Speaking of intra-party conflicts . . .

I can't help but appreciate Harold Ford, Sr.'s pluck as reported in The Hotline Blog quoting comments at a recent campaign appearance with Ford, Sr.'s sons.

But it highlights the disconnect between black evangelicals (most black voters) and the Democrat Party in this country.

[My son Jake's] opposition [in the congressional campaign--Steve Cohen] won’t even come to the community and ask for their votes. He’ll run and put out pictures and put out press releases and try to distort my son. I’m asking all of you: Don’t let this man reject Jake Ford Jr (sic). Now, Jake Ford Jr. is the man that you need. And I promise you that Jake Ford Jr. – he don’t believe in no same-sex marriages! We’re from a Christian city here. He doesn’t believe in legalizing marijuana. This man that’s running against Jake wants some sex shops running in downtown Memphis on a Sunday! That’s our religious holiday. He shouldn’t be doing that and then saying he’s the most liberal Democrat. He is too liberal! I mean, paramutual betting. And this lottery! A lottery ain’t nothing but a tax on poor people. And why would you brag about lottery. And the very people that the lottery’s supposed to help are the very people that can’t go to college and benefit from it. So I say to you: Trust me, you trusted me as your congressman. We don’t know much about the other person. He missed 49 percent of his votes in 18 years in the state Senate.

And I’m asking you: when you go to that poll, don’t vote for no Steve Cohen. You vote for Jake Ford as your next congressman. [crowd noise, applause obscures most of the rest of his close] .. Thank you and God bless you!

This also illustrates how the Democrat Party is a coalition of disparate special interests (while the GOP is a consensus party). The result is a whole lot of nose-holding when voting.