Rasmussen: Tennessee Senate Race Competitive

[TheresNoMoney]

Good news for Harold Ford, Jr. Seems like the Tennessee Senate race will be competitive no matter who he faces:

Ford, Jr.         42%
Bob Corker    36%

Ford, Jr.         39%
Ed Bryant       42%

Ford, Jr.         39%
Van Hilleary   41%

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2005/Tennessee%20Senate%20Dec%2012.htm

Corker has been the top fundraiser of all the Republican candidates and is considered the so-called "moderate" while the other two are very conservative. I'm not sure who's favored to win the Republican primary.

[MissCatholic]

If Ford wants to take this thing to the distance then he has to find an issue to connect with men. The numbers are horrible for Ford.

[ATFFL]

With his name recognition edge, Ford should be doing better than this.

[Moooooo]

With his name recognition edge, Ford should be doing better than this.

Thats funny because in the past everyone was claiming his last name hurt him more than it helped him.  So which is it?

[ATFFL]

With his name recognition edge, Ford should be doing better than this.

Thats funny because in the past everyone was claiming his last name hurt him more than it helped him.  So which is it?

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[TheresNoMoney]

It will definitely be an uphill battle for Ford to win this race.

[Ben.]

It will definitely be an uphill battle for Ford to win this race.

Agreed but this poll suggests he's very well placed... it better than i would have expect for a democratic candidate called Ford in TN

[Filuwaúrdjan]

His first battle is to try to *somehow*  get a clear (or clear-ish) primary...

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

His first battle is to try to *somehow*  get a clear (or clear-ish) primary...

Rosalind Kurita probably won't break 20% - those votes coming from middle tennessee conservative Dems and anti-Ford liberals.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

You all have to remember that no one except Bob Corker is campaigning against Ford yet.  Its sad for Ford that he has already run tons of TV ads almost a year before the election and this is the best he can do.  Wait until the Republicans stop beating up on one another and start opposing Ford.

[ian]

When Bush's approvals are this low, and Republicans around the country are failing, Ford is in trouble if he is losing in any poll.

[Ben.]

When Bush's approvals are this low, and Republicans around the country are failing, Ford is in trouble if he is losing in any poll.

It should be noted that no candidate gets close to 45% in these polls.

Suggests a fair few undecideds in the race… more importantly, like in VA earlier in the year, people are registering support in these polls based on party… it’ll be interesting to see what happens as the campaign heats up, it will also be instructive to see how the “Bredensen Republicans” breakdown… the Governor is pledged to give Ford a lot of support and he’s likely to win a fairly comfortable re-election.       

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

the Governor is pledged to give Ford a lot of support and he’s likely to win a fairly comfortable re-election.       

...only if no one runs against him.  This has got to be the biggest race in the country where you have a highly vulnerable scandal-plagued incumbent and no major party opposition as of yet.  I'm rather pissed at some of our more selfish elected officials who are awaiting an open seat in 2010 rather than carry the GOP banner next year.

[Defarge]

This is mostly due to Ford name recognition.  Once the Republicans emerge from the primaries, I expect Ford to remain pretty much stagnant, while Republicans win by at least a 3-5 point margin.

This could be competitive.  If Ford wins, I wouldn't be too surprised.  But it's an uphill battle.

[Yates]

I must say that I am surprised at the responses so far.  I, for one, expected Ford to be doing far worse than this.

[WalterMitty]

how come albert gore is sitting this race out?

i remember something in his rambling concession address of 2000 about going back home to mend fences, 'literally and figuratively'

anyway, this ford guy is obviously not trustworthy.

[socaldem]

I must say that I am surprised at the responses so far.  I, for one, expected Ford to be doing far worse than this.

Yeah, Ford is doing alright in polling.. I just don't see how he gets from the 40-45% base Democratic vote to the magical 50+% of the two-party vote...