Form his own ad-hoc party and keep running as an indie right up to e-day? Whatever the consequences? Even if he ends up a pariah in the Dem Party?
His website certainly seems to indicate that intention . . .
He’ll have to raise some money from those civic-minded Americans who applaud his even-handed, bi-partisan approach. Those patriotic Americans who fret about the wildly extremist Bush-bashing and the iron grip of the Hillary/Soros/Kos cabal. A similar group of concerned citizens have stepped forward to support the Green Party in Pennsylvania, true patriots dedicated to diversity and cordial discourse. Yes. Quite.
If he does run as an Indy, what are the chances of him splitting the Dem vote, and putting the GoP in the seat?
I very much doubt that’s his website, especially given the campaign news, “We did it. Thank you to everyone that supported Ned Lamont.” But a month ago or so, we were wondering what will happen if Lieberman runs as an independent. My mother called his campaign office, and was told that if he runs and wins as an independent, he will serve as a Democrat, vote with the party and will retain his committee assignments. But then can the party deny him his committee assignments, if they wish? Should they?
Why shouldn’t he? If, as you say, he’s a DINO, he still got 48% in the primary. If he gets even half of that in the general election he’s a lock.
In the grand tradition of wagering I’ll put up a bottle of Boone’s Farm Strawberry that says he wins in November.
I very much doubt that Alan Schlesinger (the Republican candidate) will win. It’s more likely that Lieberman will get much of the Republican votes.
Slim to none. The Republican candidate was polling at 9% last I heard. Lieberman is the de facto Republican candidate at this point.
Is there even a Republican candidate? I thought that if Lieberman won he was going to be unopposed.
I don’t really see why he shouldn’t run BG.
The answer to these are…why not (if he really thinks he can win. I have no idea what his realistic chances are running as an Independant). WHAT consequences exactly? The very real personal consequences to JL are that his party chose not to nominate him, though he was the incumbent. Why should he care if he ends up a ‘pariah in the Dem party’ exactly? Again, they sort of betrayed HIM, at least he’s got to be thinking that way. Why should he give a fuck if the Dems, who have rejected him in Conneticut, now think he’s a pariah?
Again, I have no idea of his realistic chances of running and winning…but I can’t for the life of me see why he SHOULDN’T run, considering the betrayal he’s got to be feeling (if he’s human) by his own party.
-XT
And Lieberman’s real website is here.
WWHHHOOOOOSSSHHH! 
Here’s Holy Joe’s actual site. Not that it compares favorably with the other . . .
In the end, I don’t think he’ll do it. I can’t find it now, but an earlier New York Times story had one of his aides saying that if poll numbers showed he didn’t have a chance in November, he’d call it quits. The Democrats are already lining up behind Lamont. Howard Dean went so far as to send an e-mail saying Lieberman’s proposed run is “the wrong thing to do.” According to a few different articles I read on CNN and the New York Times, Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, John Kerry, Russ Feingold, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Evan Bayh and Nancy Pelosi all endorsed Lamont in various ways after he won. And the other Connecticut Senator, Chris Dodd, made an appearance with Lamont today. Not that I would know, but I’m guessing that other people are telling Lieberman not to go through with his plan.
Very slim, I think.
It sure looks, and sounds like it. I heard a snatch an interview on one of the cable news channels. When he was asked why the run as an independent he said that Lamont was “out of the mainstream.” This despite the fact that most people don’t support the war and think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Out of the mainstream? What the hell is he talking about.
I also don’t understand the commentary that the outcome shows that the Connecticut Demoratic establishment has been captured by the “left wing.” I rather doubt that Lamont, a millionaire many times over, is a rabid socialist. I just hope the Republican pundits pound away at the theme that the voters are a bunch of dumb shits.
One reason I’m happy about the primary election result is that, in a small way, it cracks the wall of incumbency. I think more senators and representatives should be challenged, and not just in November. Far too many people remain in Congress for far too long.
It seems that Lieberman may have the popular support of the state in full if not the Democratic party specifically. And as such, even if I don’t like Lieberman’s stance on certain issues I hope that he runs so that the people can have the representative that they truly want. It seems a real shame that party politics would force Lieberman out of a race if indeed the majority of population supports him. And I say that as a borderline socialist who would have voted for Lamont.
He’ll run and he’ll win. He’s been around long enough to know that the tune that most of the above are singing will change the minute he is elected. The others (Dean and his ilk) he could and should care less about.
He filed his paperwork to run as an independent with the Connecticut Secretary of State yesterday. He fired his campaign staff yesterday.
The Republican candidate is a complete nonentity in this race–in fact, the state committee asked the guy to step aside weeks ago because of gambling issues. And 48% of registered Democrats supported Joe in the primary. The only reason for him NOT to run as an independent is party loyalty. If he’s not really a Democrat, why should he sacrifice himself for a party that doesn’t want him?
There have supposedly been phone calls between Republican higher-ups and the Lieberman camp since the primary (according to Chris Matthews show).
Makes me wonder if there’s a secret deal afoot for Lieberman to formally switch parties after the general election.
Now that I think on it. If I were Lamont, I would make a big deal about the possibility of Lieberman switching parties, the better to keep Democratic voters in the Lamont camp.
The second link provided leads to a single page with an “UPDATE ON THE ATTACK ON THE LIEBERMAN CAMPAIGN WEBSITE,” blaming Joe’s political opponents for bringing down the server. Is this another gag site?