Comments on: More on the Connecticut Senate race http://poliblogger.com/?p=10460 A rough draft of my thoughts... Sat, 18 Nov 2024 05:49:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: The Moderate Voice http://poliblogger.com/?p=10460#comment-857807 Mon, 07 Aug 2024 06:34:40 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=10460#comment-857807 <strong>Connecticut Primary Is D-Day For Joe Lieberman And The Democratic Party (UPDATED)</strong> This has been reposted from yesterday at the top of this site due to interest and an update. Tuesday is truly “D-Day” f... Connecticut Primary Is D-Day For Joe Lieberman And The Democratic Party (UPDATED)

This has been reposted from yesterday at the top of this site due to interest and an update.

Tuesday is truly “D-Day” f…

]]> by: Chris Lawrence http://poliblogger.com/?p=10460#comment-846628 Sat, 05 Aug 2024 00:12:28 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=10460#comment-846628 Of course, Connecticut law doesn't even protect the associational rights of the Democratic Party. No state party organization would fail to renominate someone as popular as Lieberman with the state's electorate, especially knowing that he would be positioned to cut a lot of deals for his constituents. But, hey, if the Democrats want to ape the Republicans' stupid game of killing off all their moderates in some misguided effort to maintain ideological purity, who am I to stop them? Of course, Connecticut law doesn’t even protect the associational rights of the Democratic Party. No state party organization would fail to renominate someone as popular as Lieberman with the state’s electorate, especially knowing that he would be positioned to cut a lot of deals for his constituents.

But, hey, if the Democrats want to ape the Republicans’ stupid game of killing off all their moderates in some misguided effort to maintain ideological purity, who am I to stop them?

]]> by: Matthew Shugart (guestblogger) http://poliblogger.com/?p=10460#comment-845873 Fri, 04 Aug 2024 20:55:51 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=10460#comment-845873 Good points, Brett. You may be right about the pressure that "superincumbent" Lieberman will face. Still, with poll numbers like these, I don't see why he would drop out. Could the Republican be a serious threat to win the 1/3 of votes that he would need? If so, then the dynamic is very different. Lieberman could always pull out in September or October, if Schlesinger is rising in the polls, and endorse Lamont in a dramatic gesture of party unity. Maybe in doing so, he could also endorse lifting the state's restrictions on third-party lines on the ballot, implementing a "sore loser" law, and adopting instant runoff voting. OK, now I am really dreaming... Good points, Brett. You may be right about the pressure that “superincumbent” Lieberman will face. Still, with poll numbers like these, I don’t see why he would drop out.

Could the Republican be a serious threat to win the 1/3 of votes that he would need? If so, then the dynamic is very different. Lieberman could always pull out in September or October, if Schlesinger is rising in the polls, and endorse Lamont in a dramatic gesture of party unity.

Maybe in doing so, he could also endorse lifting the state’s restrictions on third-party lines on the ballot, implementing a “sore loser” law, and adopting instant runoff voting. OK, now I am really dreaming…

]]> by: Brett Marston (guestblogger) http://poliblogger.com/?p=10460#comment-845583 Fri, 04 Aug 2024 18:58:32 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=10460#comment-845583 As an ex-Connectican (also continuing a theme from earlier on this blog), I hope that you're wrong and that Lieberman accepts defeat in the primary. Up till now, it has been costless for Democrats to pledge their support to him, but after the primary, I think you'll see some more defections, some of them probably more subtle than others. (I'm thinking of Clinton.) There may be some political debts (and debts of friendship) to pay before the primary, but afterwards, if the constellation of the Senate is at stake, folks will reconsider. The summer is long. And a three-way race would assuredly push Lamont's negatives up, as both Lieberman and the Republicans get their crack at defining him. Now he's primarily the anti-incumbent candidate. We might call Lieberman a "superincumbent" given his vigorous attacks on critics of the incumbent President. As an ex-Connectican (also continuing a theme from earlier on this blog), I hope that you’re wrong and that Lieberman accepts defeat in the primary.

Up till now, it has been costless for Democrats to pledge their support to him, but after the primary, I think you’ll see some more defections, some of them probably more subtle than others. (I’m thinking of Clinton.) There may be some political debts (and debts of friendship) to pay before the primary, but afterwards, if the constellation of the Senate is at stake, folks will reconsider.

The summer is long. And a three-way race would assuredly push Lamont’s negatives up, as both Lieberman and the Republicans get their crack at defining him. Now he’s primarily the anti-incumbent candidate. We might call Lieberman a “superincumbent” given his vigorous attacks on critics of the incumbent President.

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