Harold Ford Jr Sighting in the Wild

A.C. was at a business roundtable forum for the four major candidates for the US Senate seat. It's a longish report with some good observations, but since this is Memphis and we must all be appropriately enthused at "local boy done good" (Copyright Mainstream Media) Harold Ford Jr here are some of A.C.'s observations, excerpted:

As good as Harold Ford is on television, he is even better in person. Very confident, almost brash (which you don't get on TV), very comfortable in his own skin and well rehearsed. Of the four, he is clearly the best speaker. He talks about security. He links our security to our economy more so than border issues or foreign policy. A solid tactic, I think.

Ford is an impressive speaker, though I think less so when called on extemporaneously.

Ford hits the GOP in the rebuttal period again focusing on the recent raising of the debt limit. Strikes an independent pose saying he not wedded to either party's dogma saying, "I believe in one thing -- arithmetic." Oooo, I do like a good soundbite.

For those poor at arithmetic, especially of the personal financial variety, there was his support of the new, tighter, tougher Bankruptcy Bill.

Then just as Hilleary starts in on his closing statement Ford gets up and leaves. While Van Hilleary is talking he makes his way to the door shakes hands, talks to a few people, etc.

All of this while Van Hilleary is talking. This is a family website and all but I don't know how else to phrase it other than call it what it was: a dick move. The program was to last until 4:30pm. If it were 4:35 or something, maybe I could understand, if he had an engagement or something, but it was 4:20.

Harold, you signed up for a forum from 3:00-4:30pm. Sit your a rump down and listen to your opponents' closing statements, you insolent fiend. You can't wait 10 minutes? I would really like to know where he had to be that was worth interrupting the proceedings like that. I didn't even hear what Van Hilleary had to say. I would imagine I was not alone. Everyone was focused on watching Harold make his slow exit. Not classy at all.

But read the whole thing. To judge from A.C.'s reactions, it's still an Ed v. Harold race with Van and Bob still trying to hang in.