Wed
May 31 2006
02:20 pm

This article in today's New York Times re. Harold Ford, Jr. is getting some attention at some of the more, uh, conservative blogs like InstaPundit (who never misses an opportunity to promote his HFJ podcast) and SayUncle (who has a pretty good response to Chuck Shumer's assertion that the South of 2006 is not the same South of 2004) and the yahoos on the Van Wagon.

But articles in the New York times and mentions in the Washington Post probably aren't helping Ford very much with the folks back home.

I am reminded of a scene in Alexandra Pelosi's excellent documentary, Diary of a Political Tourist, where Howard Dean campaign workers from New England, wearing Birkenstocks and blue jeans and hippie haircuts, are standing in an Iowa living room explaining what is important to rural voters in Iowa and why they should support Dean in the primary. They were talking instead of listening, and lecturing instead of learning. Their attitude seemed condescending and their audience seemed resentful of their presence.

It was a major disconnect, which in hindsight was symbolic of Dean's so-called grassroots campaign and of the Democratic Party's strategy in general.

Andy Axel's picture

Good summary

The question, then, would be "what's the appropriate venue for Ford to get out his message to a wide audience locally."

The Tennessean doesn't appear inclined to support his candidacy. Ditto the Nashville City Paper. And we know pretty much how the Knoxville News-Sentinel comes down politically.

The Commercial-Appeal? The Chattanooga Times-Free Press? The Jackson Sun?

What's going to play well, and what's going to curry favor with the locals? Do you think media -- in any form -- is going to help? Honestly, I don't think the print media is on his side here. Help me understand what would be effective, because if HFJ doesn't get it figured out in time, there's another senatorial election coming up in 2008 and maybe some changes can get put into play before it's too late, yet again, to do anything substantial.

A lot of it goes back to what I was saying yesterday -- that HFJ needs homegrown feet in the street statewide.

____________________________

Wasabi peas are people! They're people!

Old Hickory's picture

Remaking Junior

To appease the local media, particularly the News Sentinel and perhaps the local television stations, we need to remake junior, knock down some of those preconceived notions, biases, and worn out monikers along the way.

1.  Junior needs to film his television commercials at Pilot stations and show the Corker signs with the $2.75 for a gallon of gas and $3.99 for a gallon of milk and $34 for a carton of cigarettes and then rail against all four, letting people know in America rednecks can't buy stuff cheaper than black people, rip offs cut across all segement of society.

2.  Junior need some black hollywood bombshell on his arm as he prowls around East Tennessee.  We know he's not married, but we're not sure why not and we're not comfortable with swinging singles carving up the tax code, working on foreign policy, figuring out FEMA, perhaps overly concerned that every single person in Washington was on the make for everyone they saw.  Good example.........Fred Thompson, hell he married some young filly, now he's a new dad.  Junior's not gay, we just need to make sure.

3.  Junior needs to be at Bristol in August.  He needs to understand "fixin' to git" and why one needs to "pull them belts tight".  Entertainment is a common bond with the public and if you're entertained at a NASCAR race, them voters will appreciate you and you'll enjoy the race much more than a night at the Kennedy Center watching the Washington Opera.

4.  Junior needs a prop.  Frist had the flag tie, Thompson had the red truck.  Alexander was the plaid man.  Junior needs a big blue ford truck.  The obvious tie in with the manufacturer is appealing and provides all kinds of cross marketing gadgets and gimicks which people will hook onto.

5.  We need to know where junior lives.  Some people know he lives on mud island in Memphis, some people think he lives down the street from Graceland, others assume he has a number of homes like his uncle john.  Set the record strait, shoot a commercial from the den at home, tell it like it is.

6. Junior needs a huntin' dog.  Every East Tennessean has a dog that hunts.  They may hunt laps or they may hunt biscuits, but they hunt.  I'd suggest a manly dog like a lab or a retriever, not a chiwawa or a poodle.

You put all these elements togather and have junior, in the truck, with a dog in the back, Halle Berry or Beyonce Knowles riding shotgun, driving from Bristol to the city of Memphis and junior will be able to tell all that he's been to the mountain top and he's seen the promised land and the promised land is East Tennessee and thems good people up are and he can pack his office and move it to the Senate side come January.

 

Andy Axel's picture

Wow


____________________________

Wasabi peas are people! They're people!

R. Neal's picture

You put all these elements

You put all these elements together and have junior, in the truck, with a dog in the back, Halle Berry or Beyonce Knowles riding shotgun, driving from Bristol to the city of Memphis and junior will be able to tell all that he's been to the mountain top and he's seen the promised land and the promised land is East Tennessee and thems good people up are and he can pack his office and move it to the Senate side come January.

By God, I think you've nailed it. He can stop at every greasy-spoon diner, truckstop, and Waffle House in between. And a few black-tie hobnobs in Nashville. Throw in a red-plaid shirt and a shotgun in the window rack of his pickup and I think you've got a winner.

But seriously (although I am halfway serious about the Waffle House thing) popular Dem Sen. Bob Graham had these "work days" in Florida that the voters really related to. He went out one day a month and put on a work shirt and a hardhat if necessary and worked every imaginable kind of job for one full day, all across the state, during his campaigns and when he was in office.

I think this would work for Ford, not only to offset his "fancy" label but also to improve his image with working people of both parties. He might learn a thing or two, too. At this point in the game, though, he would need to do it once per week instead of once per month.

R. Neal's picture

Oh, man, I'm thinking more

Oh, man, I'm thinking more and more about the Waffle House angle. Damn, think if he made a committment to visit every single Waffle House in the state of Tennessee. I checked. There's only 107 of them. Rolling up in the Blue Ford Pickup would be the icing.

You get people of every conceivable demographic at a Waffle House (depending on the time of day). How many of those people would say "hell, ain't never had no candidate for U.S. Senator sit down and have a goddamn waffle (or a patty melt) with me. I don't care who he is or what he believes, he's good people and I'm going to vote for him"?

R. Neal's picture

P.S. the press couldn't not

P.S. the press couldn't not cover work days and Waffle Houses. It would be golden.

Rachel's picture

How many of those people

How many of those people would say "hell, ain't never had no candidate for U.S. Senator sit down and have a goddamn waffle (or a patty melt) with me. I don't care who he is or what he believes, he's good people and I'm going to vote for him"?

It's amazing how well something like this works.  I watched Lamar work the LMU cafeteria the first time he ran for governor (when nobody had heard of him).  He came in a nobody, and left with the vote of every faculty member he sat down and chatted with.

Stacey Diamond's picture

waffle house

Love the Waffle House idea, more genuine than Corker talking about a business started from a truck. Ford actually claims to have visited a redneck bar in West Tn called the "Little Rebel" and got them to put up his sign by their rebel flag, he always tells that story. I'd like to take him to visit the Southern Sons club house in Campbell Co. Stacey

Old Hickory's picture

At Ford, New Leadership tackling Old Problems is Job One

Ford needs an East Tennessee point person/spokesperson that hunts, fishes, chews, drinks, goes to church, works hard every day, always tells the truth, spends time with his own family and will eat at Waffle House, Krystal, Cracker Barrell and Regas and be comfortable in all of those venues.

Somebody who can stand up and say, this is junior, his dad was a rascal, tried for bank fraud three time, his uncle is awaiting trial for accepting bribes in the state legislature, his aunt was elected and thrown out of the state legislature on account of voter fraud and a number of votes cast by deceased individuals, but if you want to talk about that we can and how it affects junior, but we need to be talking out our federal government and how it affects you.

The East Tennessee democratic leadership has been slow to step up for junior (he didn't appear at most of the fundraisers, to protect the Knoxville democrat's perceived "integrity"), but to push the train down the tracks somebody is going to have to vouch for the fellow and not worry about the repercussions if junior don't win.

Stacey Diamond's picture

Ford and press

I agree with both you guys. Dean had too much of an internet and lack of a strategic regional approach where it counted. But all the Sentinel wants to write about is senate candidate name calling ie yesterday's article. The KNS has good enough writers to better use their space. When Clark came for Truman Day 3 years ago he got better coverage in the national press than local. So it goes. The NY Times reporter sat at my table at Truman Day this year. Stacey

Kato_not_that_one's picture

Truck color

I love you all like distant relatives, but I have to disagree...If HFJ wishes to carry ET he's gonna need a red truck.

Kato

Old Hickory's picture

Ford doesn't need to carry East Tennessee

You can run the math, he only needs 40 percent of the vote in East Tennessee and he's your next US Senator from the great state of Tennessee.  This is no easy task, particularly since Corker is from Chattanooga and the first district has not elected a Democrat to the House in forever.

Cutting the other way, the last person from Chattanooga proper to be elected to any statewide office was Bill Brock in 1972 as a component of the Nixon landslide.   Brock lasted all of one term in the Senate and before you can say Jimmy Carter three times backwards, Jim Sasser rolled in for 3 straight terms.

Thompson had the red truck for two campaigns.  Folks have been there done that.  Blue or Black, pick it, nice super duty Ford will do.  Play a few elvis songs, throw a little bar b que around so they'll know you're from Memphis not Union City.  It's not against the law to have a whacked out family, hell Jimmy Duncan's brother was tried for bank fraud and he's OK, isn't he.

No matter where you go in life, well, there you are.

lovable liberal's picture

Bill Brock...

... defeated Al Gore, Sr., in 1970 - another bitter defeat.  I can date it because I canvassed a bit in K-town with my dad, and by 1972 I was outvoted 21-1 in English class in Memphis.  Brock's wedge issues were:

  • Desegregation ("senseless forced busin' of little schoolchillun")
  • Gun control ("gummint's gonna confiscate Daddy's shotgun")
  • Vietnam ("fight 'em there so we don't have to fight 'em here")
  • Crime ("not safe to walk the streets")

Brock didn't have Roe v. Wade in his arsenal since it had not happened yet.  Busing is now a dead issue, though the Republicans still make racist appeals, and the schools have largely resegregated.  Otherwise, it's pretty familiar Republican fear-mongering.

Liberty and justice for all.

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