Tenn. candidate blurs borders on race, party, past
2006-10-17
Source: Chicago Tribune
email this
print this
del.icio.us
digg this
rss feedIf Tennessee is the buckle of the Bible Belt, then Bradley County is the buckle on the buckle, say those who know this ultraconservative community east of Chattanooga.
It is home to not one but two Worldwide Churches of God headquarters. In 2000, George W. Bush beat Al Gore, a son of Tennessee, with nearly 70 percent of the vote in this county. Four years later, he bettered his record, winning with 73 percent.
Despite its Republican track record, Rep. Harold Ford Jr., a Democrat from Memphis who is running for Senate, has come calling on a recent Tuesday afternoon. At the Holiday Inn, members of the Cleveland Rotary Club greet Ford like a rock star, lining up to shake his hand, hug him and even get a photograph snapped with the photogenic 36-year-old. Ford works the room as if he is Bill Clinton, touching every person he meets, listening intently as they speak. When he is formally introduced, the crowd gives him an enthusiastic standing ovation.
"He's definitely reaching out across Tennessee," observes Jonathan Cantrell, the Republican county chairman, who calls Ford "a very likeable guy" moments before the congressman lunges in to give Cantrell a warm bearhug.
In the Democratic push to take back the Senate, a candidate who was once thought to be the longest of long shots has emerged as a critical factor in the math required to flip six Republican seats from red to blue. Democrats are hoping for gains in Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. A victory here or in Virginia could give the Democrats the majority—assuming every Democratic incumbent holds on, including Sen. Robert Menendez in New Jersey, who is in a tight race.
Click here to see the full article.
