Joe Lieberman's Problems Continue
I don't know yet if Joe Lieberman's situation is a special case or a trend. Jeff Greenfield of CNN points out that Lieberman's problems are not restricted to his position on Iraq, though his position supporting Bush went on long after the incompetence and dishonesty of the Bush Administration were evident:
I want to see the Democrats win a house this fall, but maybe the bigger lesson we're seeing these days is that incumbents, in this era of discontent, should not take for granted their continued presence in Washington. That lesson applies to both Republicans and Democrats.
If the latest Quinnipiac University Poll is right, three-term Sen. Joseph Lieberman is headed for defeat Tuesday in Connecticut's Democratic primary, and Iraq -- more specifically, his steadfast support for that war -- is the big reason.
But it's not the only reason, which is something those looking for broader lessons from this primary campaign might keep in mind.
I want to see the Democrats win a house this fall, but maybe the bigger lesson we're seeing these days is that incumbents, in this era of discontent, should not take for granted their continued presence in Washington. That lesson applies to both Republicans and Democrats.
posted by Craig at 12:49 AM
3 Comments:
I've wondered and worried for some time now about the possibility good Democrats will be dumped along with Republicans who richly deserve to be dumped, based on performance or lack thereof, and results.
I say this having watched Democrats endure what must have been a fiendishly frustrating period the past several years. Most of them have shown grit and fortitude through some really dark days.
It will be bitterly ironic if, having held the line as best they could through so much adversity, they're now thrown out with the political trash.
Regarding Lieberman, I see him in part being beaten up for the much-touted sins of blindly supporting the Iraq war and being too accommodating to Bush & Co., but also for something hard to appreciate.
I think some in the blogosphere are piling on Lieberman both because of his record and because they want to exert power and demonstrate that they have power. Up to a point that's OK. I just get the impression they're going too far.
Lieberman is not a neocon monster who should be ashamed to show his face in public. Meanwhile, stratagems like Jane Hamsher's (firedoglake blog) reportedly doing up a photo of Lieberman in blackface (proving what, exactly?) is wildly uncalled for and bizarre.
If those in the pack after Lieberman really think their vicious and vindictive excesses are any less deplorable than the Republicans' anything-to-win depredations, they're sorely mistaken.
S.W., I'm hoping that if Lieberman loses and the pollsters do their analysis that we'll find that Jane Hamsher and others had only a minimal effect. Using Republican campaign techniques doesn't sit well with me but I'm prepared to be disappointed by an analysis.
I've seen Jane Hamsher make good arguments and act civilly on other issues without resorting to sophomoric tricks so I don't get her mocking take-no-prisoners blogging style. It's great, I suppose, for attracting young people and a big audience, but, in the long run, I think it's a mistake.
Having said that, I've been startled several times now that Lieberman has developed a knack of shooting himself in the foot. Until recently, I think he could have saved himself.
As for the big wigs in blogging, some are letting it go to their heads. It's true on both the right and the left. I think it's important for progressive bloggers to remember what made them useful in the first place. With one or two exceptions, the progressive bloggers who make me the most uneasy are the ones who were or are political consultants or who are inclined in some ways to play the consultant game. The other kind of progressive blogger who are worrying me are those who are playing 'gotcha' on pretty minor blunders or missteps when there are much bigger issues to be working on in the first place. Some of the bigger bloggers are getting petty at times and their pettiness isn't always directed at Republicans.
Finally, I'm pretty sure, at least until a couple of months ago, that Lieberman would have swung behind a majority of Democrats in the Senate. So his demise actually involves a lot of risk for Democrats. I understand the frustration and maybe it's necessary in some way to get the attention of the more complacent/compliant conservative Democrats but I think people need to be more careful what they wish for.
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