Snob, why don't you just tell Ford?: "I'll get you, my pretty! Hee, hee, hee. Personally, I like Ford. He doesn't seem hung up on his looks like prettyboy TJ. Hee, hee

Ah come on now! You cannot be serious, girlfriend!

Do you realize just how many times that ad for interracial romance is running at the sweet-spot of your blog real estate? I was gonna say "G-Spot," but the scientists ( er...men) are saying now it doesn't exist. They can go to the moon, but they can't locate a nickel, right?

ANYWAY.

Harold is a Baby Bro from the University of Michigan Law School and we have much to apologize for [ read: Ann "MadDog" Coulter ], so I gotta to support him.

In New York, he can get a new start (and maybe a better personality). Plus, Obama likes him and that's good enough...no wait. That's NOT good enough for me.

[sigh]

I don't think Obama likes Harold Ford, and I'm even more sure that Harold Ford doesn't like Obama.

he's a carpetbagger with a WHITE wife.

call it anyway you want.

it is what it is.

like all the AUTHENTIC Black New York politicians, who have been doing the hard work, are just gonna let him walk up in there, and be ' rally around Harold'.

G-T-F-O-H with that.

you need a base...every politician does...

folks gonna try and tell me that Harold has one?

@ R. Mullen

i saw that article. they're trippin. the g spot DOES exist.

@ rikyah

what's the issue with his white wife?

Carpetbaggers come from the north to the south not the other way around

"If Ford does run for Senate in New York this will test a long-held theory of mine that it is PRETTY DAMN HARD to get elected if you're a black politician with a white wife. Not only do you have to deal with crap like the racist TV ad campaign that torpedoed Harold Ford Jr.'s senate dreams in Tennessee, but there's that little problem with that usual Democratic lock -- the black vote."

are you insinuating that "black vote" is so small and narrow minded that the race of a politician's wife weighs more on their minds than the politician's abilities? wow.

The problem I've always had with Ford was that he capitalized on his political legacy without paying his dues. As pretty as he is, had he not been a Ford (of the high yella Tennessee Fords), he would not have been elected to Congress. What did he do from the time he left Michigan until his election? He didn't practice law because he did not pass the bar.

Second, I don't think people give two figs about him being married to a white woman. What they will do is question his commitment to issues close to them and his Blue Dog reputation isn't something liberals or progressives can look pass.

Third, Ford is not Hillary Clinton or Bobby Kennedy (who was also a carpetbagger). He does not have the wonk inclination or charisma or star power to bring attention to concerns which would be particular for those constituents.

Finally, it would be foolhardy for Ford and his corporate backers to believe that because Obama had a unprecedented support among blacks that he would have the same. Ford ain't Obama.

@ swiv

Interracial relationships are tricky across the board with black and white voters alike as I mention as I went into more depth with my thoughts after that graph you mentioned. I also mentioned that, as the comment section may have shown you, a lot of black people already distrust Ford for a lot of reasons. So if we're talking about a plurality of black people, re: the majority, and based on the response NUMEROUS black people had to Ford marrying a white woman, (I'm just going to let you know right now ... the shit was NOT positive) I'm going to go with, hell's yeah. Some black folks can be narrow-minded about something like a white wife if they already don't trust you. If you don't believe that you can just reread all the "what if Michelle was white" posts people have written in the blogosphere and spend a few hours reading the comments.

It's just a political reality. I'm not saying the shit is right (which I also say in the post).

lol, i'm not disagreeing with you. i just find the statement rather amusing. some people are narrow and small minded. it is what it is. unfortunate, but like you said, reality.

@swiv:

(Please note this may only be the case in majority or significantly black election districts)
I don't have any stats but I'd put the money on more Black women voting than black men. Look at the number of black female heads of households, who aren't married and who will never married and maybe that gives some insight into considerations that black women (like myself) make when looking at candidates. Even if we don't and can't have them ourselves, we want to have images of healthy black families.

Don't get it twisted, if Obama wasn't married Michelle, he would not have received nearly as many votes.

@ swiv

Okie doke. Never mind. It is a fucked up political reality tho ... UNLESS Pretty Pretty Princess Ford can PROVE ME WRONG!!!

swiv,

come on now.

who votes more in the Black community?

BLACK WOMEN.

he married a White woman that he kept hidden away like the Crazy Uncle in the basement.

and for those who said that Barack Obama wouldn't be President without being married to Michelle...

hell, he wouldn't have gotten outside of the South side of Chicago to the U.S. Senate without Michelle.

" Pretty Pretty Princess Ford"

BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

Senator Edward Brooke wife was White and that didn't stop him from being elected during the 60's. I think it's a myth and flat out lie that a Black man married to a White woman can never be elected to higher office. Now, I'm not saying it would be easy for an interracial couple seeking public office. If I remember correctly, Senator Jim Webb wife is Asian and that didn't stop him from getting higher office either...The same with former senator Edward Brooke who's wife was White....
Black women holding on to the dream that no Black man can reach higher office with out a Black spouse better wake up...Because it can be done....Just like folks thought we could never have a Black President....Guess what it can be done...

@Tia

Wasn't that in Massachusetts? What % of voters were African American? I'm guessing not a lot

Besides-I know I'm wrong for bringing this up (but it has to be acknowledged)-I'm sure a number of voters were totally aware that Brooke was colored. We saw how people parsed Obama's identity during his election. Do you think it think it was any different then?

"Brooke was colored?" Did a plantation owner from Tobacco Road just walk in here?

In the 60's...Brooke was colored. And in a likelihood, the white wife gave folks the 'comfort' in voting for him. But there are black folks in Mass...grew up there, and while i was really young, I DO remember a lot of teeth sucking et al... when his name came up (had a pretty engaged and involved family, e.g. aunt was good friends with Shirley Chisolm etc...) so I don't think he had a bunch of support from Black folks.

I don't think the Jim Webb analogy works either. While it is true his wife is east asian, he is Scotch-Irish, ie.. a son f Appalachia and VA is like 3 states,,,NoVa (which the rest of the state would like to push into DC or Maryland) Ole Virginny... and Appalachia...he won NoVa and Appalachia and still was very close....

I'm with the snob on this, the possibility of a white chick cost him the election in TN, the reality of one has to be taken into consideration....

Snob,

It's an intriguing nonstarter though, isn't it?

My prediction: He's not going to run for the seat, because of the kind of unwanted exposure he'll get from the black supporters of his opponent over his choice of a bride. If you think Bob Johnson's hysterics were distasteful during the Presidential campaign, just thing of what might happen to a black politico with a white wife during a race that won't receive half the national attention, super-large Manhattan media-center notwithstanding.

Championship-caliber nastiness.

But here's the thing: Ford KNOWS this. Entertaining the notion might help him gain a seat on a few more sunday morning talk shows, or buff his shine for whatever corporate board he's itching to join. But in terms of gaining a political seat, his career ended the instant he said 'I Do' to a white woman.

But, for the optics alone, I'd love to see Ford--wife in tow--on the stump in front of a largely black, female, african-american voter pool explaining the necessity of his candidacy.

I love a good car wreck as much as the next guy.

so much for post racial america

LMAO

But, for the optics alone, I'd love to see Ford--wife in tow--on the stump in front of a largely black, female, african-american voter pool explaining the necessity of his candidacy.

see, if he had been honest, instead of SLICK, during the TN race, hiding her like the 'crazy uncle'...he'd have practice.

and, he'd have to explain why HE is a better choice than all the other Black politicians in NY, who have put in the time and done the grunt work.

You know how they said during the campaign anybody but Bush I think some black people would vote for anyone besides a black man with a white wife especially black women.

If Obama had a white wife he wouldn’t have had a chance in hell to win, he wouldn’t even have made it on the ballot and he knows it….we all know it. No race of people would’ve voted for him or taken him serious no matter what anyone says. It wouldn’t be just black people that would’ve been turned off majority of the people would’ve been turned off whether or not they’d admit it.

The best thing that could’ve happened for Hillary Clinton was for Obama to have had a non black wife because if he did she would have been sworn in on January 20, 2009.

A white man, who is also a democrat, that has a black wife; a white, Jewish, republican male that’s married to a black democratic woman (the William and Janet Cohen type) OR a black democratic female that has a white husband should run against Harold. It would be one interesting race to follow.

Why do I get the feeling some of you posters would not care if the candidate was a Black female and White Husband...but seem to put your foot down when it's the other way around. As a Black female I feel in our community there seems to be a double standard concerning who Black males can date....There is an extreme bias among Black females against women of other races...Hell, I have seen a bias behavior against our light skinned sisters too.

I remember a local well known African-American running for office back in my home state getting flack from certain Black women for his choice of wife....the wife it appears was to bright or damn near white looking for a segment in our community. The woman was Black but she was just light skinned. Well, anyway he went on to win the election despite his wife questionable skin color. But good lord, the things they said about that mans poor wife was awful. In the end I still believe no matter the man's wife race they can win higher office....All that matters is if the politician is gifted. Jesse Jackson ran for higher office and his wife was Black last time I checked and that didn't seem to help him get into office....It takes more then just having a Black wife the politician must also have a skills...And Obama was very skilled.

I am amused at all of the postings for reasons NOT to vote for HFjr or why he won't get elected. What everyone should be outraged about is the manipulation of our political system where those that hold the power think they can play musical chairs with congressional seats by trying to place candidates in cities/counties/states for pure strategy. What happened to the homegrown politician? Someone with a base, a connection to the comunnity they represent? HFjr had a successful career in Tennesee. If he wants to be a Senator he should run there.