In direct contravention of my wife's explicit instructions, herewith I inaugurate my first blog. Long may it prosper.

For some reason, I think I have something to say to you. You think you have something to say to me? Email me at: gideonsblogger -at- yahoo -dot- com

 
Harold Ford is way too young and inexperienced to lead the Democrats. But he's a comer. And I agree with Jonah Goldberg that he's potentially a good spokesman and a longterm problem for the Republicans.

But short-term, the Ford candidacy isn't a problem. Why? Because the Democrats are about to reject a rising young black politician for leader of the party in favor of a far-left white woman. That won't play well with the black base, which is already disgruntled and disinclined to come out for the good of the party. And they can't dis Pelosi; she's earned her stripes, and highly educated white women from California are a vital constituency both for votes and money.

If Ford were 10 years older, and had served in Congress more than one term, he would have already worked his way up in the leadership heirarchy and been in a real position to challenge Pelosi. Then he'd be a no-brainer. But challenging her now can only hurt the Dems.

And it does look like Pelosi's in, otherwise why would Frost be out? Or, rather, why would he drop out and not explicitly tip his hand in favor of Ford, whom he'd surely prefer to Pelosi?

When one-term Representatives decide to announce for Majority Leader, that is not the sign of a healthy party.
posted by Noah at 2:31 PM