That might be your first thoughts, but I don't think its takes in the full picture of him.

First, he's young, so getting out there raises his name id. He'd have to lose a number of statewide races in a row to be considered a write-off. At the worst, this raises his name rec for a future race-- as does his getting talked about (which may be the only goal here).

If he does run, I expect a different sort of Ford; one a bit more liberated, not representing conservative TN voter values, but more progressive. If you've ever seen Ford speak in person, you know he's good.

I thought he ran a terrific race in 2006. His pollster also did Webb in '06, and he'll tell you that in the numbers, he ran as good as Webb, but lost because of what?  I'll tell you- because he was running for statewide federal in TN, and he is black. Name me another black person from the southern part of the US that has won a Senate seat recently.

Compared to Obama, who lost by 15% to McCain in TN in '08, Ford, losing by just 2-3% in '06, ran a pretty good race.

He'll have to ditch the southern accent though, in NY.

I will vigorously support Ford as he ran as more conservative Democrat to win TN and it didn't get him no where in that ran. Now, he is more towards the middle where the country is and will do well enough to give Gillibrand a run for her money in the Senate race.

It is not so much that Ford is bad (he is) but that you think he has a snow balls chance of winning NY (he doesn't).

I would love to see Ford flame out badly here. I just read up on Gillibrand and despite her past with the Blue Dogs, she seems like a pretty decent senator. I don't care if her personal ideology is less liberal than the average democrat. Her actions seem more progressive than the average Democratic senator.

Ford on the other hand, just rubs me the wrong way. He seems so spineless and slimy.

A few thoughts, since I live here, and have followed NY politics pretty much since going off to college:

• Your list of carpetbaggers forgets William Weld, who toyed with running for GOP offices (Senator and Governor as I recall) before giving up on the idea. That's probably the best comparison to Ford, and a good indication that he looks good on paper, but less so in practice.
• Ford, I'm guessing, is betting on lax support in minority communities for Gillibrand; that's not wrong, but Ford can't build a victory out of it alone. Unless he figures out how to thread the needle between minorities and progressive and moderate whites, she's got a good chance to carry the suburbs around NYC while he carries the Bronx, Brooklyn, and a good bit of Queens. Whether he could win Manhattan is an open question. That's not a win for him.
• That gay marriage stuff someone else mentioned will do him in with gay folks, unless he's seriously changed his mind... and then he's got other problems. And does anyone know where he stands on transgender issues?
• People outside New York tend not to understand the statewide dynamic: there's a division between upstate and downstate (NYC) that complicates everything, and statewide winners have to figure out how to make the equation work for them. One reason Gillibrand was picked is that she's from the Albany area, and seemed (and still seems) able to carry upstate districts. Upstate, really, looks more like Tennessee, and Ford might have potential there... but not if he presents himself as someone with the kind of NYC-centric focus he'll need to appeal to minorities in the city. In which case, to win the primary Gillibrand needs a solid showing upstate, carrying NY suburbs, and staying relatively even in the city. She can do that, I suspect. I don't think Ford can do the reverse: carry NYC strongly, make some real headway in carrying the cuburbs, and hold her close in upstate. Unless he can show some skill in that regard, I think his run will look quixotic at best.
• And then, after you add all that... remember he comes in as a carpetbagger from a conservative, very southern state. Hard to see how that will play well to the most northern of northerners.
• And finally... this is just about the primaries - a race between Ford and Rick Lazio in the general... may be easier to see him winning, but I'm not sure , between him and Gillibrand, that the Lazio folks wouldn't enjoy the chance to take him on.

Since Gillibrand is having troubles securing the liberal vote, they bring in a southerner who does nothing all day but bash liberals?  Yeah, that will work....

The whole point is that Wall Street is unhappy that Democrats are even bringing in a modicum of accountability to Wall Street, and they don't like it, so they are importing one of their own guys.

Good luck.  The one thing Harold Ford knows how to do well is lose.  A primary challenge by him will certainly help Gillibrand secure that liberal base she's been struggling with. 

the 2006 vintage Harold Ford of TN was, by all serious estimation by very serious people in very serious suits the future of the Democratic Party?  That was as far left as anyone serious person could possibly get and get elected.  Think about that for a minute. 

Two years later we elected a Northern, urban, liberal, black man to President.  Four leprosies of American politics rolled into one person.

if Ford runs, he will have no problem raising money, Wall Street likes him and  is encouraging him, which means there is no  money problem.

he will run a little more moderately than when in Tenn, but only because Wall Street is more lifestyle tolerant than Tenn. but he will still be to the right of the Clintons, which is far enough to the right already for me.

...Bill Brock, one term U.S. Senator from Tennessee, ran for U.S. Senate from Maryland in 1994.  Paul Sarbanes crushed him.