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Harold Ford Now Supports Gay Marriage
Former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D)
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Former Rep. Harold Ford (D-TN), who is gearing up to challenge appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in the New York Democratic primary, has announced that he now supports gay marriage.
Appearing on the Today show, Ford pointed out that he'd previously supported civil unions. "My support for fairness and equality existed long before I moved to New York," Ford said. This is certainly a change for Ford. Back when he was in Congress, he voted in favor of amending the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage nationwide.
Matt Lauer asked Ford if this was a major change for him. "Maybe in the language," said Ford. "But I'm a believer that benefits should flow to same sex partners and if indeed the fiction of the language, the title, should be changed, much like Chuck Schumer who changed his mind on it and Bill Clinton's evolved, I'm of the opinion now that nothing is wrong with that."
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The Decider
January 11, 2010 3:10 PM
But the main reason is that he isn't anything and he isn't running to be anything...
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GayIthacan
January 11, 2010 3:15 PM
He just lost my potential vote.
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Stroszek
January 11, 2010 3:19 PM
http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/10/ford_allen_stat.php
Someone needs to tell Lieberford about the Google.
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FreeRider
January 11, 2010 3:51 PM in reply to Stroszek
EXACTLY! It's not a change in the language. Ford touted his opposition to gay marriage and his vote to amend the constitution to deny gays the right to marry. That's some pretty extreme haterade for a Democrat.
I hope this clown goes down hard!
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lousgirl84
January 11, 2010 4:40 PM in reply to FreeRider
He was Imus' buttboy. He has no chance of winning. He's done. Another conservadem we can do without
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mcc
January 11, 2010 3:21 PM
I can't imagine who on earth is going to believe him on this.
Though I don't understand ANYTHING about this entire candidacy, so whatever.
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CT Voter
January 11, 2010 4:09 PM in reply to mcc
Though I don't understand ANYTHING about this entire candidacy, so whatever
Makes as much sense as putting Jay Leno on at 10 PM for five nights a week.
In other words, none whatsoever.
New Yorkers don't know who he is, and when they start finding out, they're not going to be impressed.
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mcc
January 11, 2010 4:15 PM in reply to CT Voter
At least I've met people who like Jay Leno
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CT Voter
January 11, 2010 4:18 PM in reply to mcc
At least I've met people who like Jay Leno
In the 21st century?
: )
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Redshift
January 11, 2010 4:07 PM
Radically altering his positions when he's trying to carpetbag to a new state? Gee, our very own Mitt Romney, just what we always wanted. (Not.)
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FreeRider
January 11, 2010 4:11 PM
The Human Rights Campaign ain't buying it!! GREAT!!
Says president, Joe Solmonese:
Congressman Harold Ford’s announcement this morning on the Today Show that he has reversed his position and is now in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples is certainly welcome news.
However, it is also going to take more than an overnight conversion for our community to forget and forgive the two votes, one as recently as 2006, the Congressman made in support of George Bush’s Federal Marriage Amendment – an amendment that would have enshrined discrimination into the US Constitution. Not to mention, his outspoken support and personal declaration to vote for the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages in his home state of Tennessee, and the ads he ran promoting his anti-marriage position during his 2006 senate race. These are actions that need to be remedied with a tangible commitment to move equality forward rather than hampering it.
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mcc
January 11, 2010 7:49 PM in reply to FreeRider
The executive director of Empire State Pride Agenda also issued a statement in which he rejected Ford's statements, called Ford a "snake oil salesman", and said of Gillibrand "she will have my vote and I would think that the work she has done over the past year has earned her the support of the vast majority of LGBT New Yorkers".
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georgecs
January 11, 2010 4:19 PM
Oh, wait let me guess. He read polls that said a majority of residents of New York City support gay marriage, so now he does too. I'd sooner vote for the giant sock puppets they put in front of used car lots. At least when they blow with the wind, they have no choice.
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Progressive Party
January 11, 2010 4:22 PM
Ford has zero chances in NY. He is polictical hack from a "family" of hacks. This campaign is heading no-where quickly.
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Schmed
January 11, 2010 4:29 PM
Carpetbagger? Hmmm....who else tried to carpetbag their way into the Senate via NY? Sounds so familiar....the name's on the tip of my tongue....
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CT Voter
January 11, 2010 4:52 PM in reply to Schmed
Clinton's views, though, were more aligned with New Yorker attitudes, unlike Ford.
She also had monster name recognition, unlike Ford.
Finally, in perhaps the most superficial of all reasons, Clinton, with her accent, could almost pass as an upstate New Yorker (note to residents of the city and the Island: "upstate New York" does not mean Westchester County. . .). Ford? Not so much.
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DaddyD
January 11, 2010 5:09 PM in reply to Schmed
Clinton? Or were you going further back to Kennedy?
Apparently, New Yorkers don't seem to mind, so why should anyone else?
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FreeRider
January 11, 2010 5:54 PM in reply to Schmed
Hillary Clinton and Bobby Kennedy were both carpetbaggers. But there's a big difference.
a) Clinton and Kennedy didn't come to NY after being unable to win another election in another state.
(b) Clinton and Kennedy didn't take on a sitting senator of their own party at the behest of a Republican who didn't like said Senator.
(c) Clinton and Kennedy were already well-known and popular with Democrats in general and New York Democrats in particular
(d) Clinton and Kennedy were heavily sought-after as candidates by the party establishment
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Michael A
January 11, 2010 4:39 PM
I at first liked Ford and his senate campaign in 2006. I almost sent a contribution, even though I don't live in Tennessee. Then the more I learned about him and heard him, the less and less I liked him. The things he has said, his positions and his game playing lead to only one conclusion. He has a snowball's chance in hell of winning the primary. Not happening. At this point, I kind of wish he would just go away. He is bordering on embarassing himself.
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DaddyD
January 11, 2010 5:07 PM
Ambitious, power-hungry poser. This guy reeks of the worst in politics.
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Powkat
January 11, 2010 6:30 PM in reply to DaddyD
Exactly what I was going to say; after 40 you have the face you deserve, Harold.
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Mumphrey
January 11, 2010 7:37 PM in reply to DaddyD
Yeah, that seems about right. I sent him a little money in 2006, since he was a classmate of mine in college--though I never knew him--and he's a Democrat. He's far too conservative for me, but I knew why he voted the way he did in Tennessee, even though he was in a safe Democratic House district. I didn't think it was altogether fair to his district, but I knew he wanted to run and have a shot at winning statewide, and besides, Corker was worse.
But this is sad. I don't know what the hell makes him think he has a shot in hell at winning a Democratic primary in New York of all places. Seems like he has a better chance of screwing up Gillebrand's chances and weakening her enough that a Republican could win than of knocking her off in the primary.
If he's that eager to win a Senate seat and is willing to pack up and head off anywhere to win it, why can't he go somewhere where we really need a candidate? How about Utah? Alabama? Idaho? I mean, I know he has no shot at winning there, but at least he won't be weakening another Democrat who could win.
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VictorLH
January 11, 2010 5:30 PM
Ahhh, now we see what I said he would do - will New Yorkers buy that brdige in Brooklyn Ford is selling?
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Icon
January 11, 2010 7:18 PM
I don't buy this for a second.
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