Why Are New York Democrats So Afraid of Harold Ford, Jr.?

Let's see: He's clean and articulate, he's light-skinned and he doesn't speak in a Negro dialect.

So what's not to like?

All this sturm und drang is fascinating, given two salient facts: In the year since her appointment by the deeply unpopular Gov. David Paterson, Gillibrand has proven distasteful to the party faithful, who view her as far too conservative. And she has failed to win over the electorate at large. (Most recently, Gillibrand drew local criticism for supporting the health care bill while not seeming to understand just what it would cost the city, telling the Post only that it “is good for New York” while declining to discuss it in detail.)

Into this void steps Harold Ford Jr. On paper, he seems a dream candidate for the state of New York: A stylish, cultured, incredibly telegenic African-American politician whose profile is both high (he is chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council) and low (no one outside of Tennessee really knows that much about him).

So: Just who is Harold Ford Jr., and what exactly does he believe?

Well, they can't complain about him being a carpetbagger since Gillibrand inherited the seat held by one.

Maybe this has something to do with it.

Conservatism in the South is its own strain, and so Ford Jr. was able to maintain his base while taking stances that are not likely to play well in New York City: He is a member and supporter of the NRA; he is personally against abortion but publicly pro-choice.

Well, Gillibrand comes from a largely conservative are of upstate New York and is an NRA supporter. Or at least was until her puppeteer got a hold of her.

And this is probably why Democrats are distancing themselves from Ford.

While plenty of people from Sen. Chuck Schumer on down say they don't want Ford to challenge Gillibrand in a primary, observers say Ford could still have a shot. His New York roots may not run deep, but he's proven his ability to raise money, he's telegenic, and he knows his way around Washington.

Amusingly enough, one disgraced Democrat thinks Gillibrand is vulnerable.

And there are those - including former Gov. Eliot Spitzer - who say Gillibrand is weak.

Spitzer - who resigned after being caught with a $4,000-a-night hooker - said on WAMC radio Saturday that Gillibrand's "views on issues are either wrong or too malleable" and he would never have appointed her, as his successor, Gov. Paterson, did.

"Because of [Spitzer's] own actions, it wasn't his call to make," Gillibrand aide Glen Caplin said, noting she was among the first to say Spitzer should quit.

Meanwhile, a dark horse is now on the radar for the GOP.

Former GOP Rep. Susan Molinari is considering a run against Democratic U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand this year.

Ms. Molinari, who left Congress in 1997, said that given the health care debate and the upcoming trials of accused 9/11 terrorists here, "it's an important time to have aggressive leadership in the Senate" in the tradition of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Alfonse D'Amato and Charles Schumer.

If that's the case, she might want to relocate to New York some time soon.

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