Login HereThe latest Q-Poll numbers have hit the wires. Lieberman still has a lead in the overall polling numbers -- but the trend in each successive poll has been that Ned Lamont is closing the gap.
What does that mean? Let's take a look at the numbers:
Ned Lamont, whose anti-war campaign rattled the political landscape by toppling Sen. Joe Lieberman in Connecticut's Democratic primary, is gaining support among voters -- but Lieberman still has an edge, according to a poll released Thursday.The Quinnipiac University poll has Lieberman leading Lamont among registered voters 49 percent to 38 percent. Republican Alan Schlesinger gets support from 4 percent. Among likely voters, Lieberman was supported by 53 percent, compared to Lamont's 41 percent and Schlesinger's 4 percent....
Lamont, however, is improving since a July 20 Quinnipiac poll. In that survey of registered voters, he trailed Lieberman 51 percent to 27 percent with Schlesinger getting 9 percent. The latest poll quizzed both registered voters and voters likely to cast ballots; the July 20 poll only questioned registered voters.
It's tough to get a comparison based solely on this poll, since the July poll was registered voters only, but when you look back at the May 2006 polling, you really get a sense of the trend.
(If registered Democrat) If the 2006 Democratic primary for United States Senator were being held today, and the candidates were Joseph Lieberman and Ned Lamont for whom would you vote?Lieberman: 65%
Lamont: 19%
That's quite a difference from where the numbers are now, isn't it? But wait, there's more. The Q-Poll information seems to indicate that they polled characterizing Lieberman as an independent. That is NOT the case -- he is the Connecticut for Lieberman candidate, and the question should be expressly phrased to include his specific current party affiliation.
Chris Bowers of MyDD has a lot more on the numbers breakdown.
I do think that Sirota was right -- Lieberman is the de facto Republican candidate at the moment, where "Lieberman leads 75 - 13 - 10 percent among likely Republican voters." (Ned is also out-polling the current Repub candidate among Republicans in the latest Q-poll.)
The problem is that we have been hearing that the Republicans are planning a bait and switch. They've lured Lieberman into the three-way race with a weak candidate -- but word is that they are planning a potential replacement for him once Lieberman's ego has cemented into the race. And if that happens, then the whole situation changes in an instant -- you think Karl Rove wouldn't knife his new BFF Joe Lieberman in the back for a potential "R" in the Senate from Connecticut? (I laughed out loud just typing that one.)
More and more newspapers around the state of Connecticut are telling Lieberman to bow out now. (But I'm not holding my breath on that one.) As LamontBlog points out, Lieberman's disapproval numbers are up 5 points in the latest Q-poll...not exactly the number you want trending upward in successive polls. But definitely something the media should ask the Lieberman campaign about, given that there are several months to go in the race and and upward spiral in dislike is not the way he wants to be going.
All Connecticut voters should get to know Ned, not just the Dems who liked what they saw of him in the primary. Take a peek at the Dem numbers in the Q-Poll: "likely Democratic voters back Lamont 63 - 35 percent." That's a huge difference from the primary vote -- in Ned's favor -- showing that the more you get to know Ned Lamont, the more you like him and the less you like Joe Lieberman.
The YouTube above is from Ned's press conference yesterday. (courtesy of Tim Tagaris) My favorite line: “Both Vice President and Senator Lieberman seem to be reading off of the same playbook.” More on the presser from the New Haven Independent and the NYTimes, which also shows some support coming in from elected Democratic officials for Ned and against George Bush's pal Joe Lieberman. I say it's about damn time.
There is a lot of work to be done between now and November for Ned to pull this win off. It's going to take all of us pulling together -- and a whole lot of work on the ground in Connecticut from all the dedicated folks there. Ned will make a great Senator.
And, as TeddySanFran said to me in an e-mail this morning, Joe can always look forward to a new job elsewhere -- although now that he's the de facto Republican nominee, his stock may be falling on KStreet as well. Ooops...
Here is something you can do today to help. As you know, Bob Geiger has been tracking down Senate support for Ned Lamont. There are still a few Senators who have not weighed in one way or the other -- and they need to be called and told to support Ned Lamont. Bob has names and phone numbers here -- if you could call and report back, that would be fantastic. You can also phone toll free through the Capitol switchboard at 888-355-3588. Or try calling their local office numbers -- this August campaign recess is just the time to speak to your Senator face-to-face. I'm sure they'd love to hear from you. (You can bet that Sen. Byrd will be hearing from me today.)
The more Democratic officials here from the grassroots in support of Ned, the more they get the message to get off their butts and get to CT to campaign for a Lamont victory.
UPDATE: Just got e-mail from Sen. John Kerry asking for support for Ned Lamont, Bob Menendez and Daniel Akaka -- three high profile races that Dems need to win this fall. Good for Sen. Kerry. (Send a thank you note here for Kerry doing the tough work for Ned.) Also, former Sen. John Edwards will be appearing with Ned in New Haven this afternoon -- good on him.
The rest of the Democrats in the Senate are officially on notice: if you do not publicly support Ned Lamont, we will remember it. And so will the Democrats in Connecticut House races. And so will the whole nation if Democrats do not take back the House as a result of Joe Lieberman being allowed to suck all the oxygen out of these races for the Dems. Get off your butts and do the hard work for the winner of the Democratic primary -- or face the consequences in the future -- your choice.
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neddy bear
Ned fitz
Christy! Ned! TeddySF!
Lamont will win. No doubt about it. There is no wiggle room on this.
Yes, finally some sanity is entering the political discourse again. However, I’ve been troubled by these blanket statements about, “Now the Democrats will swoop in and save the day! Yippee!”
So now across Blogistan we’re getting excited posts about what John Kerry said about Loserman, or Al Gore’s latest rant. Do not make the same mistakes again, fellow liberals. These people are not the “leaders” to get behind. We’re at a crossroads here, and liberals can actually reclaim the Democratic Party. The Clintons, Kerr(e)ys, Gores, etc. are enablers. They’ve been enabling the thugs for many, MANY years now, all in the name of civil discourse. They need to be put out to pasture. Go get yer cushy corporate jobs and speaking enagements, PLEASE! Your work is done here. enablers. You had your chance. You failed miserably.
We’ve got this movement building here. Let’s not waste it on support for the “Liebermans in sheep’s clothing” again. We have clear alternatives. Findgold, Sanders, Lamont (we think!), etc. offer clear alternatives for us this time. Let’s not blow it again.
It actually sounds very depressing.
OT.
Letter to the Wapo about the racist attack on a 20 year old campaign volunteer by Bush/Coulter Republican George Felix Allen(R-acist).
(Snip)
We would like to thank you for taking the right stand on the gaffe of Sen. George Allen [”George Allen’s America,” editorial, Aug. 15].
It is quite shocking for a person of Mr. Allen’s caliber, who is running for a second Senate term and is a likely candidate for president in 2008, to point a finger at a young lad of 20, bullying our grandson, S.R. Sidarth, and calling him a derogatory and uncalled-for name. Sidarth was only videotaping the event.
In the 1930s Sidarth’s great-grandfather accompanied Mohandas Gandhi to London as his secretary at the Round Table Conference on political reform in India. We come from a heritage of nationalists and seekers after truth. Hence these remarks hurt all the more, and we are personally affected by such an attack.
BOB NARASIMHAN
MANI NARASIMHAN
Bethesda
Why does George Felix Allen hate Gandhi?
reddhedd !
EPU Polls:
Holy Joe is teetering at 50% w/100% name recognition and following a wave of favorable MSM coverage.
Ned Lamont (D-CT), is up to 40% while still gaining name recognition and only beginning to reach out to Independents and Republicans.
Holy Joe has reached “peak oil” at 50% and is carrying high negatives to boot. He cannot climb higher and will likely only offend more people while trying to hold on to those who are not already disaffected by him.
I’ve worked on enough winning and losing campaigns to gladly take the dynamic of Lamont’s position over Lieberman’s.
slainte,
cl
Ajay Kalra @ 6
Of course the numbers might sound that way now, but like everything always does, they will also change.
Let’s just try to make them change in the GOOD way …
Hi Medaka……..
what’s healthy is that the euphoria’s gone & everybody knows this will be a tough row to hoe
joe’s not going to bow out as long as he’s polling well — rove isn’t going to stab him in the back because he’d be stabbing joe’s donors in the back
yale’s a window into connecticut in that it has intellectuals & union activists — yale blackballed juan cole because he knows too much about the middle east — joe was instrumental in blackballing juan — please take that as showing how hard the fight’s going to be
either of the Clintons campaigning for Lamont will signal to big donors that Ned’s OK and that backing Lieberman isnt such a wise choice…
it is encouraging to see how far joe’s stock has fallen with democrats in just a week. he lost the primary by only 4 points, but now trails ned by 28 among dems. guess all those glowing words from dick cheney (and coulter, hannity, kristol, etc.) opened the eyes of ct voters. if the gop does put a better candidate in the race, joe is toast.
Why does George Felix Allen hate Gandhi?
Unfortunately, there are many John Q. NASCARS’s that couldn’t care less about Gandhi.
For the record, Senator Bingaman is not “involved” in the Lieberman/Lamont race. He is “concentrating on his campaign in NM.”
He has no significant opposition and a ton ‘o money, sees no gain from endorsing, but he could say “I’m supporting Democrats across the country” and leave it at that.
Very sad.
This is my current hobbyhorse. but I do think it’s important. Nutmeggers can help by getting in touch with their local papers and insisting that Lieberman not be identified as an Independent. John Mertens is the Independent candidate in CT. Lieberman represents the CFL party, not the Independent party and newspapers should get that right. “Third party” is an appropriate label as well, but Independent is simply wrong.
*ilson46201 @ 13
Does Ned really need “big donors” at this point? I ask, because it seems his time would be better spent “pressin the flesh’ with every CT voter possible, rather buttering up Big Money.
www.CT4Joe.com
active Clinton support would help dry up Democratic “big money” to Lieberman
Old Sow @ 11
Hi OS, Hi all
Just about ready for futon here, air-con is revved….been following the morning threads in the background while I edit work-stuff ….
We need to watch closely not just who claims to support Ned or be against Joe but how they say it. For example consider this from Evan Bayh, in speaking at an anti-Wal-Mart rally, one of several that Dems and labor have been attending around the country:
What are we to think about this? Just two rivals, or two extremists at polar opposites? How do you Indiana folks read this? *ilson? I’ve had enough of this damning with faint or ambiguous praise, when Lamont has elevated the Dems chances in most parts of the country. These guys never stop making the Repub talking points. Note the article is another slant by AdNag.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08.....ref=slogin
*ilson46201 @ 20
.
Ahh…I see. Good point.
I have the most gorgeous yellow eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly on my flowers outside the kitchen window. Had to share with everyone. Guess the pots of lantana, salvia and red vincas are enticing this morning…
bonkers @ 15
Because Gandhi was not a bully. Check out Allen’s sister’s auto-bio.
The question Connecticut Republicans need to ask themselves is whether they’re willing to vote for someone who freely admits he’ll vote with the Dems most of the time over an actual Republican just to stick it to the liberals.
It’s kinda like that commercial where the executive is talking about the joys of “sticking it to the man” until his assistant points out that he IS the man. CT Repubs will be sticking it to themselves as much as they’re sticking it to liberals by voting for Joe.
Hoosier Democrats have long viewed Evan Bayh as just another Joe Lieberman with a pretty face …
Wow, great clip. Is this guy for real?!
I certainly hope so.
We need to do more than just rack up names of Lamont supporters. If those Senators are simply offering tepid, terse support for Ned to get us off their backs then it’s not enough. We can’t stop confronting them until they pledge real support: in the form of money (PAC funds and DSCC $) and, more importantly, by committing themselves to going to CT to stand side-by-side with Ned and campaigning WITH him through the next two and a half months. I couldn’t care less about their “friendships” with Loserman. He is subverting the political process by denying CT’s primary voters their due.
If the DSCC will not send money to Ned’s campaign then it’s our job to make a stink about it. Schumer doesn’t deserve our respect. Mark Pryor needs to be thrown off the DSCC - NOW. And pussy-footers like Feinstein need to be put on notice: We are not backing off. Not for a moment.
I don’t need anymore lip service from politicians. This is OUR country, and it’s under attack from within. The corrruption of Democrats must be exposed and thrown onto the trash heap where it belongs if we are to win our country back.
Yeah. I’m a little pissed.
The message to people in the beltway should be “You undermine Ned Lamont at your own peril”. If HolyJoe succeeds in labeling Ned’s moderate position as extreme, that fringe tag can be easily exported around the country in other races.
Perception is part of the election. The truth that Joe is far right on many issues, including the war, will be distorted by the public perception Joe and Cheney are attempting to create. They want to move Lamont out of the perceived mainstream. Rove already had his hand in blurring this issue. If nothing else, that should raise a red flag.
No time to lose, you beltway heavyweights. Support a man who can help you and the party. He’s a moderate who has caught the political wave of change needed. Ride it with him.
And realize that your false friend Lieberman is stabbing you in the back even as he trades on past shared history. He’s a hypocritical, egocentric disaster for the Democratic Party. Look at his new best friends if you need further corraboration.
Lieberman is going to have to be dragged to the ground. No one enjoys having to do that. But it has to be done. He’s insisting on it with his refusal to honor the primary.
Now will the democratic senators who campaigned for the loser please get to CT now and start campaigning for the winner. And will the dem leadership quit being timid and deferential to the opponent and unleash a fullside against the loserman lest he do great damage to the party and the mid-terms efforts.
And someone stuff a sock in Hilliary’s mouth. She’s still plugging for Joe and pretending to endorse Lamont.
The media keep referring to Lamont as the “anti-war” candidate. When will these people get a clue?
Oy.
What I don’t understand is how Senate Democrats could welcome Lieberman into the fold after he has given the finger to the Connecticut Democrats who nominated Ted Lamont as their candidate for the Senate. Are the Democrats so corrupt as to blatantly tell those voters who went to the polls in the primary that they count for nothing? My question is this: is the Democratic Leadership in DC willing to tell their own grassroots to “fuck off?
Christy, your horticultural knowledge is outstanding
getting back to tony snow — i laughed at your saying he’s a wanker — you’re being too, too kind: he has nothing to wank
And speaking of Clinton, does this conflation of Iraq and terror sound familiar? Here she is talking about how the Dems have a united position on Iraq:
The story is about Dems countering the GOP and Lieberman in attacking Lamont, but the core statement could have been made by Cheney. Is she: Clueless? Or Disingenuous? Strangling the party through triangulation?
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08.....7conn.html
Speaking of anti-Wal-mart rallys…
FDLers in the New York City area the next few days can participate in a rather inventive anti-Wal-Mart rally. It’s actually a musical with lot’s o’ song and dance called Walmartopia, and it’s playing at the NYC Fringe Festival the next couple of days. Features the re-incarnated head of Sam Walton, singing. Village Voice, New York Times, The New Yorker and others have recommended it for the weekend. Info here:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/101234.html
The glass is “half empty” or the glass is “half full”, but in either case, I’m with Christy in that we’d better keeping pouring right up to Election day!
Troll alert on aisle # 38
Just making some sausages, and after looking at the box might have a slogan for either of the Browns, Sherrod or Charlie:
“Brown and Serve.”
Christy,
If I could ask Bush, Cheney, Rove, et. al. one question, it would be this:
You’ve repeatedly spoke about how important it is to maintain Republican control of the congress. How can you ask the American people to support Republicans if you won’t support Republicans yourself?
Not exactly a ringing endorsement of their party is it?
That was quick…except now I’m # 38! *g*
The stories about Dems feelings toward Loserman are all over the place. In an article in The Hill, from yesterday I believe, anonynmous Senate Dems were said to be fuming over Loserman’s vile vanity campaign. They were toying with the idea of stripping him of his seniority status - meaning no committee chairmanship on Governemntal Affairs - if he wins and the Dems in back the Senate too.
Excuse me. What if the Dems don’t win back the Senate? They are only going halfway because they are total cowards. Not that I believe they would do a damned thing to Loserman if he finagles a corrupt November win.
It’s all for the newspapers - spice up the boring August recess.
They are trying to blow us off. Nail them on their level of Ned support. Especially Hillary and that phony, corporate tool, Bayh.
bonkers @ 18
Big donors. Uh huh. Lamont has vowed never to take money from DC lobbyists. I wouldve thought that was the glue in the Swan/Lamont alliance.
Mad Dogs @ 41
Don’t feel alone. We’ve all used this place as a confessional. ;>)
Josh Marshall on the Q-poll:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c.....php#009450
Sounds like Ned can’t afford too much more clam-digging.
Lee at 40 — you know, I’ve been thinking the same thing. Especially when Mehlman was being so weaselly about it on Hardball the other day. It just lends more weight to the “they are going to substitute a real GOP candidate” rumors that have been circulating, doesn’t it?
I saw a newspaper headline this morning, walking past a stand: “Ambassador Young Says Wal-Mart Is Good”
First thought: Does Young have a clue about Wal-mart?
Katherine Harris does it again.
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08.....r_li.shtml
mui at 43 — the point is not that Lamont plans on taking big money corporate bribery donations (he does not, by the way) — the point is that a Clinton appearance would shut off that tap a bit for the Lieberman coffers.
And if a big part of his money gets shut down, his ability to keep blasting away is diminished considerably. Multi-level chess, this.
bonkers @
15
Or who even know who Gandhi was!
Hillary Clinton:
Goddamn it, stop telling me what I think.
I hate political mindreaders.
I’m sure you guys found this yesterday, but just in case:
Ned in the Wednesday WSJ Opinion page…
“The Democrats Mean Business”
Nice read.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/.....=110008801
shoephone says
August 17th, 2006 at 8:30 am
You are so right! They need to plan for that possibility too. And I asy, if Joe L wants to run on a CFL ticket, then he should lose at least some of his privileges as a three-term Dem. (I’d prefer all of them lost to him, but I’ll take what we can get.) His leash needs to be jerked, hard.
I have to be honest. I think Josh Marshall’s comments on the race are not quite right or accurate. Can’t place it . . .And it is not just because I am a Lamont supporter.
about Lamont and big bucks — I gave $50 but I suspect Barbara Streisand gave considerably more. Lamont isnt against large donations per se but but he accepts no donations whatsoever from PACs …
Christy,
I’ll see your Swallowtail and raise ya a
Giant Leopard Moth (2 of them currently resting on bedroom slider)
http://www.texinsecta.com/escribonia.htm
trust me, none of it’s pics do it justice
and thank you for injecting some beauty in to my otherwise fowl morning
Well Lamont ought to grab some good headlines today when John Edwards comes to town.
Incidentally, Wikipedia is very nicely keeping track of everything going on here and has a great graphic of how the polls line up. When you see it this way, it is a positive trend for Lamont.
phoebes @ 50
Yes, and they vote! Ugh.
Do we know whether Ned plans any town-hall-type events, where there could be a fairly free-wheeling and open discussion about what’s on the minds of Connecticut voters?
I think this would be an excellent way to reach some of those who are on the fence because they don’t know much more than Ned’s name.
As for bringing in the national Dems, I think it’s important for Ned to receive a range of support – from centrists, hard liberals and even conservative Democrats – to highlight his broad appeal, and dispel the notion that Ned is just a loony liberal with a big bank account. The CT voter who might be turned off by Ted Kennedy might think twice if Jack Murtha is vocally and publicly on board. The voter who can’t stand the Clintons and their constant triangulating might react more favorably to a Russ Feingold or a John Edwards. Harry Reid could do Ned a world of good with conservative voters.
Those who haven’t taken the time to get to know what Ned stands for– and aren’t likely to – will take reassurance (or not) from those whose names they know, and whose position on the spectrum they can identify.
Christy@ 50. I hear you, but I think that the Liebermachine runs independantly of Clinton though. If Clinton were to write some editorials, give some interviews, o.k. But I feel so strongly that he should not show up in CT.
I too have noticed the up-to-date Wikipedia info on the CT race. It’s a modern world where we campaign via encyclopedias …
“they are going to substitute a real GOP candidate”
That would almost guarantee a Lamont win. I see no chance of that happening.
mui, you’re right about josh — i’ve always felt he was a lieberlover [pleonasm]
The problem is that we have been hearing that the Republicans are planning a bait and switch. They’ve lured Lieberman into the three-way race with a weak candidate — but word is that they are planning a potential replacement for him once Lieberman’s ego has cemented into the race.
Seriously doubt it, but that would be the best thing that could happen for Lamont.
And the idea that Lieberman’s ego needs to cement into the race is ludicrous.
OT
Darkblack, if you’re around this morning, I just can’t seem to get Doing the Macarena and George Allen out of my brain. Is there a connection?
mui @ 54
It seems reasonable to assume the first few days after the primary were critical in setting the stage. What I suspect happened is that the party leadership, still a little stunned, cautioned our guy to “wait, let JL settle down, and we’ll find a way to let him down easily without splitting the party. Trust us.” Wrong.
We may yet see this “don’t worry” strategy work in time, and it may make it easier for conservative Dems to position themselves, but I’m skeptical this helps Ned. If the Lamont folks needed any further evidence about how much they should trust the Beltway to do what’s best for him (or the party), they got it.
Plus f-ing Lieberliar campaign put messages on everyone’s machines as much as 4 times , using a little special message from Clinton to CT voters. Its a mess.
Or, alternatively, they let him win and then offer him a cabinet post (which his ego will not let him refuse), and a Republican is appointed in his place.
I can’t decide which scenario is more plausible. I suppose they don’t have to decide until they see how Joe is doing; if he looks like he could win, they go with Plan B; if he’s tanking or iffy, they go with Plan A and help him stay in the race as a spoiler.
This is as much a national election as a state election. Where is Ned? I don’t live in Conn so I wouldn’t know but I’d hope Ned is traversing the state every day feverishly begging for votes. But where is his national strategy? He needs to be prominent in voters minds for the next 2 months solid. Did I read somewhere that at the critical moment of his victory, with the applause of the crowds echoing throughout the MSM, he went on vacation? Bushesque isn’t it? Crawford or Maine, any place to get lost at the critical moment your glaring presence is called for. I’m no campaign guru but from my perch in the Midwest it seems some air is out of Ned’s balloon. HE UNSEATED A 3 TERMS SENATOR! A good PR person should have turned him into the second coming of JFK by now. What gives?
Christy at 46,
It sure does. The argument that the White House is abandoning the party would be a tough one for it to rebut. I think eventually they’d have to endorse a republican in Connecticut, which would be the end of Joe.
One of the problems I see with Bill Clinton is that he was just in CT campaigning for the other guy - does he simply explain that he is a Democrat, and he is supporting the Democratic candidate chosen by CT voters? Or does he go beyond that to support Ned’s views on the war, and if he does, how does he explain his support for Joe in the primary, when Joe’s views on the war were degrees different from Ned’s?
See, this is why these people should have kept their lips zipped until the results of the primary were in. Even though Bill is a private citizen, he should have sacrificed a few hours of glorious adulation for the greater good of not having to tie himself in knots explaining the pivot to Ned.
(I am very cranky today - sorry)
Josh at TPM sure makes one point that I think is spot on. Joe was very visible right after the election making sure everyone knew that he was not going anywhere. Lots of T.V. time. And Ned was nowhere to be found.
Oh sure they got telephone comments from him from Maine, but he was not on the T.V. going all out to capitalize on his win. These things matter. And then when some dems came out for joe, many dems in CT swung back I believe. Ned has been on some T.V. shows but is he all over the airwaves in CT? He has a ton of ground to make up, and polls like these only give Joe more credibility.
Josh brings up a good point, one that occured even to me in reading the Q-poll results. I don’t think a lot of those polled realize that Lieberman is NOT the Democratic candidate.
Paging Harry Reid! Schumer? Boxer? Hello?
WaPoO chatter John Harris took a TSF question today about support of Ned being a litmus test for 2008 Prexie candidates: http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....00855.html
bonkers @ 15
But they’re an ever-shrinking portion of the population of the state. No mistake, this is a tough race, but if Allen’s reduced to appealing only to voters in rural areas who don’t have a problem with racism, he’ll lose.
They (the Rs) are not going to subsitute a real candidate for what’s-his-name.
THEY LOVE LIEBERMAN. He’s their guy.
Plus, they love the so-called internal war in the Dem. Party over this race.
Even red state Republicans love Lieberman. There’s no reason to find another Rep. candidate.
Some thoughts on the Q Poll –
The trendlines still favor Ned Lamont. He’s up 10 points among Democrats, and that 58%-36% Lieberman advantage among Indenpendents will trend towards Lamont.
That said, Josh Marshall does make one very important point — Ned Lamont should have come out swinging after the primary, instead of going on vacation. If he loses, that will be the telling moment — Ned Lamont WON the primary, but did not capitalize on his victory.
Anyway — I think Team Lamont needs to push back hard, starting NOW. That includes us, but it also means running ads like the one where Lieberman morphs into Bush. The nice guy stuff (messy desk, etc) is charming, but there is a time for brickbats in politics, and this is one of them.
Memo to Bill Hillsman — maybe a ‘walks like a duck’ type of ad, to make the GOP Joe image stick. 4 out of 5 wing nut Republicans endorse Joe; Joe endorses Joe; the Democrats? Not so much.
steve duncan at 69 — did you even watch the YouTube of Ned’s press conference from yesterday that I attached above? I don’t know about you, but it looks to me like Ned is holding a press conference in Connecticut and fighting back.
Most John Q. Nascars have never heard of Gandhi.
Allen’s comment will not change one vote in Virginia. Allen supporters support racism; Webb supporters abhor it. No change in that meter.
Cranky Anne — Me too. I agree that Clinton put himself in a box, but he would have foreseen that. The “box” is saying, “our party’s differing positions on Iraq don’t matter that much,” which is what he said in Ct, and which is the only position he can take for Hillary, but the exact opposite message of the Lamont primary victory. I don’t see how the Clintons can help Ned that much, because it risks hurting Hillary. She must know the contrast is not in her favor.
On the other hand, I disagree with the handwringing about “where was Ned?” The publicity and self-labeling and approval he got from several national appearances were huge; despite JL’s public ranting in the days after the primary, Lieberman got nothing like that and only managed to identify with Cheney (which Lamont used well — see his presser yesterday) and forced the Dem party to [sort of] contradict Lieberman.
The poll results were expected; the points scored since the primary are almost all by Ned. But we have to win this one twice. Again.
OT - Think Progress: Federal District Court Rules NSA Wiretapping Program Unconstitutional
Redshift @ 75
What do you think of the argument being made that the “macaca” comment was cleverly directed at a camera operated by a Webb volunteer in order to get the “macaca” word out to the die-hard white supremacists who use it in their KKK world? For me, this purposeful telegraphy posits a Felix Allen too clever by half, but certainly he’s smart enough not to speak directly into a camera without intent?
There’s also the one-beer-too-many theory to explain Allen’s behavior.
Bottom line: how much will this racist code and resultant publicity help Webb?
http://today.reuters.com/news/.....ived=False
good luck with the whole John Q.NASCAR thingy George !
Excuse me, is Hillary talking about IRAQ?????
“I think every American wants to successfully prosecute this war, to bring to justice those who would attack us and our friends and allies around the world,” she said. “I just think we have to be united as a country.”
Did Iraq attack us or our “friends?” What am I missing here?
Here’s a link to the federal judges opinion on the NSA Surveillance program: E. Dist.Michigan Federal Court
Scroll down to the bottom of the page-the judge is Anna Diggs Taylor.
I did a quick review of “Steve Duncans” previous comments here — they all say “We’re doomed!”, “All is lost”, “They’re all-powerful!”
He talks like a professional pessimist …
Hey Bonkers, left one at the last thread. I am always a thread late & comment short. I multitask too much & lose track of the pattern just like when I’m knitting.
When the current polls show repubs in great danger of losing seats vs what Larry O’Donnell said about polls, if any at all, not reflecting the same when dems lost control of congress and the doom & gloom voiced by republicans themselves (David Broder’s article), the obstructionist dems are reeking of inhouse corruption worse than 4 day old roadkill. Just when I thought I couldn’t get more cynical.
ot but I think George Allen is a poopyhead.
EPU’d from last thread, but thought it was relevant inasmuch as Lieberman is trying to benefit from the plot.
moe99 @ 105
Sam Seder (Have you written to AAR to support him yet? it’s coming down to the wire.) gave a rundown of Andrew Sullivan’s column in Time this week (Time.com?) about the London bombing threat.
http://time.blogs.com/daily_di.....#trackback
It sounded to me like the only “evidence” they have for this being a real terrorist threat is a confession in Pakistan from one of the suspects, who had fled there under suspicion for the murder of an uncle. We can be confident, of course, that Pakistan would not use any coersive interrogation techniques, right?
There are no tickets for a dry run that was supposed to have taken place yesterday, Aug. 16), few passports and no chemicals.
All they have is a guy in Pakistan (!) who confesses to a plot the details of which are right out of the terrorist history book.
I hope for all our sakes that there was no real threat, but I pray to God that if there was no real threat that Bush, his cronies and Joe Lieberman pay and pay and pay for this crap.
nice report, *86!
Hey, Ned took a couple of days as a breather before the hard-core campaigning starts and used the opportunity to strategize. I saw nothing wrong with that.
Aside from which Lieberman was plastering his silly speech from East Haven on TV night and day in commercials. He had to have spent a lot of dollars on that and I saw no reason for Lamont to have to waste ad time money right then.
It’s time to gear up and last night I saw the return of Lamont’s Katrina-type ad (which I love) and heard his message on the radio this morning.
John Edwards will be in downtown New Haven today campaigning for Lamont. This will surely be all over local TV news and it’s free publicity. It will be a stark contrast to the ridiculous endorsements that Lieberman has gotten from such notables as the mayor of Milford. Sheesh, what a joke.
I hope those numbers change fast. I am so tired of being a vehicle for depression! Let’s hope Ned gets himself out there and not only to Dems. The Republican voters will like what they see also. The climate is perfect, thanks to Bushco.
Direct link to Judge Taylor’s memorandum and order: http://www.mied.uscourts.gov/e.....610204.pdf
*ilson46201 @ 86
What professional pessimists don’t know: We Lamonteers can win without formula and precedents. Lieberman’s certainly been given enough rope to hang himself many times over between now and November;-)
The effort to “wall off” Bush from the disaster that is his presidency continues.
They just can’t help it. Andrew Sullivan posits the “evil-Cheney/Rumsfeld” cabal that duped Bush into the “democracy for Iraq” gambit all while cynically planning to partition Iraq after it collapsed into mayhem. Poor George, he was too dim to see the plot….
Despite the weasily logic, it is the beginning of acceptance for the rightwing….Everything is collapsing around them and they need to lash -out. Ultimately the circle is closing in on Bush, no matter how high folks try to build the wall of denial.
The buck stops with George W. Bush.
http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/
-GSD
Oh yeah, and Joe Lieberman(R-Turncoat) is supported by these two Bush/Coulter Republicans, racist George Felix Allen(R-Flip-Flopville) and Dick Cheney(R-Unknown Cement Bunker) the V.P. who shot a 78 year old man in the face with a shotgun after a liquid lunch.
Oh yeah, and th Chinese Ambasssdor to the UN told the US to “shut-up” about China’s defense spending.
Direct link to Judge Taylor’s judgment and order for permanent injunction: http://www.mied.uscourts.gov/e.....nction.pdf
bonkers @ 8:10 am (#15) - Unfortunately, there are many John Q. NASCARS’s that couldn’t care less about Gandhi.
Sadly, I’ve met a few folks over the years who’d consider Ghandi just another dark-skinned troublemaker like Martin Luther King, if they knew who the guy was.
bonkers @
23
I’m not sure it works that way. I think the Clintons would be much more enthusiastically supporting Lamont if the big money wasn’t behind Joe Lieberwimp. i.e., they follow the money, not the other way around.
Christy,
I love the Swallowtails. I find it remarkable every year, that the first day my buddleia blooms, the butterflies arrive! How do they know?
I think the first time I read FDL you were doin’ a little “Peony blogging”—that hooked me in. Oh, that, and the searing political insights as well… *g*
Teddy: I think we have a new Senator “Sheets” in Mr. Allen. Senator Byrd may have to give up the crown he’s been carrying for all these years.
Good Gawd thank you JWR, Other WA. SPCPA !
. . . And In Rejoicing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umI2UwO2ccI
(really worth sticking around to 1:13 when Lynette adds her voice)
meta @ 84
Thank God (whoever that is) for the pushback of recent years through blogs. That’s the kind of quote that just drove me ‘bonkers’ throughout the Clinton years. It’s really SO calculated and subversive. So nice to see others actually notice this stuff now, and that I’m not just a terrorist-loving, moonbat, immoral treehugger. Let’s rock.
I will post a better link (please refer to my 9:16 comments) as soon as I can find one.