Change or Chump? Harold Ford, Tennessee’s anti-gay marriage Democrat, suddenly a gay-supportive NY Senate candidate [video]
”And from the moment I arrived in Congress, I supported civil unions. Like New York’s senior senator, after listening to and participating in the national conversation about full equality and fairness, I support same-sex marriage.”
Taken from a public letter by Harold Ford, Jr, a former Democratic Member of the US House of Representatives for Tennessee, speaking about his political positions in 2010. Ford’s statement appears to be a surprising change on beliefs about gay marriage. Earlier he expressed some rather bothersome remarks that offended many gays and Democrats alike during his last major election campaign. He voted twice to pass a Constitutional ban on gay marriage and alleged his strong religious beliefs were his reasoning then. He also says he is pro-choice on women’s reproductive issues now but was totally saying the opposite before.
It is reported that Harold Ford is seeking to unseat Senator Kirsten Gilibrand, a Democrat from a conservative area of New York state, who was appointed by strongly pro-gay Governor David Patterson. Gillibrand replaced Senator Hillary Clinton who became the US Secretary of State. Neither Clinton nor New York’s other Senator, Chuck Schumer, would speak in favor of gay marriage during the last major election cycle — Ford appears to reference that fact here. But Schumer has come around and changed his mind, saying so in a public statement in March of 2009.
Ford lost a bid for a US Senate seat in 2006. During that race, he came to prominence as a national figure — as an alleged target of a televised Republican attack ad that sought to portray him as an irresponsible party-boy. But it was the ad’s use of a nearly topless white female at the end of the commercial that caused such a stir for the former Congressman. He is of African-American descent, and it was perceived by many, at the time, to be an attempt to cause racial disharmony for his campaign. Some Democrats felt then that strategically his loss may have looked like a painful defeat, but somewhat secretly did not mind avoiding the burden of carrying another socially conservative Democrat who speaks against progressive interests, and the extension of rights to American citizens. Since his bitter loss, Ford has appeared as a pundit on many national media outlets — a talking head who seems to be speaking loud and clear, but analysis of his actual words often reveals a lack of any particularly insightful opinions. (New York Post) (CBS News)
”I’ve been a supporter of civil unions since I was elected to Congress in 1996. It’s a fiction between the two, and believe me, my support for fairness and equality long existed before I moved to New York….. Maybe [a change of stance] in the language, but I’m a believer that benefits should flow to same-sex partners. And, if indeed, the fiction — the language of the title should be changed — much like Chuck Schumer who changed his mind on it, and Bill Clinton, who’s evolved — I’m of the opinion now, that nothing is wrong with that…. [In favor of] civil unions and same-sex marriage, yes.”
Harold Ford, Jr, expanding on his new-found support for gay and lesbian marriage equality on The Today Show with Matt Lauer. (ScareNews on YouTube)
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