Harold Ford and Bob Corker: Politicians or Professional Mud Wrestlers

For those familiar with my writing it may seem like I am picking on Harold Ford. Let me state again for the record the fact that I don’t support either Harold Ford or his opponent Bob Corker. I like many things about both candidates. I believe neither Harold Ford’s or Bob Corker’s personal politics will be as much of a factor, if they are elected, as their party affiliation will be. If you agree with Harold Ford’s party, vote for Harold Ford. If you agree with Bob Corker’s party, vote for Bob Corker. Both Harold Ford and Bob Corker trend toward party politics. Neither is a “maverick”. With both men you get what you see. From their individual records you can see that Bob Corker supports Conservative viewpoints and business interests, and Harold Ford supports Liberal viewpoints and government programs. I leave it to each individual voter to decide who best represents what he or she is looking for in a senator.

All of this being said; I once again find myself questioning the campaigns of both Harold Ford and Bob Corker. In the Chattanooga area there is an ad that supports Harold Ford and mentions unanswered 911 emergency calls in Chattanooga when Bob Corker was mayor. While I agree that unanswered 911 calls are a serious problem, I also know that Bob Corker, as mayor, had very little to do with that problem. The 911 system in the Chattanooga area is managed by Hamilton County, not the city of Chattanooga. Evidently the supporters of Harold Ford who paid for this ad don’t feel that honesty is as important as sensationalism. Bob Corker had as much to do with unanswered 911 calls as any other citizen of Hamilton County. The national headlines about Chattanooga’s unanswered 911 calls, and the subsequent uproar it caused, didn’t even suggest a link to Bob Corker’s tenure as mayor. If you want to say Bob Corker supports business interests, and had some questionable business dealings during his political life, at least those opinions can be defended.

By the same standard, Bob Corker’s ads that attack Harold Ford Jr. for scandals attributed to his family are similarly desperate sensationalism. Harold Ford should not have to answer for acts committed by someone else, related or not. Also the ad calls Harold Ford a “career politician”. First of all, Bob Corker has about the same amount of time in politics as Harold Ford. Secondly, since when has serving your fellow citizens been such a dubious act. If Harold Ford has abused his position let us know, but to attack the fact that his family’s history is not spotless is just ugly. Harold Ford has represented the people of East Tennessee and has even spent time in the national spotlight as one of the new faces of his party.

If all politics is local, then the people of Tennessee are watching professional mud wrestling. Both, Bob Corker and Harold Ford Jr., say they have a platform and vision for the future. To bad neither seems to think that is what the voters need to hear. I think both men owe each other and the people of Tennessee an apology. I agree the stakes are high, but misleading ads and near-slander are beneath both Mr. Ford and Mr. Corker.