Also, certain people, many times normally democrat, will vote against a black person no matter what, for the same reason many blacks will vote against a white against a black no matter what, or an Irishman vote for an Irishman, etc.
I'd be MUCH more worried about a slick white country democrat that talks conservative, but votes lib. AKA John Edwards.
This guy in a state race has two strikes. He's a black dem. He's from a big city. If I was the GOP opponent, I'd do the same damn thing the dems would use. I'd bait, attack, and drive up the racist turnout, especially blue collar dems, to win this thing. The dems are going to James Byrd this thing. The GOP has to counter(and use 'independent' allies to do so).
I'd have "friends of the candidate" send targeted mailing to Memphis working class inner suburbs there with lots o pics of Ford with Maxine Waters, John Conyors, Geoffrey Fieger, Coleman A Young, Henry Waxman, Schumer, Ted Kennedy, Hillary, and other divisive figures. I'd paint him as soft on crime and a friend of criminals. I'd attack his dad and uncle especially for their politics. I'd attack the city of Memphis. I'd mention his policies as well, but make the race about Harold Ford and the big city Memphis liberal. SCARE SUBURBANITES, and bring up their turnout. Then get the NRA vote out in the rural areas, and this one is over against Ford.
That may sound racist, and I think the tactic is racist. I call it paybacks for James Byrd and fighting to WIN by any legal means necessary. The true enemy is not blacks. It is the WHITE dem leadership like Dasshole, McAufflie, Pat Leahy, Kennedy, and the like. Would I use the racists out there that normally vote dem to win this race? You damn well believe I would.
The gloves better be off here. I KNOW that tactic would work in Michigan. I think it would work in Tennesee as well.
Perhaps a black lesbian female would be good.