RickJ asks,
If LaMont wins this primary (as expected) but loses the General election to Lieberman (as polling indicates), would it completely invalidate the Dems in CT? Not trying to be smarmy (for once) - I'd like to hear your opinion------------------
If Lieberman loses the primary - I don't think he has a prayer of winning the general as an "I" no matter what the polling now says. This is unprecedented so I don't think the polling means much.
The little bit of organization he has is from the union's and they will go over to the "D" and his beltway insider buddies like Biden have promised to go over to Lamont.
Lieberman thinks the "R's" will swarm over to him - but he is in for a shock. Once they feel they have a shot at the seat it will be "Joe who?" as far as the Ct. GOP is concerned.
But if worse comes to worse and the "R" takes the seat it is really a wash. An "R" has it now so - no net change. (This idea that Lieberman is a "liberal" or "moderate" who only parts company with the Dems on the war is utter BS. Like Castle, it is all clever PR and astute vote counting.)
However, if Lamont wins the general election (as will probably happen - Lamont has built a great operation, and Connecticut like Delaware is desperate for Congress to start saying "NO!" to this out of control President) it will be more of a correction to the center than a move to the left.
The "left" has been driven out of the party by accommodationists like Lieberman and DLC types like Tom Carper and Bill Clinton. I think about someone like Dana Garrett, and I don't blame him one bit for hitting the exit. What has the Democratic Party offered people like him? NADA.
So yes. 10 years ago the Lamont/kos/Dean/jason's of the world would have been regarded as centrists - but we are the only left...left.