Is Tennessee ready for its first black senator? That's a question I've been pondering a lot lately, as campaign season 2006 begins to rev up in earnest.It seems not a day goes by that I don't receive some press release from Republican Van Hilleary's campaign telling me how wonderful he is, how he's the most conservative candidate in the field, or how he's far ahead of his nearest competitor. Likewise, it seems almost daily (sometimes it seems almost hourly) that the state Republican Party or some group is sending out press releases demonizing Congressman Harold Ford Jr., telling me, among other things, that he "can't run from his liberal record, no matter how hard he tries."
So is Tennessee ready to elect its first black U.S. senator, and a Ford at that? That's an interesting question.
To begin with, Ford brings a lot to the table. He's young (he's still only in his 30s), he's smart, he's a gifted speaker and he's charismatic. After a decade in Washington, he also brings experience and a knowledge of what it actually takes to get things done. That, by itself, is an extremely valuable commodity.
As for his "liberal" voting record, I think that's an exaggeration. I mean, liberal compared to what? Certainly, Ford is a liberal if you compare him to the hard-right zealots currently in control of the Republican Party.
But Ford is hardly a Nancy Pelosi liberal. In fact, I would put him more in the mold of another congressman from West Tennessee, John Tanner, D-Union City. He is, in fact, a moderate to conservative Democrat. That could play very well in a state that has become increasingly conservative in recent years.
But Ford isn't without his drawbacks, too. Chief among them is this: He has statewide name recognition, but it's recognition of the wrong kind. His uncle, John, was indicted in the Tennessee Waltz scandal last spring. And his aunt, Ophelia, currently is embroiled in a controversy over her own election, in which both dead people and convicted felons are known to have
voted.
When a lot of people in this state hear the name Ford, they automatically think "corruption." That's not an insurmountable obstacle, especially forsomeone like Ford. But it could work against him.
Ford also suffers from the same affliction that plagued Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election: the perception that he's "not from here."
Sure, Ford is from Memphis. But look at his background. He graduated from the exclusive St. Alban's School for Boys in Washington, D.C., the same school former Vice President Al Gore graduated from. He holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan. And since 1996, he has served in Congress.
So, while he may technically call Tennessee home, average folks may find him a little hard to relate to.
Then, there's the race issue. As hard as it is to admit, racism is still alive and well in our state - the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan (It was founded in Pulaski). Can enough people be convinced to look beyond Ford's race, to see him simply as a candidate, and not a "black" candidate?
I've heard it said that Ford is a fool to give up a safe seat to run for the Senate. According to these people, now is not the right time for Ford to run because "Tennessee isn't ready to elect a black senator."
To these people, I would say this: I hope you're wrong. I hope that in 2006, we've progressed far enough in our society to look beyond a candidate's race and judge him strictly on his qualifications. Personally, I think Ford would make an excellent senator for our state. And if now isn't the right time for him to run, just when would that time be?
Source: Jackson Sun
