don't need to read many of his comments to get that.
MJB you said "When will Tennessee elect someone who wants to help the state instead of himself?" You do realize that the article is about Harold Ford? There aren't many people who believe that people get into politics to help others, they get in to help themselves and Harold Ford Jr is no exception.
It is not so much that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree (singular) as it is one good apple falling far from a grotesque orchard of crooked trees. What are the chances that he is really a good apple through and through? Every time I hear about a new Ford scandal in Memphis/Shelby County, I aske "How can the voters be so blind and stupid to vote these crooks into office again? What is wrong with Shelby County?"You ask, "What is in a name? Just because he is a Ford it doesn't mean he's a crook." Some family names become synonomous with bad acts. How do you think Attila the Hun's descendants would fair in public service? Or anyone from Idi Amin's family? Or anyone with the surname of Hitler or Dahmer? Unfortunately for Mr. Ford, he is doesn't have the last name of Kennedy. Despite the involvement of the Kennedy family in their drinking, womanizing,rapes, and a drowning, most people overlook their failings. Sadly, that forgiveness is probably because those sins did not involve 'stealing' taxpayer dollars and betraying the PUBLIC trust.
I trust, Skeptic, that you held the Bush family to this standard & didn't vote for George W., considering his own scandals, failings, & corruption, and those of his family.
Let's be serious folks. We all know that the good white and righteous upstanding voters of Tennessee cannot stand the mere thought of having a Governor who is Black. Have we forgotten the ad that struck fear in the hearts of Southern Baptists and the like duing his Congressional Election bid? It is shameful that is how Tennesseans think, but they do. A person should be judged on character and actions, not by the color of their skin. Also not on what their uncle, aunt, and father may have done, but on what they themselves have done or failed to do. The office of Governer for the state of Tennessee will remain a WHITES ONLY society because that is the way Tenneeseans are. If it's not White...it's not Right. Prove me wrong.
"Except for the 3% of voting Tennesseans who are racists & kept Harold Ford from the Senate, I don't see why Ford couldn't become governor."Don't you mean, except for the 51% of voting Tennesseans who are racists? After all, if someone didn't vote for a black man, they must be a racist.
I think the Republicans should be happy about him running, but I doubt he'd be able to win, especially if he runs as a Democrat again.
Nice try, Dragon. I don't agree w/ you about the 51%, but I'm glad that you concede the three percent.
I didn't concede anything, MJB. You attribute Ford's loss to racism with no proof. Why did you pick 3%? Because that was the difference in the 51% - 48% election.
Dragon, you asked me to increase the number to 51%. Thus, that concedes the three percent. As to that number, that demonstrates the number of extra votes an African-American needs to defeat a European-American in Tennessee. Support for Harold Ford & for Bob Corker was even. Thus, the margin was people who chose a married, middle-aged, wealthy European-American man over a single, less wealthy, younger African-American man.After suggesting a racism level of 51%, you wouldn't really think that the number of racists in Tennessee is LESS than three percent? Many people agree w/ you & think that I'm lowballing it at three percent.
MJB based on your assertion if the percentage of overt racist is three percent then one would have to extrapolate that ninety-seven percent of those voting are covert racist. Reverse racism is racism, unless, of course, we are referencing Liberals and it would be Political Correctness. ;-)BTW, how have you been? I expect that you are gearing up for a humdinger of a political campaigning season. Soon, I expect that political campaigning will replace colligate and professional sports as our primary spectator sport.
Based on our recent gubernatorial elections and Nashville Mayoral election, Harold Ford cannot win simply because he is not from the North. Therefore he is geographically disqualified.
Wonder why Mr. Crisp hasn't chimed in on this. He is HFJ's number one fan after all! LOL.
The craziest “leader” (that we know of) is visiting this country, one who has made numerous threats against this country, Israel and others, one who “preaches” the hatred of a people simply because of who they are or what they believe, one who has done everything to the world accept actually flip his middle finger up at them, one who WILL finish making a nuclear bomb, and then use it, and THIS IS WHAT WE GET ON THE FRONT PAGE, a big fat MAYBE?????In six months it isn’t gonna matter who runs for governor, as we will be at War with Iran. Times as we know it will never be the same after that.
sjh3, in the event you have not noticed (because you have been stuck in your ancestors cave) but much of Tennessee’s population is comprised of transplants. We come from ALL parts of the nation and the planet. Perhaps, it has not occurred to you covert (reverse racism) racist, but Harold Ford, Junior, has done nothing to distinguish himself as a Congressman, and is not qualified to be Governor. That West Tennesseans elected him to Congress is due more to its covert (reverse racism) racism than his achievement.
OH please , saying people didn't vote for Jr because he's black is like saying NY would't vote for a Gambino or a Gotti because they are anti-Italian.
Oh, God, can we get a Democrat who actually IS a Democrat to run for soemthing in this state? Do we need another I'm-really-as-republican-as-you-are me-too sellout like harold Ford Jr.? Please. It wasn't the racists who kep Ford out of the Senate, it was liberals/progressives who actually insist on some sort of standard of courage on the issues along with personal decency. Harold failed on both counts. I couln't support him then, and I cannot and will not support him for Governor.
Could it be that the overt (reverse racist) racist in West Tennessee elected Harold Ford, Junior to Congress because his race rather than his qualification or achievement?
OH Please. You have moved so far left you are up to your knees in the Pacific ocean.
theplantsman, say what you will. I am a born and raised Tennesean. Yes there are transplants here but not enough throughout the entire state of tennessee to change the status quo. I do not agree that Harold Ford is not qualified to be Governor. And your statement that he was elected to Congress in the first place due to reverse racism only strengthens my original statement. By the way, I haven't been under a rock with my ancestors. I live in the real world. As shocking as that might be to you. I see things the way they are not with your rose colored glasses to make yourself feel good about yourself every time you look in a mirror. Do yourself a favor take 'em off and see what's really going on in the state of Tennessee. I've been living it and doing it for over 45 years.
I agree 100% tennliberal.
Hey Harold, why don't you get a real job instead of trying to live off the taxpayers like the rest of your disgraceful family?! Tennessee does not want any more of the Ford family in our politics ... it's plenty dirty as it is.
Well he won't be able to count on any donations from Norman Hsu this time.
BNA? Jut curious. Did you vote for Clement? Perhaps a double standard going here?
Plants, “reverse racism” is to male European-Americans what Santa Claus is to children: a story to make them feel better. As for Harold Ford’s geographical qualifications, that counts only for gubernatorial candidates from the midstate. Memphis still supplies us w/ local men. Think of impotent Don Sundquist.Fundit, Crispy is busy w/ Eric Crafton’s English lessons. If a conservative like Crisp likes Ford, however, then that is even more dismaying when considering Ford another in a line of essentially Republican governors.Lou, calm down. America's president is an imbecilic & corrupt leader, if not certifiably crazy, and he has way more blood on his hands than an appalling human being like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Also, Bush-Dick has his middle finger on many bombs all the time, and, miraculously, we’re still here. I realize that Ahmadinejad claims that the Nazi genocide didn’t exist (which is moronic), but Bush has never heard of this genocide (which is also moronic). In addition, as to threats against a country: The U.S. has made way more threats (& followed through w/ some of them) against Iran than Iran has against the U.S. Besides, don’t worry: You’re safe in your bonus room, w/ your left hand in your pants.I agree, TennLib, that Ford is way too conservative, but look at the numbers from last fall. The liberals & progressives held their noses & voted for Ford. The race was a dead heat. An African-American has to be over three points ahead of his European-American opponent to have a chance of winning in Tennessee.Thanks for your personal inquiry, Plants. I’m fine, exTREMEly busy, and I hope this finds you in good health. I have less interest than usual in America’s presidential race. The current president is so awful & the Congress was terrible under the Republicans & is a disappointment under the Democrats. The slate of Democrats running for president is certainly better than the slate of Republicans, but neither is much to write home about.
MJB – Keep your eyes closed as I am sure that makes it much easier for you. Bush is controllable, and while he may be an idiot, he doesn’t spew hate. And it takes both hands, my assistant types for me!
Lou, Bush-Dick have spewed hate for years: "the axis of evil
Waiter, reality check for MJB please!
What's that thing that has a shell and was grown by former President Carter?
It's what Lou is working with with both hands, poor thing.
Now that is just cruel!!, I didn’t say anything about the size of your brain, just that it doesn’t work, and then you go and say something personal like that! You are sooooooooooo cold!
No, I got it....Nuts! That's it! I knew MJB's posts reminded me something!
Thank you. You've been a great audience! Good night!
If you hurry I think you can catch an international flight to Iran, although there may be a lay over.
See I told you it wasn’t working, it is only a little after 3:00. That is just the afternoon, not night!
You know I bet that is the only flight that they don’t do a security check on!
Probably not. Or he could go to NYC and thumb a flight back with his buddy.
Do you think that the M stands for Mohammad?
Musharaf?
Well we know what the J stands for!
MJB, are you suggesting that racial quotes have not barred better-qualified whites from jobs because of their race, as employers were/are forced to meet racial quotas? Are you suggesting that reverse racism does not exist? Nonetheless, I agree with your overall assessment of our choice of Presidential candidates, but I disagree with your assessment that the Democrats have anyone better than the Republicans do. Moreover, if these candidates were cookies, I would have to scrap all of them and start all over. However, I am thinking of starting a Fantasy Government League. My choice for President could be Rudy Giuliani if his Vice President were Speaker Newt Gingrich. Other than that combination, I am watching, but not getting excited or impressed.