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Go Ned!
In case you just emerged from a cave, Ned Lamont beat Joe Lieberman in the CT Democratic Senatorial primary.
Excellent takes on the meaning and effects of the outcome by Kos and Joe Conason. My own short form? 'Bout damn time. For years now, Lieberman has been representing his interests, rather than those of his constituents, and undermining his purported allies. And that is what it pretty much comes down to. We don't know yet what kind of legislator Ned Lamont will be (and, sure, he may lose the general election and we'll never know). But we know exactly what kind Lieberman is.
And it seems that Sore Loserman will indeed run as an "independent Democrat", whatever the hell that is. Uh, Joe? Remember whan Chimpy tried to claim a mandate after winning 51-48 (or 51-49, depending on how you miscount)? You got beat by a greater margin. Sit down, Joe.
Oh, and, all of you tender-hearted, well-meaning Republican pundits, telling us how devastating a Lieberman loss will be for the Democratic Party, fearing for what will happen to us? Blow it out your asses. Sugar Ray never listened to Marvin Hagler tell him how to fight Marvin Hagler for a real obvious reason. For weeks now, you've all been spouting the talking-heads version of "puh-leeeeeeze don't toss Joe in that briar patch!" And now you're all going to be shocked and horrified and worried for the very soul of the Democratic Party because Joe wasn't tossed in the briar patch, he was right out in the open, and we used conventional weapons (i.e., grass-roots door-to-door democracy) and his own words against him.
Screw you. When a "Dem" is getting support from Hannity and Coulter, that's the only clue one needs.
Excellent takes on the meaning and effects of the outcome by Kos and Joe Conason. My own short form? 'Bout damn time. For years now, Lieberman has been representing his interests, rather than those of his constituents, and undermining his purported allies. And that is what it pretty much comes down to. We don't know yet what kind of legislator Ned Lamont will be (and, sure, he may lose the general election and we'll never know). But we know exactly what kind Lieberman is.
And it seems that Sore Loserman will indeed run as an "independent Democrat", whatever the hell that is. Uh, Joe? Remember whan Chimpy tried to claim a mandate after winning 51-48 (or 51-49, depending on how you miscount)? You got beat by a greater margin. Sit down, Joe.
Oh, and, all of you tender-hearted, well-meaning Republican pundits, telling us how devastating a Lieberman loss will be for the Democratic Party, fearing for what will happen to us? Blow it out your asses. Sugar Ray never listened to Marvin Hagler tell him how to fight Marvin Hagler for a real obvious reason. For weeks now, you've all been spouting the talking-heads version of "puh-leeeeeeze don't toss Joe in that briar patch!" And now you're all going to be shocked and horrified and worried for the very soul of the Democratic Party because Joe wasn't tossed in the briar patch, he was right out in the open, and we used conventional weapons (i.e., grass-roots door-to-door democracy) and his own words against him.
Screw you. When a "Dem" is getting support from Hannity and Coulter, that's the only clue one needs.
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Damn straight.
Well put, Tom.
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*ahem*
Now's the time to write or call Sens. Harry Reid (head honcho Democrat) and Chuck Schumer (in charge of the DSCC, which supports Democratic campaigns and which had not previously committed to supporting Lamont if he won) and tell them to get their asses in gear repudiating the loser in terms of his being a Democrat, and to support Lamont, the legitimate Dem in the race.
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I think that's not too likely, though, because a lot of people remember the stories about Nader and Florida in 2000. (I don't know whether those stories are true, mind; it's just that everybody remembers them...)
I'm worried about a split vote
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Lamont won mostly due to Joe's Captain Queeg act, but partly because he had the grass roots. Now he has the DC establishment as well. Lieberman will either sensibly drop out well before November when he sees he has no more establishment support, or he'll melt down to the point where he has no more political career at all.
I say this coming from the opinion that Lieberman wasn't all that bad, and I'd have happily supported him had he won his primary. Seems to me it's not too late for him to accept the results and be somewhat gracious about it. If he does, there's enough of him left to make him a contender for a cabinet post in the next Democratic administration, maybe Governor if he doesn't think that's beneath him. Any more of the steel balls and ranting that Lamont took the strawberries, though, and no one will ever touch him again.
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And he didn't win, really. Lieberman LOST it.
Lieberman was the Goliath candidate. When you're Goliath, you win by being as gracious as possible, trying to keep the condescension out of your voice as you welcome the chance for an amicable primary contest and talk about how Democracy is so wonderful and your little-known opponent has every right to run, and then you swamp him financially with positive, upbeat ads about your record, mentioning the "David" by name barely if ever. "Goliath" wins popularity contests by being a gentle giant, not by being a brutal bully.
Lieberman didn't do that. He was Fred Sanford, clutching his chest and yelling "LAMONT! LAMONT!" every chance he got. He didn't even bother to hide his contempt for the democratic process as he screeched and raged at how this bloody peasant was daring to besmirch the divine right of incumbents. He publicly insulted not only the "David" but anyone who held "David"s views--which happened to be popular, majority views. And to cap it off, he unveiled his spoiler independent bid, stabbing his own party in the back before he had even had the primary.
It was Lieberman, and not Lamont, who turned this race from nothing into a real contest, and then an upset.
It's the subject of epic tragedies. If he had been a little less ultracompetitive, he'd be the safe nominee today. And yet, if he'd been a little more fiercely competitive in 2000, when he was the "David" Candidate, he'd be Vice President today. His career will stand as an epic warning for politicians for years to come.
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I, and I'm pretty sure most Americans, have no trouble flexing our military might when we have to defend our country. That's kinda the point of having Armed Forces. But stupid, illegal, ill-thought-out wars... gee, why would anyone have a problem with that...? And I thought the idea of having a military was to win a war, i.e., end it. Not in Bush World, or Lieberville.
OT
So far, so good
On the home (Michigan) front, I'm waiting with a bit of trepidation to see how the Senate race progresses. Debbie Stabenow, who's finishing her first term, leaves me kind of lukewarm, and I'm concerned that I'm not the only one. Meanwhile, Mike Bouchard, the sherriff of Oakland County who just won the Republican nomination, and with whom I have many disagreements, has already aired a really good ad.
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But then I realized that it would be easier to say that in a system like ours, there is a benefit to concentrating votes. It's why they have primary elections. If both parties are roughly equal(swinging back and forth) but one runs 2-4 people each time and the other runs one, the second party will tend to win all the time. Which wouldn't be any fun for the first party.
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There are liberal Democrats and there are conservative Democrats. We provide room for both in our party. We're inclusive that way.
Conversely, there is no such thing as a liberal Republican because the Republican party doesn't allow room for liberal ideas.
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http://idrewthis.org/2006/extremists.html
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Also on the plus side, I've had it in for Lieberman ever since he took Lowell Weicker out, one of the last classic New England Liberal Republicans, by running at him from the right. Lieberman got a pass in '00 in the face of a greater enemy, but he spent that nickel.
On the down side... well, I can't think of one. The GOP is in statewide disarray in Connecticut, Lamont has a lead on the field, and we rest of us get to chant hey, ho, no mo' Joe!