Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Random Congressional Thought

Am I crazy, or can I see ex-Rep. Harold Ford running for Senate in New York as a Republican?

He's tacking right to run in New York, which makes no sense. He's ambitious enough that I doubt he'd be deterred by some deep connection to the Democratic Party. He'd immediately become the most high profile Black Republican in the country (even more than Michael Steele). He'd ride a boondoggle of gushing press coverage about how the Democratic Party is falling apart (so much so that even a Black man is leaving the party).

Or maybe I'm crazy.

2 comments:

Rb said...

I've been thinking this. It's the only darn thing that makes any sense at all and even then, it doesn't really make any sense. The GOP is an absolute joke right now and I doubt their organization would be able to coalesce around him to get him elected.

In so doing, he'd pretty alienate all of his contacts and have to deal with a whole audience of others who might be skeptical of him or at best, hard to work with.

The flip might be the smartest idea in the sense that you concede Gillibrand the left flank, beat her in her own turf and hope that you can somehow draw the majority of the white vote and at least 30% of the black vote and hope that low-ish turnout gets you the win.

But I dunno. He won't have a problem outfundraising her. Her national profile isn't anything close to his and as Traitor Joe from Connecticut has shown us, no one really cares about party loyalty when there's an election to win.

I just feel like if he does it and loses, it's political suicide. Not that running against her and losing isn't either, I just don't think she can beat him, which is why the Dems are trying so hard to dissuade him and muck him up in an effort to deter anyone serious opposing her in a primary.

Because they know she'd have a devil of a time getting elected in a statewide Senate race.

Though his interview with the NY Times was at best described as "clunky." Seems he's going to spit a bit of polish on that thing if he wants to be taken seriously.

Rebecca said...

Did you see Adam Holland's article about Harold Ford's support of Nikki Tinker (http://adamholland.blogspot.com/2010/01/harold-ford-backed-anti-union-anti-gay.html). He supported her candidacy, donated money to her campaign, and gave her behind-the-scenes logistical support - all despite her blatant anti-semitism, homophobia, and anti-union sentiment. Has Ford ever repudiated Tinker? I think that if he decides to run for Senate in NY, this will be dug up by Gillebrand's folks and used against him in a big way.