Don't Let The Smooth Taste Fool You

I missed Harold Ford Jr on "Morning Joe" today but Ta Nehisi Coates posted the video of him talking about Skip Gates' arrest. I have to say that he handled his business today for a change.

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Now Coates has some thoughts on why he believes Harold Ford Jr is more animated on this subject than usual. I think that he is partly right that class has something to do with it. But I also grew up in Memphis just a couple of years behind Ford Jr. and my folks were all big time supporters of his dad. The truth is the dude grew up priveleged yes, but his family is mad gully. His uncle, John Ford, of course has made the most news for getting caught up in two different corruption probes at the same time. But many of his other relatives both in and out of politics have also been on the wrong side of the law. His father, Harold Ford Sr. was even charged with some federal crimes back in the day but got off. And his dad also famously referred to east memphis which was overwhelming predominantly white at the time as a place where the "devils" lived after he won reelection in 1994. So the guy isn't somebody who has been shielded from the realities of being a black man in America.

And the truth is the reason WHY I am usually so hard on Harold Ford Jr is because I am used to him representing like he did today or being even more passionate on everyday issues. But since he has been appearing on Morning Joe its like he is just a lap dog for Joe Scarborough. So for me it always seemed like he was selling out so he could keep coming on the show. Now the thing of it is today just so happened to be a day when Scarborough wasn't there so I have to wonder if that factored in to why he spoke more freely. But what I really hope is that we see more of this from him from this point forward.