Chris Sanders has a really thoughtful post about Harold Ford’s conversion from Tennessee’s idea of a Democrat to an actual Democrat. It’s hard for me to be that generous. I bristle at the idea of having someone kick you repeatedly in the teeth and then turning around and thanking them when they suddenly see the light about the abhorrent practice of kicking in the teeth of the people who are on your side.
I get that, to some extent, that’s politics. Alliances shift. You have to work closely one day with people you have to fight the next day. But that’s one of the reasons I’m not a politician. It’s very hard for me to do that.
And, frankly, it’s one of the things I appreciate about Tennessee politics. People do get pissed off, personally. At lunch the other day, Mike Turner was talking about the thing with Gary Odom and, even in Turner’s retelling of it, you could appreciate that Odom is genuinely pissed. (I mean, of course, weighing all interactions and accounting for some continuous level of political posturing on everyone’s parts.) I know I’m supposed to think, “Oh my god, can’t these bozos put aside their hurt feelings for the good of the party?”
But I don’t.
Things are so bad out here for most Tennesseans. Our problems are so deep and dire that I’m a little relieved to know that people’s worst is coming out, that the stress is getting to folks, that they can’t see a way to work nicely with each other, even within their own party.
It seems recognizably human to me, like it’s not just about one team advancing their standard while the fans of their opponent boo in the stands.
And that’s my real problem with Harold Ford. The positions he held when he was a politician in Tennessee hurt people, people who are some of the core constituents of the Democratic party. And we all sucked it up and said, like we do so often so that we can continue to work with people who have no qualms about kicking us in the teeth, “Well, that’s just the way he is.”
That’s a reason you just have to suck up and work with and around–that’s just the way that person is.
But now, now that he wants to run for office in a state where the way he kicked folks’ teeth in isn’t popular? Miraculously, he’s converted! Not only that, but he was on our side all along!
It’s a lot harder to hold pro-gay, pro-women, pro-immigrant positions in Tennessee than it is in New York. It just doesn’t cost him nearly as much, if anything, to change or be more fully himself or whatever now.
And it’s hard for me to celebrate that–that he so easily transforms into what we need now that he’s no longer here. That, suddenly, our plights are important to him, now that it benefits him politically to voice them.
It’s almost hilarious. Okay, it is hilarious.
But, to get back to Sanders, it reminds me of the importance of having a lot of voices. I don’t think that Sanders is wrong. I also don’t think that anger or laughter or eye-rolling are wrong either. There isn’t just one appropriate reaction to have to these situations.
And a politician shouldn’t expect to be able to face only easy reactions to his or her behavior.
Filed under: Politics and Other Nonsense, The State of Tennessee
What hurts me the most, watching all of this, is that I defended Ford to the bitter end back then. Every word that came out of his mouth, no matter how distasteful I found it, I defended it on the grounds that we needed a Democrat to win. And now it just seems like that was a waste.
That’s because it was. QED.
[...] Aunt B. has more as well. [...]
I almost buy that Junior is now who he’s always been, but instead of being disgusted with him for waiting to be a “real” Democrat when it’s more politically expedient, I resent that by doing so he essentially points the finger at Tennessee Democrats as the reason he wasn’t before.
Two words, Harold: Steve Cohen.
AuntB, what do you think about Sen. Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) and Rep. Mumpower (R-Bristol) jacking up insurance premiums on small businesses in Tennessee? There are two Democrats working to fix that this week. I forgot their names, but do you think they want a few people here in Tennessee to care as much as some do about someone running for office in New York?
Politicians that get more grief for minutia than they do praise for doing right are clearly in the wrong district and maybe even the wrong state, but it’s always nice to hear educated people care more first about themselves, then their neighbor, and THEN New F’ing York. ;)
Run, Harold, run!
Maybe so, but it’s dangerous, ya know? I mean, that’s how it gets ever easier for the folks on top to play “let’s you and him fight,” and destroy everything.
AuntB, what do you think about Sen. Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) and Rep. Mumpower (R-Bristol) jacking up insurance premiums on small businesses in Tennessee? There are two Democrats working to fix that this week. I forgot their names, but do you think they want a few people here in Tennessee to care as much as some do about someone running for office in New York?
Christian — you’re playing with the facts a little.
The bill in question affected workman’s comp premiums. The law would have required all building contractors to pay them, but that doesn’t mean all small businesses, which is what you’re implying.
Their names, by the way, are TIm Barnes and Joe Pitts.
And the legislation passed by the Rs was a good idea. Construction is a hazardous business and workers get hurt doing it.
(I’ll bet that the AFL-CIO is just as pleased as punch that they backed Tim Barnes now. Why is it that the TNDP has such a proven record of disregard for the safety of people who work for a living?)
Goldni, I’m really sorry. That sucks.
Samantha Y., yes. Exactly. It does blame us through the back door.
NM, yeah, I know. And I should say that Turner seemed genuinely distressed at the rift because, while, I think, he doesn’t agree with Odom on some stuff, he respects his ability to get to the heart of things. So, I certainly don’t want to be read as encouraging folks to fight. In general, I think I like to be on the side of “damn it, get it together, assholes.” But I honestly don’t know how many more rounds of “let’s spend all session scoring political points” this state can take, so I was relieved to hear what I took as awareness of just how high the stakes are.
I could be wrong, but that’s what I took it as.
Andy, thanks.
Christian, I’ll share your concerns with the editorial content of Tiny Cat Pants and my ability or inability to discuss the right things with the appropriate authorities. I wouldn’t hold your breath in the meantime, though.
AuntB, thanks for feeling my pain and passing my concerns onto the boss of Tiny Cat Pants. I know they are busy on a train to New York to rescue Harold Ford from his own aspirations, but when you happen to reach them, please do remind them about Tennessee and all the meaningful impact they could really make happen.
First time poster, but I’ve read this blog for awhile out here in Memphis.
I remember those flame wars about Jr. All I can say is it is nice people are finally seeing what we saw. (The wanting to privatize Social Security, the Bankruptcy Bill, the Iraq War, reducing the estate tax, etc) He is just showing some of that “leadership” he learned at Merril Lynch and taught at Vandy. I wish Jr as much success in the New York Senate race as he had in the Tennessee Senate race.
remind them about Tennessee and all the meaningful impact
Hey, is this anything like the the meaningful impact that injured Tennessee construction workers will further suffer because Democratic senators have delayed workman’s comp on their behalf? Like that?
No, no, Andy that’s totally different. See, in one case, Christian decided the subject was important and that people who weren’t writing about it were BLOGGING WRONG and he had to come over here and chastise me for not following his agenda. And in the other case, Christian decided that the subject wasn’t important and that people who were writing about it were BLOGGING WRONG and he had to come over here and chastise me for not following his agenda.
Totally different.
The important lesson is that Christian is the boss of the internet and the final arbiter of what people who are not him should be discussing and how much emphasis they should put on it.
How he’s going to enforce this patronizing nonsense, I’m not sure, but it is what it is.
AuntB, I am so sorry I made you feel like I’m the boss of the internet by expressing my unwanted opinion on the matter. What I meant to do was submit and join others asking how I might also help to foil Harold Ford’s out-of-state political aspirations.
I deeply apologize, and I will never again come here and try to divert the conversation away from tearing others down, unless of course it happens to be someone we both don’t mind sticking it to. I happen to like Harold, but I foolishly let that get in the way of a good caterwauling. Will you ever forgive me? What can I do to make it better?
Ha, ha, ha. My favorite part of this whole exchange is that, while you’re over here acting all sanctimonious about people “tearing down” poor old Harold Ford Jr. and ruining his political aspirations, you’re posting the names, photos, and hometowns of people who have yet to be convicted of anything and branding them as TennCare fraudsters.
Ford is going to be able to land on his feet, no matter what. How easy do you suppose it’s going to be for those folks and their families to live down someone who works for a major media outlet in a major media center convicting them in the court of public opinion before they’ve even had a trial?
Or does your compassion only extend to people who’s lives remain completely unchanged by what’s said about them in the Nashville blogosphere?
Christian – I didn’t read anything from anyone that said anything about foiling Junior’s run. I did read genuine frustration that, time and time again, some of our own worry more about how they can get theirs than how to get things done. By turning around and suddenly adopting the ideals of the same progressive, energized base that worked for him here, after the tactics of the 2006 race (not to mention his voting record), Harold has demonstrated he’s more concerned with getting his, all while doing those of us here a disservice with that backhanded, unspoken, “I couldn’t be a real Democrat in Tennessee” move. (Again, I say, tell that to his successor in Congress.)
Are we not supposed to recognize that sort of thing and call it out when it happens? Because the longer the myth that only Democrats in Republican clothing can get elected here is perpetuated, the more Republicans will be elected. After all, why vote for one of us pretending to be one when you can have the real thing?
Christian: Your postings are deeply offensive to many who are concerned about the direction TNDP has taken, and its continued efforts to throw folks who should be the Democratic constituency under the bus: women, gays (Harold was big into the anti-gay-marriage amendment on the ballot the same year he was, 2006), and this week, union members and teachers (not that it hasn’t happened *before* this week – a cursory Google for “Bredesen workman’s comp 2005″ will reveal articles like this, which will tell you all you need to know on the issue.)
A lot of us here think the lack of a Democratic brand or message – which right now reads only as “Hey, elect us! We really love power but have no plans to do anything with it that’ll help the people of Tennessee” and “Hey, look the other way! Please don’t notice we’re not really Republicans, only people co-opting their message, then continually losing elections as people vote for the real thing” doesn’t seem to be working out so well.
My guess is you weren’t around in 2006, or are otherwise uninformed about what happened during the Ford race. You may want to do a little research about how TNDP spiked Rosalind Kurita during the primaries, with the help of Chuck Schumer (and I join Aunt B’s sense of hilarity in that now Schumer’s trying to fix the NY Senate race), or how TNDP’s rightward shift took on a whole new resonance that cycle.
But hey, keep on scolding and chastising those of us who are noticing that TNDP’s tactics of late are simply not working, or who are trying to hold some folks accountable who have contributed to the loss of virtually everything of value for Dems in this state. We’ll see how far it gets you, but my guess is you’re going to need a couple of nickels for gas money before much longer.
To Aunt B: Standing ovation. Girl, you ever want to run for office, you let me know – not that I think you’re not doing a great service for our state by exactly what you’re doing right now. Keep it up.
Hmmm. I will have to take all of this into consideration at a quiet time and place. Thanks for the feedback.