There’s some thought that Joe Lieberman damaged his cause by announcing his intention to run as an independent should he lose the August Democratic primary. I think that’s balderdash. What it means is that one way or another, Lieberman will be returned to Washington as Connecticut’s junior senator come November. Either he will do so as the Democratic nominee — which remains the most likely scenario, as he is leading Lamont by double digits — or he will do so as an Independent candidate who will take many if not most of the state’s Republican votes, which will be cast to keep the candidate of the nutroots out of the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body.
There’s bound to be an anti-anti-Lieberman backlash in Connecticut, especially with the anti-Joe rhetoric already heating up to psychotic levels in Kosland in the wake of what I gather was a pretty resounding victory by the incumbent in last night’s debate. Whether it happens in time for Lieberman to wipe Lamont out in the primary or takes place closer to the election with Lieberman running as an independent, Lieberman will be the beneficiary of the sense that he has been unfairly caricatured.
Bet five bucks with somebody on it. Not with me. I don’t bet.