my $0.02: a victory for lamont, a victory for ct dems

Just a quick opinion about today’s events at the Connecticut Democratic Party convention, where Ned Lamont won over 33 percent of the delegates to force an August primary against Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Lieberman is seeking his fourth term in the U.S. Senate, and is known for being a moderate hawk who receives as much support from Republicans as Democrats, if not more. Due to this, and the fact that Sen. Lieberman is an unabashed supporter of the Bush administration’s misguided efforts in Iraq, Lamont launched a grassroots campaign to challenge the incumbent for the Democratic nomination.

The fact that Lamont received the votes of over 1/3 of the delegates at the convention shows that his candidacy has momentum. For the first time in many, many years, Sen. Lieberman has a legitimate challenger from within his party, which has forced him to actually campaign and address Connecticut issues to help maintain favor with the voters.

Of course, this means little at the party convention, where the old Connecticut Democratic machine is in full force. This is the same Democratic machine that has failed to win the governor’s seat since 1990. This is the same Democratic machine that lost the 2nd Congressional District in 1998 and has failed to regain said seat. This is the same Democratic machine that failed to keep the 5th CD seat when CDs 5 and 6 were consolidated in 2002. This is the same Democratic machine that has lost numerous local races for mayor and selectman over the past decade.

Yet they argue that the party has never been healthier, and that challenging the incumbents will “be harmful of our party and the chances of our congressional candidates, our Democratic challengers and our gubernatorial candidates” – this according to Sen. Lieberman, who has not ruled out running as an independent write-in candidate if he fails to win the August primary.

But the record of the Connecticut Democratic Party doesn’t support this statement – and this is why the party needs challengers like Lamont. They need their intertia challenged, they need to realize that the old machine is no longer attractive to voters, no longer compelling. The fact that Lamont was able to garner as many delegates at this point in the race (after the status quo members of the party believed that he wouldn’t break the 15 percent barrier necessary to force a primary) is telling: the lower levels of the CT Dems are showing their disapproval of the old party machine and are challenging it to grow and adapt.

A Lamont candidacy is not without risk. Due to his incredible showing since declaring candidacy, the Republicans have fielded two serious candidates for their own nomination. Since the CT GOP has a larger base than when Lieberman first took office – and keeping in mind the possibility of an independent run by Lieberman if he fails to win in August – Lamont and the CT Dems may be facing an incredible battle, one that could turn one of the U.S. Senate seats from CT over to the GOP. Lieberman knows he has loyalists on both sides of the aisle, and will continue to play to them as he has since he first won his seat in 1988.

But Lamont is making the CT Dems think about their identity, and making Lieberman actually have to fight for his job. This diversity of opinions and self-assessment is beneficial for the Connecticut Democratic Party, and while it may not bring Lamont a victory, it will certainly lay down the foundation for a revitalized party – and that’s a victory for all Connecticut Democrats.

(And it’s not just Ned Lamont who is bucking the tide: Joe Courtney is staging a superb grassroots campaign in CD 2 against Bush apologist Rob Simmons. And in case you’re wondering: I’ve donated to Lamont’s campaign, and if I were still a Connecticut resident, I’d vote for him.)