I have to run and give a lecture at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies this morning, so no long-winded analysis (right now) of last night’s dramatic upset of challenger Ned Lamont over Joseph Lieberman in the Connecticut Democratic Primary race. The end was dramatic as well with Lieberman greatly diminishing their distance in the final hours of vote counting.
My friend Michael Tomasky who is editor of The American Prospect said on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show” last night that this race was an anomaly — no real impact on other races. I disagree with him. Whether Lieberman wins or not running as an Independent, this successful insurgency has powerful symbolic impact regarding the “defining character and policy objectives” of the Democratic Party.
As Tomasky has written and said before, the Democratic Party needs to revitalize itself and needs to sort out what it wants to be during its next phase. Topping Joe Lieberman is a vital part of that revitalization.
More on this later. I’m off to talk about “bleak binary choices” and the need for “third options” in national security decision making.
— Steve Clemons
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