He shares an ideology, a mind-set and a worldview that sets him apart from the rest of us, the reality-based community. He isn't coerced or intimated by the Republicans like some of the other Democrats. He is part of the apparatus of coercion and intimidation.
Cenk Uygur, Note to dense mainstream media — here's why we hate Lieberman
The Lieberman/Lamont primary battle makes great political theater. I hope Lamont wins, and in a little state like Connecticut its possible he will. What's been most perplexing, however, has been the response by media pundits and political wonks. They seem to be somewhere between cluelessness and panic regarding Ned Lamont's dark horse candidacy, and the support that many liberal bloggers are throwing his way.
After all, they ask, Joe Lieberman's a liberal east-coast Democrat. Why does the progressive blogosphere hate him? Is it part of a larger ideological purge of the party? Is it bloggers with slavish followers flexing their political muscles? Is it all those liberals who are really closet anti-Semites? I know -- it's revenge for the bad things Joe said about Howard Dean during the 2004 primary, isn't it?
I've actually heard all of those bizarre conspiracy theories floated by genuine so-called experts. If you've ever felt like the mainstream media isn't listening to liberal voices on the Internet, this is the proof. These folks are so out of touch it's breathtaking.
If they had been listening, they'd know that while most liberal bloggers support the Democratic party and endorse Democratic candidates, we are also losing patience. There is only so long you can hold your nose and vote for the lousy Democrat over the horrible Republican. The stench starts to get to you. You start to wonder if these weak-kneed, capitulating opportunists -- excuse me, "centrist Democrats" -- are part of the reason your party is losing so many elections in the first place. We'll end up voting for the official Democrat in the main election every time out of fear of the Republican, but give us someone who fights for what we believe in (and can make some hardhitting and funny commercials) and you'll have a primary contest on your hands.
And then there's Lieberman himself. Again, if any of the media analysts had been reading the blogs they would have known that Lieberman is synonymous with DINO -- Democrat in Name Only. He's the self-declared president of the Vichy Party, champion of willful surrender, stoolie among the inmates. And now he's basically left the party. Now that he finds himself with a slim chance of losing his Senate seat he has declared that instead of supporting the party's nominee he will run against them. He's gathering signatures for an independent run, a threat that if carried out promises to split the Democratic vote and might put a Republican in office.
This is the ultimate insult. "Joementum" would spit on the voters of his state, shred the democratic process at the cornerstone of the party, and sabotage the Democratic party's hopes for majorities in 2006. It's all about Joe, and it's sickeningly typical.
For politicians all politics may be local, but on the Internet all politics is national. Ultimately it's up to the Democrats of Connecticut to express their will despite Lieberman's cowardly electoral blackmail. But my money's on (and for) Ned Lamont.
- jack*
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