Greetings, gentle Readers...
Well now, News just coming from Connecticut, Joe Lieberman has conceded the democratic primary for his 18 year held Senate seat...
The common consensus is that this Race wound up as a Referendum within the Dem party on the Administration's "invade Iraq/war on terror" policies.
Now, for the Record, I've never been a Lieberman fan... he's always seemed to epitomize many of the things I find wrong within the Dem party... you know, the DLC crowd (that's democratic leadership council...not really an official part of the Party structure, aka the DiNos).
The very Interesting aspect of this Race is the quite clear Fact that the Net CAN make a difference in a race... this was Hinted at during the Dean primary campaign in '04...in which the ex-governor of Vermont had a shot until an Intern made the poor decision of sending in a feed that had Dean's microphone on, and NO crowd noise...which, after over 600 plays in a week on CNN alone, made him look like a true blue KooK...
Now, Lieberman is vowing to run for the Senate seat as an Independent... some more cynical double dipping a la his simultaneous VP and Senate runs in '00.
Would that Joe put that aside, but he won't...whether it's from Principle... or whether it is to please his Masters in the Insurance lobby, who've been pulling his strings for years (among others).
This is not to say that your humble Narrator doesn't think that Joe has done some very good things over his 18 years, just that HOW he has done some of it, Why, and in many cases, the nuts and bolts of, What he has done, in totality, doesn't sit that well.
But hey... I don't live in Connecticut, and if he Represented his constituency to their Liking, he gets the Job.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - IgnatiusReilly
It does my heart good to see the demonstration that term limits are not the answer to bettering our country but an active and engaged citizenry.
It was interesting to hear Joe spin his independent campaign being about changing the tone of politics and working together across party lines. I always love to see these entrenched politicians play the outsider card. He is more concerned about retaining power for himself rather than the Democrats. I am slightly disappointed in his decision to continue running, but as a closet political junkie, Iam sure it will be intriguing reality TV.
I must admit that when I look at this piece's title, I read it backwards and in the voice of Howard Cosell.
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
Well, at least Cynthia McKinney still has her -- ...oh.
3 - RJ Elliott
Aw, geez man...if you're gonna cite my article without linkage, couldn't you at least spell my name right? ;-)
4 - Jet in Columbus
When he announced he'd run as an independent if he lost, he doomed himself. No one can support someone who'd run out on his own party before he even wins/loses the party, so how can they expect him to be loyal?
It's like falling in love with a girl that you know plays around, how can you ever depend on her?
Tantum meus sententia
Jet
5 - gonzo marx
Ignatius... Cosell?.. damn, i missed that Trick!
and RJ...sorry about the spelling bit, but you KNOW i am a shit speller.... i blame the Editor!!! at least i gave ya yer due fer calling it weeks in advance....geeez
Jet, good Points raised...
now, we will see how Joe plays it out, the more i think about it, the more it looks like he should just eat it and bow out.... mebbe challenge one of the new england governors, perhaps?
but, then agani, i've disliked Lieberman fer a while, and thought he brought less than nothing to the ticket in '00.. about on par with Edwards
in other words, useless
but i got this up minutes after the *concession* speech, while heavily medicated...and all the while rather incredulous about the tone and content of Lieberman's ravings...
the next few months should be Fun for us political junkies
after all, it's been what, over 30 years since a sitting senator was beaten in a Primary?
good times, kiddies
Excelsior?
6 - Maurice
How did the net make a difference in this race?
I got your example of Dean but didn't see the corresponding case for Lieberman...
7 - gonzo marx
good Question Maurice... allow me to extrapolate...
a few months ago, when Lamont first got into the race, no one even knew who he was, outside of being a successful businessman in the cable industry
so his campaign started quite small, and outside fo regular Party channels... beginning with his own cash, as far as i can tell
in the early stages of his campaign, it was the bloggers who talked about the campaign, did interviews, and got his message otu there to the primary voters... he began to gain standing in the polls, but was dismissed by the Lieberman campaign, after all... no one had beaten a sitting senator in a primary since the 70's
but the *netroots* style got rolling, and lead to a real grassroots movement ... the buzz from the Net campaign caught on, and even brought some national attention... once the MSM caught on, name recognition got even bigger, culminating ni not only funds raised via the Net, but as we saw last night, a 52%-48% win in the primary
now, i know there were some grumblings fo4m the Lieberman campaign about their own website going down yesterday... and they even accused Lamont , or his supporters, of "hacking" the website
the Facts turn out to show that the Liberman site was a $15 a month cheap hosting with limited bandwidth and multiple websites on the single server... no "denial of service" attack needed, with a limited bandwidth connection, all it woudl take would be a bunch of attempts at connection from Lieberman folks, or reporters... as best as i can determine, less than 100 connection attempts would have exceeded bandwidth limits, and knocked out the server...
on the good side, some bright folks brought out the Google cached version and got it back up
so, to my analysis, the Net and those who write, blog, communicate and donate politically using the Net, provided a large enough Variable in this Primary to actually turn the tide and make political History fo rthe first time in over 30 years...
to me , that's a very good Thing
my Opinion is that for far too long, the gerrymandering and elites of both Parties have been systemically ruining our political process
and i consider the Net the greatest Revoloution to this process since the Gutenberg printing press
just as mass produced books brough Knowledge and Reading to the masses, so too does the Net bring personal interaction and expression of Opinions in the political arena here in the U.S. , as well as the chance to more directly communicate with Candidates and each other
this is just a sign of the first drips leaking from the *dam* of the Parties makings... the taking down of an Insider, a piece of the Machine, by an outside candidate in a Primary
finally folks have been able to express their Concerns at the ballot box, and via the organization of the Netroots portion of the campaign , do so effectively
just a Thought
Excelsior?
8 - Matthew T. Sussman
I think this line says it all.
"I don't live in Connecticut, and if he Represented his constituency to their Liking, he gets the Job."
To steal another one of your lines, quoted for truth.
I never understood the generic "how many seats will they pick up?" because of how loaded a question that is. I don't know how many congresspeople are up for re-election but each individual race is different than the next and they're not all exactly based on partisan reasons. For instance, I am quite content with my Democrat representative.
9 - gonzo marx
i'm with ya there Suss...
here in Maine we have two GOP senators...Snowe i like and vote for, Collins i do not like and vote against...
but i'm and Independant, and usually don't have anyone to vote for
but there's always someone to vote against
my Hope from this Primary is that this trend can be reversed, by being able to bypass the political machines, and actually see the Will of the constituency voiced and represented, it is my Thought that we will get a better grade of Candidates... hopefully folks who are more Interested in getting the work of the People done, and less concerned with their own political careers
but, i'm such a sucker for the "citizen-statesman" who serves for a while and goes the fuck Home, and back to a regular Life
we ain't seen their like in a while... and i think it's long past time when we need some "Mr Smiths" to go to Washington
Excelsior?
10 - Clavos
but, i'm such a sucker for the "citizen-statesman" who serves for a while and goes the fuck Home, and back to a regular Life
Quoted for...well, you know
Way back when I was a kid (a looooong time ago!), my Dad used to talk about that, too.
You're both right.
11 - DrPat
I understood Lamont also campaigned from a "block Walmart" position. Any comments about this? (You noted that Lamont was a successful businessman in the cable industry, but didn't mention that he also owns a good-sized chunk of Walmart stock...)
12 - gonzo marx
that's cuz i didn't know about it DrPat!
since i am not in Connecticut, i haven't placed Lamont under my normal scrutiny when it comes to folks i am going to vote for, or against...
i did state my personal Opinion that i was glad the Primary appears to have served it's proper function in choosing a Candidate who more accurately represents his Constituency
but as to all the details and nuances of the campaigns in that State, well... that wasn't my Concern, nor the point of my little Opinion piece here...
but i do thank you very much for bringing more Info to the discussion... now i'm just gonna hafta do some reading up i guess...
Excelsior?
13 - Nancy
I actually stayed up to hear the election results - from a whole 'nother state, at that! I wasn't surprised at Lieberman's loss, but I was astonished that the normally torpid American voter had bestirred their usually lethargic butts to get out & remind Joe Lieberman that he was NOT above those from whence he came, that his tenure was NOT permanent, and that, in the long (too long) run, they still had the last word. Now THAT heartens me beyond belief.
It seems to me that most if not all of our congressmaggots, shortly after arriving on The Hill, become infected with something I call Congressional Fever. The symptoms include a sense of being privileged, entitlement to be grovelled to & fawned on, to receive special treatment even at the expense of others who were ahead of them, immunity from the law, exemption from having to extend basic courtesies or cleave to basic decent civilities, or anything else they don't like. Subsequently they feel free to vote themselves large perks & salary increases, to help themselves at the public trough, to accept any amount of bribery, gifts, travel, cash, food, or other valuables in exchange for the glory of their presence, or influence, or what have they; to lose all sense of shame, ethics, honesty, or normality insofar as norms of morals, mores, & ethics go, together with developing a sudden disdain for & utter forgetfulness of those "little people" who put them in office, so that letters from same are answered by forms (if at all), and barriers are quick to be erected to keep the hoi polloi away from the sacred carcass of the pol & his/her family.
It isn't until their overprivileged, overpaid, overentitled hides are endangered that they suddenly develop a positive affection for the unwashed masses who vote them in or out, and it isn't until they're in their last political extremity that they deign to actually discuss or answer questions that concern the hoi polloi (jobs, health insurance, gas prices, housing, government ineptitude/indifference in crises, etc.), instead of keeping only to the non-specific BS script their handlers have written for their aggrandizement & sound bites. It goes without saying they never accept any kind of responsibility for having done absolutely NOTHING to earn the hundreds of thousands if not millions they've garnered at public expense; but at least they're (sometimes) forced into a corner where the issue won't go away, and are left with the certain knowledge that this is going to contribute to their political demise at the polls.
I DO hope this election - and that of the ever charming, courteous Ms. McKinney - fires a major cannon of a wakeup call to each and every maggot currently occupying a seat on The Hill, and sets them to trembling, as well they should. Hopefully, the electorate (across the boards and party lines) is rousing & many of those currently comfortably ensconced at the public trough are going to find themselves shortly standing in line at the public unemployment office instead.
Now, wouldn't it be loverly?
14 - gonzo marx
heh...
we can only Hope so, Nancy
but don't pull any punches, grrrlll...tell us how ya really feel
/ducks
and yeah, i was up till the Concession, and typed this between Lieberman's bullshit , self serving *concession* and Lamont's acceptance
now it's all buzzing around the MSM and we will see hwo it plays out in November
Excelsior?
15 - Nancy
A friend of mine who liveso outside New London tells me voter turnout was unusually high, & most people seem to be in a no-nonsense, don't-jerk-me-around mood, which was not helped by Lieberman spending so much time trying to avoid the issues & spoon-feed everyone the usual happy pap, until finally at the last minute (literally) when he was so cornered he figured he'd at least have to acknowledge the subject - which just made my friend even madder at him. So when she went to the polls, she figured it was about time ol' Joe got a dose of reality & a strong reminder who REALLY is boss - and it ain't him, and it ain't Junior. She says IF he straightens out & does a major about-face as far as attitude she MAY think about voting for him again, but it's unlikely he will, therefore it's unlikely she will. She does think he needs to re-align himself with the GOP; that he's no Dem & hasn't been for some time, and for him to keep on presenting himself as a Dem is dishonest, at least.
Don't know anyone in McKinney's area, alas. I'd love to hear from rank & file voters there on what the scoop is. I suspect the same: they're sick of her Kiss My Ass attitude - especially because it includes THEM!
I don't know how much of my thinking is wishful, but I strongly suspect (& wildly hope) what all this means is that incumbents are going down this fall, & there's going to be an awful lot of anguish in political Mudville, USA when the various incumbents reap the fruits of their non-labors, posturings, & empty rhetoric.
16 - gonzo marx
on the side note of "oh my website got haXXzored!" we have an article here... that shows the ability to ping the servers involved to cut through the geek speak there, it shows that the servers were more than likely NOT "hacked" or attacked with a "denial of service" by flooding...
just trying to keep details straight, since i normally don't do "news"
Excelsior?
17 - RJ Elliott
"it's been what, over 30 years since a sitting senator was beaten in a Primary?"
Bob Smith was beaten by Sununu way back in 2002...
18 - RJ Elliott
"here in Maine we have two GOP senators...Snowe i like and vote for, Collins i do not like and vote against..."
What's the difference? Both are pro-choice, female, liberal Republicans...
"but i'm and Independant, and usually don't have anyone to vote for"
Didn't Maine have an Independent Governor a few years back?
19 - jack jett
lieberman is clearly a pawn of the right wingers.
they will play their tricks to get him elected, however, america is waking up to this shit. he caused al gore to loose the election. he can not be trusted.
kissing bush ...not good
lieberman...not good.
israel...not good.
20 - gonzo marx
RJ in #17... that was a primary defeat? ok, then i stand corrected...thanks
RJ in #18....
there ARE differences between the two Maine senators... and yes, there was an Independant governor, Angus King... i didn't really like him either, for various reasons... but he had been the least worst choice at the time.... just cuz he was an I didn't automatically make him "good" , imo
and for #19... seek help
Excelsior?
21 - Mark Schannon
There's one element of Lamont's campaign that's not been talked about. The bloggers may have got him going, but he pulled in some of the top state politicos and developed a near-perfect grassroots, retail campaign, with ward bosses (in effect), highly sophisticated computerized voter rolls, tons of neighborhood meetings, house-to-house canvassing, and terrific message and campaign discipline.
Elections are about getting your voters to the polls & Lamont did that.
But...I still think Smokin' Joe still wins in a three-way race...but I'm not willing to be more than one bottle of Gonzo's single malt on that.
In Decaf Veritas
22 - Nancy
It will be interesting to see if it is galvanized voters or just party mechanics as usual. It will also be interesting to see if it spreads elsewhere. People all over seem pretty irritated with their dear elected reps lately, & not in a forgiving mood.
23 - gonzo marx
and all this pertinent discussion is washed away by today's headlines involving the capture of 21 people in the UK
good job to Brit Intel... seems they have been tracking these people for months
and announced the bust around 5 am EST, just in time to completely take over today's news cycle
don't get me wrong, i am very glad a potential Threat was nullified... and i hope this one is more solid than the last one in florida
we can only hope it leads to catching "bigger fish" (from what has been released so far, the 21 are UK citizens of Pakistani descent)
but the timing bugs me... i guess i'm just Paranoid
here's to Hope
Excelsior?
24 - Ray Ellis
why does the timing bug you, Gonzo?
25 - Victor Plenty
The timing is a bit convenient because news outlets will now talk about the air travel situation and the war on terror, leaving less time for them to talk about the Bush administration probably losing one of its staunchest allies within the Democratic Party.