Disclosure: I worked for the Lamont campaign doing web design and production and some writing for the official blog (from 9/5/06 to 11/07/06).

Thursday, October 19, 2006

 

More Debate Reaction

Four against one on Iraq, Lieberman's experience used against him:

NY Times:

HARTFORD, Oct 18 — Facing criticism from all sides of the political spectrum, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman was forced to defend himself in a five-way debate on Wednesday, at times appearing frustrated and repeatedly invoking his experience to fend off the group of opponents who are trying to unseat him.

Unlike the situation in the first debate on Monday, which included only the three major candidates and largely steered away from the war in Iraq, Mr. Leiberman’s four opponents spent much of their time this time assailing his support of the war....

Beyond the war, each of the challengers repeatedly turned Mr. Lieberman’s experience in Washington against him and argued that his 18 years in the Senate and candidacy for national office undermined his contention that he could change the culture in Washington....

Indeed, Mr. Lieberman was cut off several times by the moderator, Bob Schieffer, the chief Washington correspondent of CBS news and the host of the program “Face the Nation,” when he ran over his allotted time for answers.


Also read Matt Stoller's magnum opus post on the day.

On Monday, Lieberman was shocked that his feisty Republican opponent criticized him for voting with the Democrats 90% of the time. To understand this debate, you have to understand that Joe is a very self-centered man, and honestly believes that this election should be renamed 'Joe Lieberman Tribute Season'. He thinks that voters think about things like Committee seniority and how awesome his parking place is outside of the Dirksen Senate office building (to be fair to Joe, it is a really good parking spot).

This means that he also buys into the ridiculous idea that Democrats are mean, and Republicans are nice. Thus, a Republican attacking him from the right was not only shocking, it was problematic, since his strategy hinges on getting votes from conservatives and moderates to hold off dirty fucking hippies like businessman Ned Lamont and his venture capitalist wife, Annie. Lieberman didn't quite know what to do about getting attacked from the right and the left, so he bragged about everything he had done for Connecticut, the pork and funding he had brought home, and the work he had put in on all the little micro-issues. At one point, he said something particularly revealing, saying that he couldn't have delivered all the pork he had if he didn't work across the aisle, since the Republicans have been in the majority for so long. It was interesting to hear a politician so succinctly make the crass argument for political appeasement, but that's all that's left for Joe.

...Some friends here think that Joe is scared to face reporters, but I don't think that's what's going on. I think Joe actually and honestly doesn't like people and doesn't want to deal with them if he doesn't have to. That's why he doesn't like or care about doing good visibility events - his ego isn't fed by large crowds since he doesn't think much of people he doesn't know.


Word is a new Q-Poll is coming out soon that was taken before the debate on Monday. Take it with a huge grain of rock salt.
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