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Harold Ford Jr.: Obama Can Win in South

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Barack Obama’s race won’t be a serious impediment to winning the South in the presidential elections, says Obama’s fellow African-American Democrat Harold Ford Jr.

"Can somebody who is black win? The answer is yes,” said Ford, who was narrowly defeated by GOP Sen. Bob Corker in a race for the Senate from Tennessee last November after serving five terms in the House.

In a speech in Chicago on Tuesday, Ford declared that Democrats, including African-Americans, can carry Tennessee and other Southern states if they meet certain expectations, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"You’ve got to fit in the mainstream on values issues,” said Ford, who is now chairman of the moderate Democratic Leadership Council.

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  "You’ve got to be fair when it comes to economic policy. And you’ve got to be accountable to people. Whoever wins the Democratic nomination, if they fit that mold, they’ll be able to compete.”

Ford is a longtime friend of Obama and Hillary Clinton, but he said he is neutral in the nominating race.

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