TN-Ford Closes the Gap

In his bid to become the first African American United States Senator from the deep south since Reconstruction, Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. must be buoyed by a poll released by Zogby International on June 12(http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1125) .

In match ups with each of the three Republican candidates Ford closed the gaps that were seen in a Rasmussen Reports poll done on May 1 ( http://blackpolicy.com/black-races.php?s=TN).

In the Zogby survey Ford is in a dead heat with one candidate and trailing the other two. But each the deficits is within the margin of error:

Ford 42%
Bob Corker 46%
Other 2%
Undecided 10%

Ford 41%
Van Hilleary 43%
Other 4%
Undecided 13%

Ford 42%
Ed Bryant 42%
Other 2%
Undecided 14%

Ford also enjoyed decent favorable/unfavorable numbers in the poll. 51% of those questioned had at least a somewhat favorable opinion of him compared to 31% with an unfavorable inclination.

The journey is certainly uphill, the GOP candidates don't top 19% in the unfavorable question and the state hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1990 with Al Gore, but the numbers give the moderate Democrat from Memphis hope.