Joe- I don't really believe Harold Ford Jr. lost because of his race. Of course in a really close race, one could find at least 25 different reasons someone lost a race. I, for one, think Ford lost more for his marital status than his race. I pretty much think that the vast majority of people voting in TN wouldn't vote Dem at all if they really thought a black person shouldn't be a Senator.
Though it certainly was an opportunity for an African American to advance. It's a Republican state. Aside from Bredesen, no other Democrat has come as close to winning a statewide race in TN since Al Gore was our Senator.
My post was purely a dig at Don's "concern" that an opportunity to elect a black person was missed, by using the example of a situation in which he would never have supported said black person anyway.