Ford caught rival 'off guard,' GOP observers say
2006-09-18
Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press
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rss feedAn aggressive push by "charismatic" Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Harold Ford Jr. caught Republican Bob Corker off guard in August and now is helping make Tennessee’s Senate contest competitive, some Republicans said.
"I think people are concerned," said John Ryder, a former Republican National Committee member from Memphis. "I think Republicans are beginning to focus on this race and say, 'Gee, we can’t take this for granted.'" Mr. Corker, a former Chattanooga mayor, had a 13-point lead over Rep. Ford in a July survey of 625 registered Tennessee voters conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. However, more recent independent polls conducted by Rasmussen Reports and SurveyUSA show the race now is a statistical dead heat. The general election is Nov. 7. Since the August primary election, the Ford campaign has aired positive television advertising about Rep. Ford, followed by ads criticizing Mr. Corker. By Aug. 25, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee rolled out ads attacking Mr. Corker on campaign contributions from the oil industry and his handling of 911 emergency-call problems as mayor.
In recent days, the Corker campaign and national Republicans have attacked Rep. Ford on what they call his liberal voting record, including votes on national security and immigration.
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