Lamont's monumental primary victory against a popular 18 year incumbent senator may have created a monster for the general election. Lieberman's decision to run as an independent candidate puts him in a position where he becomes a candidate who can suck down sizeable amounts of votes from both the left and right. This places Lamont at a disadvantage since he only got 52% of the Democratic primary vote, so he can't expect the left's vote to be united behind him. And nobody on the right is going to vote for him. Lieberman's advantage is further heightened by the fact that the GOP candidate in the general election is an incredibly weak offering from the CT Republicans -- the type of candidate a party runs only when they expect to lose. While Lieberman's primary defeat may have him looking like a sitting duck, the political reality is that Lieberman stands a good chance at being reelected.
Indeed, the latest
Quinnipiac University poll places Lieberman at 49% among registered voters, with Lamont at 38% and Republican Alan Schlesinger looking more like a third party candidate at a pathetic 4%. One bad poll certainly isn't a nail in the coffin for Lamont, but this should be a serious cause for concern. It confirms that a large majority of Republicans intend to vote for Lieberman. Connecticut may be a blue state, but the number of Republicans there is nothing to laugh it. This is a serious threat to Lamont's chances of becoming Connecticut's next senator.
So, what can be done to defeat Lieberman?
Covert operations to try and strengthen Schlesinger's campaign might not be a bad idea. I know that suggesting a Democrat fund advertising for a Republican opponent's campaign is an idea that could get me hung, but hear me out. Despite Lieberman's moderate stances and public embrace of President Bush, his voting record still leans to the left. ProgressivePunch gives Lieberman's voting record a score of 76%, so he has a voting record which looks reprehensible enough to Republicans that, if it's pointed out, might cause a lot of them to vote for Schlesinger instead of Lieberman.
Let's remember that being a weak candidate makes Schlesinger a blank slate. It could be to Lamont's advantage to paint that slate in a manner that pits him against Lieberman to compete for the right's vote. After all, Schlesinger doesn't stand a shot of winning in the general election, so it's not like the Lamont campaign will be hurt.
That's my suggestion. Feel free to play political consultant and come up with your own suggestions in the comment thread.