New Yorkers need a choice
As the campaign manager for Howard Dean, I think it’s important to have independent voices in the Democratic Party.
I also believe that primaries help to build a healthy, strong and vibrant party of ideas.
Primaries allow for real debate about issues, new solutions and new ideas, and they allow for the challenging of stale thinking that often takes hold in a party’s establishment.
No institution, in Washington or Albany, within either party, should block primaries. And, in the competition of ideas, it is a mistake to block candidacies on ideological grounds. That is something the voters in a party’s primary should be empowered to decide.
That is why I supported Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney when she sought to challenge the Washington party establishment and take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand earlier this year.
And it is why I, for one, hope Harold Ford Jr. enters the race for U.S. Senate in NY. Democratic voters in New York deserve a choice. And Harold Ford Jr. can give them one.
This is not about ideology. Senator Gillibrand has never been a darling of progressives — she has represented and defended big-tobacco as a corporate lawyer, has had a rating of 100% from the NRA, and on immigration she opposed a path to citizenship as part of reform. Her record has evolved on these and other issues only after she was appointed to the Senate — why should Harold Ford Jr. be held to a different standard by progressives?
And Harold Ford Jr. is far more progressive than people give him credit for. He has always supported civil unions and has come out in support of gay marriage. Throughout his time in Congress he always received high ratings from NARAL and other pro-choice groups.
More to the point, at a time when we suffer double digit unemployment, and with another 82,000 workers who lost their jobs last month alone – Harold Ford Jr. has a strong record of working with working families and labor – fighting for jobs, and small businesses.
At a time when we need new ideas to right our wrecked economy it makes no sense to stifle Harold Ford Jr.’s voice on behalf of working people.
This is about what kind of party we are going to be. Are we going to allow a healthy debate over issues and ideas in our primaries? Will voters be empowered to participate in the campaigns of Democratic candidates? Will voters be able to measure the plans and ideas of multiple candidates and decide for themselves the best nominee for our party? Or will we be a party where nominees are chosen for us – and where anyone who challenges the ideas or the power of the party establishment is forced out of the debate?
One has to ask what those who want to shut down a New York primary for the U.S. Senate are afraid of. If Harold Ford Jr. is willing to trust the voters of New York to measure his ideas and record against the ideas and record of Kirsten Gillibrand — why are those who support Gillibrand so afraid of trusting primary voters to make the choice?
Interestingly the same arguments being made today to stop Harold Ford Jr. resemble many of the arguments made against Barack Obama before he entered the race for President. Remember how a hard fought primary with Hillary Clinton was supposed to weaken and splinter the party and squander our chance to win the White House? It turned out the spirited debate and volunteer activists involved in the multiple primary campaigns actually built a much stronger party.
And to those who worry that the race will be a drain of party resources – it is pretty simple – let the two candidates fend for themselves. If you want to give to one of them now – give now. If you want to save your money to make a difference in the general election, wait and give to the nominee. And the institutions should stay the hell out of the race and save their money for the general election.
Here is a novel idea – let the primary voters of New York decide.
If Harold Ford Jr. decides on his own not to make the race, that is his choice. But if he is forced from the race by the White House, party institutions and power centers within the party’s establishment it means the top has succeeded once again at preventing the primary voters of New York from having a choice. What kind of party are we building then?
There is nothing progressive about shutting down primaries or debate. There is nothing progressive about those at the top choosing the nominee for us. And there is nothing progressive about closing the process from the people.
I understand some party elites prefer coronations to elections, but the players who want everything neat and tidy shouldn’t decide things by forcing people out of elections – the people of New York should be able to decide for themselves by voting someone in.
I hope Harold Ford Jr. decides to give them that choice.
BTW – An op-ed written by Ford about all this is in the NY Post today — here is the link — it is worth the read.
right on
Joe – you make some good points but you fail to address the fact that Harold is the Chair of the DLC – the dog pen of the Blue dogs – and a Vice Chair of Merrill-Lynch, in the heart of the Financial Services Crony network. He is hardly a candidate who presents voters with a choice unless you think that Right or more Right is a choice.
Brad Parker
Left Turn Only
http://bit.ly/1vOyjG
Brad — my point is let the voters in a New York Democratic primary decide that. Let two candidates make their case – their past, their records and ideas — and let New Yorkers decide for themselves. Everything you mention will come out and open for those voters to see and decide. What is the problem with that? This not so much about ideology or support for one candidate or another as it is about the Democratic Party being open or closed.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting — which is BTW part of the debate and discussion that is healthy to have.
Trippi
I say, sure, let him run.
Kirsten needs some shoring up on the left which a primary with Ford would do … and she’d romp.
Sounds good to me.
While I agree its nice to have a choice in the primary, Harold Ford is about as far from a progressive choice as one could get. He’s the DLC’s guy and totally in the tank for financial services industries. The only reason he changed on gay marriage is that it was politically advantageous.
The reason Gilibrand’s stances evolved is that she was representing a very conservative district in congress and now represents the state as a whole which is far more liberal.
“where anyone who challenges the ideas or the power of the party establishment is forced out of the debate?”
Harold Ford is the party establishment. He’s corporatist. He’s not going to be rocking any boats or challenging ideas. He’s going to be representing his constituents, powerful monied interests that have no interest in helping labor, small business, or the little guy.
Additionally, Ford cast one of only 36 Democratic votes in the House in 2004, and one of only 34 in 2006, for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/01/22/cq_2161.html
If you want to defend the primary process, that’s fine. But don’t spin Harold’s consistent record of corporatist flackdom as some sort of progressive challenger sticking it to the man. He’s an opportunist of the highest order. If you want to promote a candidate to the left of Gillibrand, that’s totally justified, but Ford ain’t it.
Joe, I think Harold Ford, Jr. is one of the most miserable people to ever disgrace the Democratic Party. Strategically, I would prefer to target my small dollar contributions towards electing better Democrats, yet if Ford runs I will be forced to immediately contribute against him.
The only good that could come out of this is the opportunity for a progressive picket-line, solidarity against Ford. I hope you’ll be on the side of progress once that line is drawn.
Waste. Of. Money.
The money that would be spent on a primary in NY – one that would inevitably be won by Gillibrand in this case – could make the difference in several House races. If Ford wants to get into a race, let him find a different state to run in – a red state.
it’s not a waste of money. gillibrand is dead in the general if molinari or anyone real runs. our only chance to keep that seat is if ford runs. the dem insiders just don’t get that. look at dodd. gillibrand’s numbers have gone from bad to worse….the more they make her the establishment candidate and choice of the elite the more they assure her defeat. i hate to say it, but we need someone else to run or repubs will pick up a dem seat like it or not.
As a NYer, I agree with Elise. We have a lot of really important races that need our attention this year. I will be pissed as hell if we have to divert our resources to fight off a primary challenge from the carpetbagger from TN.
A carpetbagger who is anti-choice, anti-equality, and basically a Republican.
I hate to see Dems get focused on the wedge issues such as abortion and gay marriage. We should focus on the popular issues and things we do best: healthcare, economy, environment and national defense. These are what matter the most to voters and they don’t divide our Democratic party.
I live in Tennessee and know Harold Ford. He came to our home on Signal Mountain for a stopover on the 4th of July in 06. Our area is heavily Republican, but with less than 24 hours we had over 100 neighbors stop by to hear him. He is smart, polite and handsome. He won over many Republicans and independents because of his knowledge and manners. This is no easy thing since Bob Corker grew up here and his mother lives right down the street from us. The day he appeared just happened to be the day when North Korea had tested a missile. Ford spoke about it and was clear, strong and knowledgeable. It was calming to hear him talk and I had wished he were in charge of things instead of Bush.
He spoke about saving jobs, stopping global warming and helping the autistic. He was so good and came across so well. He has a sharp memory and named names of folks at my home, who I had forgotten their name.
I think New York deserves a primary. The people deserve to chose who would be best to serve their interests, and let the chips fall where they may. Joe is right, remember how Hillary and Obama played out, it brought tons of free media attention and it was the topic du jour for months. I would say many folks didn’t even know who the Republican candidate was because it was Hillary and Obama all the time. This can only help New York. In the end, we will all know (including those outside of NY) who Kristen Gillibrand is and who Harold Ford is. It will help out everyone.
I realize you think we need someone to set a real interest in the upcoming race for senator from NY. I have watched Harold Ford on Morning Joe for a long time. In fact, he is quite a regular on that show. He is not who we need or who wll provide that spark in NYS.
Here is an interesting profile of this carpetbagger. Ford not only voted to authorize the Iraq war, he was a co-sponsor. No wedge issues, Sandy L.
Joe,
I’m deeply disappointed to see you shill for an empty suit like Harold Ford. I know all the money guys love him and I’m sure the gig pays well, but it would be a total betrayal of the Progressive values you have stood by throughout your life.
Say it ain’t so, Joe!
yeah, you are rite. they really need that.
Harold Ford is only being promoted by billionaires from Wall Street and NYC real estate (Bloomberg, Tisch, Rattner, Sulzberger, plus Rupert Murdoch) and their hirelings like Joe Trippi. No one in the New York State Democratic Party infrastructure wants him.
Joe,
What happened to you? You used to work for the good guys!
I was a fellow Edwards supporter during the primaries. Harold Ford is about as far away from a Progressive Democrat as you can get. He is a Lieberman Democrat. I cannot believe that you think he is progressive in any degree.
Please keep this self-severing little prick out of my New York State politics. For what reason are you trying to destroy your own credibility and relevance?
Wow. It is really surprising (and profoundly disappointing) to read Trippi’s endorsement of Ford. Harold Ford embodies everything wrong with the Democratic Party: he’s DLC, he’s in the pocket of big corporate money and has clearly worked against the interests of the working and middle class. Follow the money, Joe. I hope NY voters see through the Ford facade.
Sad you’re squandering what trust you earned in the progressive community working for Howard Dean, by shilling for a corporate sell-out like Harold Ford, who is far more a part of the problem than the solution.
No more using NY state as a pocket district for the further advancement of Democrats in need of a leg up.
Basta!
Harold Ford Jr. is not a progressive. His changes since his last Senate run show him as nothing more than a political chameleon. There are much better opportunities to stregthen the Democratic Party than a mudfest with Ford.
Joe,
Have you spent 3 minutes taking a look at Ford’s record? He voted for the ban on partial-birth abortion, to repeal the estate tax; he’s NOW saying he is opposed to health care reform from the right; he voted for the constitutional ban on gay marriage – and I can’t believe you are repeating his nonsense claim that he backed civil unions from the start, when there is nothing suggesting that anywhere; and that Post op-ed you link to has him talking about how he’s always been pro-choice when there are many videos of him saying just the contrary; the only concrete economic proposal he makes in today’s New York Times article is proposing a “major reduction” in the corporate tax break; and on top of that he is a bank executive who is opposed to capping compensations AND he is still the DLC CHAIR!!!
What is going on?? This has nothing to do with “wedge issues” like abortion and gay marriage (though as a gay man I would appreciate straight people not calling “my” issues unimportant “wedge issues”), but with economic matters – health care, tax rates, executive compensation, proximity to Wall Street.
If you go to the grocery store to buy a jar of peanut butter and find a dozen jars of Skippy and dozen jars of manure with a peanut butter label slapped on them, is the intelligent response:
A) Cool! I have a choice now.
or
B) Why the #*$% is there shit on the shelf?
How do you explain the million dollars that Bank of America is paying Ford for what is essentially a no show job?
I explain it as pre-payment.
You got to be kidding. This is the guy who on the one hand condemns Gillibrand for voting against the Wall Street bailouts and then turns around and calls himself a “a capitalist,” and believes “that people take risk, and there are rewards if they do well; they should lose if they don’t.” He wants to privatize the profits and socialize the losses.
The last thing this state needs is another corporate welfare baron and someone this clueless. New York deserves better.
Hope he’s paying you enough to make up for the loss of your credibility, Joe.
Ford is a smarmy egocentric empty hole – I know you got used to defending that sort of politician with John Edwards – but learn a lesson – walk away and do something useful.
Joe, stop pimping yourself, trying to get work with Blue Dog Ford. Harold Ford just can’t stop sucking up to the Repugnicans, and will just be another Liebercrat. Sorry, we need all the Real Democrats we can get in the Senate so they can outvote the DINOs like Nelson (We wont’ need to worry about Blanche Lincoln because she has already voted herself out of office by screwing her constituents out of meaninful health care).
And Ford, who couldn’t get elected to the Senate in his home state, is just an elitist carpetbagger and toady to his Wall Street buddies who blew off my retirement account.
Joe, if you’re looking for work Marcy Winograd needs help in her race against Jane Harman.
Harold Ford is a corporate tool. Sort of like Joe Trippi.
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If Harold Ford Jr. decides on his own not to make the race, that is his choice. But if he is forced from the race by the White House, party institutions and power centers within the party’s establishment it means the top has succeeded once again at preventing the primary voters of New York from having a choice. What kind of party are we building then?
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