Lieberman-Lamont Showdown: The Results are coming in

[Nym90]

One problem is fundraising.  Do Democrats nationally send money on Lamont to fight off Joe the Indy?  Do they then divert money from other races?

Good point, J.J. I'd hate to see money wasted on this race that could go to Ohio, Missouri, Montana, etc.

[nini2287]

Alright.  Here are all the reasons why this is really bad for Democrats.
Remember that I've been cut off from the rest of the world for a few months while I've been at camp, but here's what I have gathered.
1.  I am not the only person who thinks Lamont is ridiculously creepy.
2.  More importantly, the more we kick out independent thinkers out of the party, we are left with extremist, establishment Democrats, which alienates independent voters from voting for the party in Connecticut.
3.  Even more importantly, this has received a lot of national coverage, apparently, which gives the right more ammo to paint us in November this year as well as 2008 as extreme liberals who want to destroy America.
4.  And for what???  So that Lamont can lose to Lieberman in the general election?  We voted for Lamont to prove a point--a point that is going to be thrown in our faces come November?  Give me a break.

It actually angers me that people are so ignorant and refuse to see the bigger picture.

Welcome back, ian!

Great post, I think it was very foolish for the DailyKos liberals to send money to Lamont's campaign--regardless of who won this primary, a Democrat will be elected.  So, Democrats (Lieberman included) spent $15 million in this primary that could have been spent in PA, RI, MT, OH, MN, NJ or MO.  (JJ/Nym just stole my point by sneaking their posts in ahead of mine)

[Cubby]

1.  I am not the only person who thinks Lamont is ridiculously creepy.

You certainly aren't, ian.  His victory speech was, imo, one of the worst I have seen, period.

Lamont is a nebbish, plain and simple, to use terminology of the region.

I've lived here most of my life and I've never heard the word "nebbish". I hope its not one of William F. Buckley's words. That guy has caused more damage to public literature than Thomas Friedman.

[Sam Spade]

1.  I am not the only person who thinks Lamont is ridiculously creepy.

You certainly aren't, ian.  His victory speech was, imo, one of the worst I have seen, period.

Lamont is a nebbish, plain and simple, to use terminology of the region.

I've lived here most of my life and I've never heard the word "nebbish". I hope its not one of William F. Buckley's words. That guy has caused more damage to public literature than Thomas Friedman.

Has nothing to do with that.  Its origin is Yiddish.

http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2003/10/20.html

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I eralized some weaknesses Lieberman has in the general.

One is advertising. How does he attack Lamont? He can't do it from the right, it'd piss of Democrats.

And then there's money. He has no party to give him cash, moderates tend not to be the types to donate, and conservatives will spend on Republicans in other races. And if he takes money from conservative PACs, Lamont gains another issue.

[Smash255]

Just updated my Senate Predictions

I think Lieberman wins this in a squeaker.  Many natinal Democrats have stated they will support the Primary winner, that along with what NYM pointed out, about many Lieberman Primary voters may switch to Lamont out of Party loyalty, I believe gives Lamont a large lead among Dems.  And I think he will also do quite well with Independents.  However, because Schlesinger is such a horrific candidate, Lieberman will do very well with Republicans, and it will be enough to put him over the edge in a very close race.  I think Lieberman will win, but by a small margin and Lamont has a very real shot at winning the General.  Of my pics, Lieberman winning the seat is my least confident.

Well I already flip flopped on my pick.  Didn't think about fundraising before, which could wind up being a bit of a problem for Lieberman with no party organization

Lamont 44%
Lieberman 42%
Schlensinger 14%

[Nation]

Frankly, I'm glad this was the result, and it's close to what I predicted (51-49). I knew this was going to be a close race,  because a sitting Senator, unless he's the devil himself, will always get a significant portion of the votes.


This creates an exciting, most likely volatile political arena in Connecticut until November, and could  possibly allow for TWO independents in the Senate at one time, which for an election junkie like myself, is just too good to pass up.

I could care less who wins, really.

[Ebowed]

Lieberman campaigned as a liberal in this primary (you should have seen his endorsements page on his website -- Republican-free, plastered with unions, Planned Parenthood, liberal Democratic friends, the pro-gay Human Rights Campaign, and other joke hack organizations that value incumbency more than who will actually further their cause).  So it will be interesting to see how he campaigns as an Independent, and to see whether all of the people mentioned in the previous sentence will stick with him if he ditches total liberalism to appeal to the state as a whole.

[Ebowed]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/posts/2006/08/08/breaking-news-first-dem-leader-steps-up/

"A check from Hillary Clinton’s HILLPAC is being cut to Ned Lamont for five thousand dollars. She’s the first one to be counted on and make good on her promise to support the winner of the Connecticut primary."

[Eraserhead]

I'm thinking Lamont will end up winning by a comfortable margin. He'll be able to call on everyone he did in the primary plus all of the big guns like the Clintons, Dodd, Schumer, Bayh, Feingold, Gore, etc.

[Ebowed]

Lamont's speech was about one of the worst "victory speeches" I've ever heard, so adolescent and juvenile, geez. 

That's the quality might end up losing him the general election, when I think he probably has a slight advantage now.  It really appears to me like he could show himself up to being an empty suit before the general commences.  I give it about a 50% chance.

jmo

Do you have a link?

try here:
http://www.wfsb.com/video/9651271/index.html

[opebo]

Let me just say that I am very disappointed with the voters of Connecticut's Democratic primary.  They had a perfectly good senator, one of the best in the country, who only happened to disagree with them on one main issue.  The liberals on this board consider themselves to be much more "tolerant" people than the conservatives, but they've just chucked someone based on the fact that he happens to not agree with them 100% on every issue.  I don't know where people like jfern get off saying that Lieberman was a rubber-stamp for Bush's policies, when he has criticized several of them (Lieberman mentioned this himself).  It's sad, really.

Good lord, man, you think it unreasonable of voters to want their representative to represent their views?!

You must be logged in to read this quote.

There is no reason to 'tolerate' ones representative misrepresenting one, Senator Virgin.  

[Harry Hayfield]

Rank on a percentage scale, the following possibilties:

Lieberman running as an Independent
Lieberman holding the seat

[Alcon]

Lieberman running as an Independent - 80%, he has announced
Lieberman holding the seat - 80% (64% technically)

[afleitch]

Lieberman running as an Independent - 75% - He has announced his intentions, but he may not have the support of the determination later on.

Lieberman holding the seat - 50% if he actually runs again.

[Eraserhead]

Rank on a percentage scale, the following possibilties:

Lieberman running as an Independent
Lieberman holding the seat

Running as I- 80%
Holding the seat- 37%

[12th Doctor]

52-48 in favor of Lamont

Yup... I called it

[minionofmidas]

As someone who knows a lot of the towns, its funny to see the class split in the voting. All the working class places voted Lieberman/DiSteffano (Centrist/liberal) while the upper middle class (what the rest of the country calls "rich" but we don't) places voted Lamont/Malloy  (left-wing liberal/DLC Centrist).

I never thought I'd see the day when Greenwich and the Gold Coast went for a liberal blogosphere candidate. The times they are a changing.......

Add to that that the big cities / Democrat strongholds mostly mirror the result quite closely, although Bridgeport narrowly went for Lieberman.

[Rob]

Wow, just read the whole thread. I always get nervous on Election Days, so I stayed away from the Internet and the news during the count.

Congrats to Ned Lamont!!

[minionofmidas]

Wow, just read the whole thread.

That must've taken quite a while.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Congrats also to Joe Lieberman, who managed to lose only narrowly, and therefore keep his general election campaign alive and credible.

[Rob]

You could look at it that way.

I take it you're a Lamont supporter?

[minionofmidas]

You could look at it that way.

I take it you're a Lamont supporter?

He sounds less horrible than Lieberman, but I don't support anybody in this race.

[afleitch]

So it will be interesting to see how he campaigns as an Independent, and to see whether all of the people mentioned in the previous sentence will stick with him if he ditches total liberalism to appeal to the state as a whole.

I agree. Lieberman has never been as moderate as Democrats or Republicans make him out to be. (a bit like McCain in that instance) I'm not sure exactly what 'theme' his campaign can adopt without it turning out to sound like sour grapes; he could focus on the war, but I don't think that issue packs the punch it once did. If he did ditch or hide his past credentials, against those who supported him in his campaign till now, soley to appeal to Republican and Independent voters then I would be dissapointed.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Good Lord did this thread go mad.

[Soaring Eagle]

The people have spoken. They want change.