Video: Harold Ford Sr. calls pro-life activists “crackers“; Update: “trackers” was the word
posted at 6:53 pm on October 24, 2006 by Ian
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Harold Ford Sr., the father of Tennessee Democrat Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. (D), called pro-life activists who were outside of his son’s campaign headquarters “crackers”. Ford Sr. was on a cell phone telling the recipient “we have a cracker here with the Corker people.”
Update (Allahpundit): KP e-mails to say she thinks Ford called them “trackers,” i.e., people who follow a campaign around a la the Webb staffer whom George Allen called a “macaca.” Listen and decide for yourself. If she’s right, will this help get her back in the left’s good graces?
Probably not, no.
Apologies to Mr. Ford, though, for the error, if it is an error.
UPDATE: The word used was “trackers”, not “crackers”. I apologize for the error.
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This went from cracker, to interesting then mildly funny with Pablo winning with:
Then it got weird, then stupid, then weirdly stupid….
HE SAID ROSEBUD!
runner up:
only because of the video reference.
All I know from all this is that crr6 is young, but graduated! congrats!
shooter on October 25, 2006 at 3:59 PM
When Hannity played the clip I heard “tracker.” We’ll look pretty foolish getting our panties in a bunch over this, IMO. To be really offensive he should have called them “white chicken bread”- a term used on a friend of mine by the Indians at his school.
This is turning into a school-yard level discussion. So neeener neeeener neeeener! *sticking out tongue*
NTWR on October 25, 2006 at 3:59 PM
…I seem to remember someone saying something like “‘we’re above that sort of thing’ is not an ethic, it’s an epitaph” on another thread.
Speech here’s been pretty free, and the discussion’s been interesting…it’s just that the spur to that discussion MIGHT not be what it was thought to be.
That’s the pesky thing about free speech: people begin going off the reservation, and stop discussing facts strictly and wander into opinions of those facts. We remember, I’m sure, how numerous opinions are proverbially described as being.
Puritan1648 on October 25, 2006 at 4:05 PM
I understand that. I thought he said “cracker” at first also. But what separates us from the left (in general) is that we are able to look at these things with some maturity. It has become overwhelmingly obvious since this post first went up that “cracker” would make little sense and wouldn’t be uttered by a seasoned politician who knows he’s on camera, and that “tracker” would make plenty of sense. The very existence of a camera in his face confirms that there was in fact a “tracker” present.
Whatever. I agree with NTWR that this could make us look foolish. Now Hannity’s getting it out there so we can look even stupider. If some people don’t realize that at this point, then there isn’t much that little old “me” can do.
DaveS on October 25, 2006 at 4:12 PM
I just don’t think this is a big enough issue.
Even if he had said “cracker”, it’s not really a career-ruining word.
But I still don’t think having the camera in his face proves he wouldn’t do something as stupid as Allen did.
I wouldn’t worry though. This seems to have died down considerably.
Esthier on October 25, 2006 at 4:34 PM
…actually, it make MORE sense that he called one of the guys pestering him a “cracker”. “Cracker” in this case would express his frustration at being ambushed by pushy newspeople and partisans for his son’s opponents.
What the deuce is a “tracker”? Is it a news- or broadcast-industry term? Do people being stalked by folks with video cameras say “They’re tracking me” in some parts of the country?
That notwithstanding, as satisfying as it might be for some for Ford Sr. to be shown up as a villain (which is schadenfreude in the extreme), one thing is clear:
1) Harold Jr. DIDN’T call anyone “cracker”, and he’s the one running for office, and
2) the more folks listen to the recording, the more folks hear “tracker”, not “cracker”.
I’m even convinced that it’s “tracker”, as thick-headed as I am, as much as it mystifies me what a “tracker” might be in this case.
Puritan1648 on October 25, 2006 at 5:03 PM
…that was “one thing is clear, and one thing looks to be the case”…sorry….
Puritan1648 on October 25, 2006 at 5:04 PM
Well, up a few comments I posted excerpts from a couple of sources (both of which predate the Ford thing) which use the term “tracker” to describe political campaign operatives who are assigned to follow and record the opposing candidate, with the hopes of catching them (or provoking them into) doing or saying anything that can be used against them.
The term is already out there, and is apparently widely known by people who involved in these types of campaigns.
That presupposes that he is the type of person who would call someone a cracker.
DaveS on October 25, 2006 at 5:15 PM
…see…ask a question, get an answer.
The thing is that there seem to be folks out there who DO presuppose that Harold Sr. is the sort of person who’d call someone a “cracker”. Maybe they’re mistaking him for one of Cynthia McKinney’s staffers, or with Cynthia’s father, who definitely DOES seem to be such a person.
But, the jinn has left the bottle. It has as much substance as the “winking blonde” add is racist, so tit goes for tat.
I think that Ford’s opponent handled the matter well on Hannity. “You guys take care of it”, as in “I don’t want to touch this one with a 10-foot pole”.
Now, let’s sit back see what’s made of it.
Puritan1648 on October 25, 2006 at 5:41 PM
Do you people understand the English language? It was “tracker”.
Nice “reporting” Hot Air.
TheThink on October 25, 2006 at 6:27 PM
It was an honest mistake. It was promptly corrected. What’s your problem?
Allahpundit on October 25, 2006 at 6:29 PM
Sarcasm AP!
I like you guys, that’s why I keep coming back. Can’t take a little ribbing for a mistake? You guys dish it out all the time.
TheThink on October 25, 2006 at 6:33 PM
DaveS says,
Oh my word, DaveS, I was totally kidding about firing him for saying a word that sounded like “cracker”. I was just “reacting” like the knee-jerks on the other side would’ve if one of our guys had done it.
jdpaz on October 25, 2006 at 6:39 PM
Oh. ;-) Sorry.
My main concern wasn’t that particular statement (which I should have recognized as a joke), but the larger “trend” of people denying the evidence and common sense in favor of the “scandal” that they wanted to see happen.
DaveS on October 25, 2006 at 7:49 PM
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