The Day Before Round-Up with Quinnipiac poll up-date
Mon Aug 07, 2006 at 03:58:18 AM PDT
First, let me say I have never been more proud to be from the great state of Connecticut. Growing up in the Constitution State, I always felt kinda left out of it. Squashed between the shining metropolises of Boston and New York City, we tend to feel ignored. Most like it like that, living quiet lives of east coast blue state sophistication. But, I liked to hear references to CT in popular media. I remember when Who's the Boss premiered. What a priveledge it was to have a real live Hollywood sit-com set in Connecticut. Now I really know what its like to be from a big place. Connecticut is now the LA of the blogworld, and it kinda feels good.
And we earned this fame. What the fuck happened to the country over the past 6 years? I always considered myself to be a moderate, even-keel kinda guy. Now I am clinging to the port-side rail, about to be flung overboard. Did I jump so far to the left? I dont think I am much different now than in 2000. Is it possible that the rest of the country lurched this far to the right? It seems inconceivable, but when a Saudi Arabian terrorist attack justifies an invasion and bloody occupation of a non-threatening third country, something is seriously out of joint. Where were the critical voices of reason and clarity in the dark days before the Iraq invasion?
I dont know what to think about all this bullshit. Huge tax cuts for the rich generating previously unimagined deficits. Aggressive executive attacks on the constitution. Made-up wars justified by Orwellian doublespeak. And it seems that outside of the sanity-inducing left blogosphere, these things pass for natural.
For so long, I wondered how far off course the ship of state had to sail before correcting course, and heading port. And then a gangly anti-war protest candidate metamorphosized into a dynamic leader, and started winning against an entrenched dinosaur of the neoconservative power structure. The Guardian editorial summed up my feelings perfectly: Democrats who oppose illegal wars and torture want to reclaim the party. Go Connecticut!
When I began rounding up votes for Lamont from friends and family in the spring, no one with any political savvy thought Lieberman could lose. But in talking to people, I noticed a strange phenonmenon. No one thought he could lose, but no one especially wanted him to win. Anti-war sentiment was so powerful, my nutmeg friends were willing to give up some of a summer day to cast a worthless anti-war protest vote. That was enough for me. When tilting at Liebermills, I'll take what I can get.
I tried to keep my hope alive with some MyDD posts. One of my first comments. Looking back now.. quite insightful. But I thought that for Lamont to beat Lieberman, he would have to run a stealth campaign, knowing that summer primaries have low turn-outs. But the way things are shaking out now, it looks like Lamont will win, with massive turn-out. Who coulda thunk back in December? Can I say again.. Go Connecticut?
So where do we stand. Some local election-eve coverage. The Lieberman-endorsing Hartford Courant has some weird observations on the race:
You know it's shaping up to be a tough day when "Mr. Science Guy" - a dude in a Hawaiian shirt overseeing a children's egg drop - gets more enthusiastic applause than you.
The paper I grew up with is called the Waterbury Republican. And yes, that is a reference to the political party. Here's their take.
Lamont, 52, is riding anti-war, anti-Bush sentiments in Connecticut, and he is using his vast personal fortune, worth $90 to $300 million, to underwrite his campaign. He is painting Lieberman as a Washington insider who has lost touch with the Democratic Party and his home state.
Lieberman, 64, is asking Democrats to look beyond differences over the war to his record of supporting Democratic issues and causes. The senator and his supporters are portraying Lamont as politically inexperienced, a one-issue candidate and a Greenwich millionaire, a label loaded with political and social connotations in Connecticut.
The embattled Lieberman is also gathering signatures to run as a petition candidate in case Lamont wins the primary. He requires the signatures of 7,500 registered voters. His petitions must be filed with the secretary of the state's office by 4 p.m. Wednesday, the day after the primary.
And you wonder why it is called the Republican? How's this for an editorial?
We never bought into the Lieberman hype. We have had our policy differences with him, and he has disappointed us more times than we care to remember. But never did we doubt his party loyalty. In word and deed, he always has been the Democrat's Democrat.
On Tuesday, Democrats will go to the polls to pick their U.S. Senate candidate. The primary isn't likely to settle much, except perhaps to measure just how dangerously far to the left the Democratic Party has drifted.
Well, thank God for the Day. They are really getting into the Blogging scene.
Lieberman's line didn't cause a stir at his rally on Sunday - Cleland, for one, was enthusiastic in support of his former colleague, who he called "the definition of patriotism."
But it seems a little dubious to suggest that Ned Lamont's ads attacking Joe Lieberman's record - or attacking Joe Lieberman's attacks on his - are akin to the Chambliss campaign's cheapshot on Cleland.
Turns out Lieberman's backers agree.
And how's this for a poll?
Ok.. time for bed. (I work nights.) I look forward to awaking to a new encouraging Quinnipiac Poll.
Q-Poll Lamont 51% Lieberman 45% "..so sayeth [Stoller. http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/8/7/75144/73227#commenttop]
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