August 9, 2006

Kos wins Connecticut

Well, not quite.

Ned Lamont won the Democratic primary in Connecticut, it was close, but the fact remains that a newcomer beat Sen. Joe Lieberman, an entrenched 18-year incumbent. Despite what all the Fox News/MSNBC/CNN blabbermouths are saying about this primary, this election was mostly about the war in Iraq. Most Democrats (and most Americans) oppose it, while Lieberman supports it. Amazingly, turnout is looking like it’s going to be about 50%, which is an astoundingly high-number for a primary.

Now, beating an incumbent is pretty rare event these days, but this election was pretty unique in another respect. This election was a first real blogosphere election. As Dailykos points out, individual bloggers pumping out their opinions and engaging other bloggers, are successfully overcoming the iron grip that incumbency, partisan newspapers, television and big-money lobbyists have exercised for such a long time on our polity.

Sen. Lieberman now intends to run as an Indy in the general election. No one knows what will happen in November, but it is possibly that many Democrats will not be all that happy with the spectacle a rejected primary candidate, trying at all costs, to hold onto his Senate seat.

In any event, Indy or not, the bloggers who opposed Lieberman and supported Lamont will continue to do so.

Most Democrats believe that a senator who calls himself a Democrat, should act like a Democrat and not support GOP politicians, especially in a matter as important as the Iraq War. For a long time now, Lieberman has been acting like a Republican, supporting GOP policies and becoming the far right’s fave Democrat. This is intolerable. The GOP already controls the legislature and the executive, why should a nominal Democrat stay in office if he is going to do nothing more than enable an already powerful national GOP?

Sen. Lieberman, and all incumbents had best take note, Kos and the bloggers are on the move.

Posted  11:24 AM     

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