With Lieberman likely to lose the primary, what does it all mean?

[myboynoah]

Lieberman down by 13 points

I haven't been following this and don't know much about Connecticut politics, but I am curious. Lieberman says that he will run as an independent if he loses the primary, which appears like a done deal. If he does, what does that do to the race? Normally, two Democrats running in a general election would help the Republican. Is such the case here? Is there a viable Republican candidate? Or are they offering up some crazy Alan Keys clone?

According to the article, Democrats are saying they will support the party's nominee. If so, how much pressure will be applied to keep Lieberman from running as an independent? Are Democrats cutting off their noses to spite their faces?

Nonetheless, as with its counterpart on the other side of the aisle, it looks like the Moderate Democrat is increasingly becoming an endangered species.

[ChinoCoug]

This Lieberman purge is nuts. I can't believe the dems are canning him because he collaborated with the president on one issue.

He opposes drilling ANWR and has been haggling the administration over CO2 emissions forever. He gets the highest ratings from labor unions, pro-choice groups, the NAACP. He opposed personal accounts for social security.

Ted Kennedy sided with the president on NCLB and immigration, yet I don't hear calls for his expulsion.

Hillary's every bit as hawkish as Lieberman, yet she's not getting the same treatment.

I guess a lot of pubs want to do the same to McCain (for equally ridiculous reasons), but he's not in danger.

[El Guapo]

Originally Posted by ChinoCoug

This Lieberman purge is nuts. I can't believe the dems are canning him because he collaborated with the president on one issue.

He opposes drilling ANWR and has been haggling the administration over CO2 emissions forever. He gets the highest ratings from labor unions, pro-choice groups, the NAACP. He opposed personal accounts for social security.

Ted Kennedy sided with the president on NCLB and immigration, yet I don't hear calls for his expulsion.

Hillary's every bit as hawkish as Lieberman, yet she's not getting the same treatment.

I guess a lot of pubs want to do the same to McCain (for equally ridiculous reasons), but he's not in danger.

I don't see the problem. His constituents oppose the war. He favors it. That is a pretty big issue, so he will lose at least the primary.

I wouldn't vote for a Republican who opposed the war and called for an immediate withdrawal. Would you? Take any one big issue and ask if you would support a Republican based on him opposing your views on that issue (like abortion or gay rights).

Besides, now maybe Lieberman can come over to the right side.

[Jeff Lebowski]

That's the problem with politics today. The public wants moderates but the primary system demands extremists.

[El Guapo]

Originally Posted by homeboy

That's the problem with politics today. The public wants moderates but the primary system demands extremists.

If the public really wanted moderates, they would influence the primary system to get them. The problem is that the public by and large doesn't get involved in the political process until election day, if at all. By then, the loudest and most extreme individuals have already elected people to the party conventions and have voted in the primaries.

People need to get involved and stop complaining or things will never change.

[ChinoCoug]

Originally Posted by El Guapo

I don't see the problem. His constituents oppose the war. He favors it. That is a pretty big issue, so he will lose at least the primary.

I wouldn't vote for a Republican who opposed the war and called for an immediate withdrawal. Would you? Take any one big issue and ask if you would support a Republican based on him opposing your views on that issue (like abortion or gay rights).

Besides, now maybe Lieberman can come over to the right side.

Your post is incoherent. You say that you wouldn't vote for a Republican with whom you disagree on one major issue, among which you list abortion and gay rights. Then you invite Lieberman, who favors abortion and gay rights, to the "right side."

If supporting the war should be enough to get you booted, why hasn't Hillary been purged? She's among the most hawkish Dems.

[All-American]

It's the Colbert effect. Lieberman won't go on his show.

[El Guapo]

Originally Posted by ChinoCoug

Your post is incoherent. You say that you wouldn't vote for a Republican with whom you disagree on one major issue, among which you list abortion and gay rights. Then you invite Lieberman, who favors abortion and gay rights, to the "right side."

If supporting the war should be enough to get you booted, why hasn't Hillary been purged? She's among the most hawkish Dems.

I never said supporting the war should be enough to get you booted. I said among Liemberman's constituents, it is. Hillary has different constituents. We aren't voting for these people as a nation. Each state has their own opinions about what they want and what they don't.

I then expressed what I personally feel, which doesn't have to correspond to what Hillary's constituents feel. In terms of Lieberman coming over to the right side, you have to understand that Connecticut is going to elect either Lamont or him. Of the two, who would conservatives prefer?

[El Guapo]

Originally Posted by All-American

It's the Colbert effect. Lieberman won't go on his show.

And Colbert has even left him Coco Crisp!

[non sequitur]

Lieberman will eventually accept an offer to run as the primary winner's vice presidential candidate. It will be a gesture to consolidate the ticket.