Joe Lieberman, should he, or shouldn't he?

from JoeUser Forums
Simple enough question (actually a couple of questions): should Senator Joseph Lieberman become an independent?

Regardless of your answer to that question, does he benefit more by being independent or by staying in the democratic party?

And finally, if he does leave, what impact does it have on the democratic party?
politics
2,319 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'll post my own answers later... (no, I'm not going to cheat. I have my answers ready and won't be changing them, but don't want to influence other possible answers that could be coming from visitors here).
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
He should and will stay a Democrat. but might just switch parties at some point in the future.

This is prime example of how low the Democrats have sunk to, feeding on their own now.
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Maybe he can form a 'Uniter" party with McCain for people who want legislators who negotiate away the wishes of their constituants. Not a flip-flop party, mind you, because their values never change, they are just willing to sell them out to "get the job done".

That, of course, means serving special interests. You'd be amazed how much easier it is to get the other political party to let you steal from taxpayers if you are willing to ignore what the voters who sent you there really want.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
This is prime example of how low the Democrats have sunk to, feeding on their own now

Just think, he was the candidate who would bring moderate Republicans into the fold. Voting for Gore/Lieberman was the second-best choice just six years ago. And now look how the mighty have fallen, defeated by his own party... like a cow who wandered into the Amazon to be eviscerated by the pirahnas.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm not sure that Lieberman is defeated. (Finally getting my chance to offer my own thoughts here).

I spoke with a co-worker about this the other day. Actually just before a discussion about Doug Duncan dropping out of the Maryland Governor's race (I swear O'Malley's team must have some nasty pictures of Duncan stored away somewhere, but that's a different story).

I'm not sure that Lieberman is so easily defeated at all. True, he may lose in the democratic primary, but it doesn't mean he would lose in the general election. I think that he'd stand a very good chance of winning his senate seat as an independent again. It worked, and continues to work, for jumpin' Jim Jeffords, his neighbor up the interstate. Though Jeffords is basically a lame duck at this point, unable to get anything done as he is a pariah in GOP circles, and just barely gets time of day in democratic circles, he continues to get elected by the people in his state.

Lieberman could wind up going independent and drawing heavily from traditional conservatives in the GOP side as well as continuing to pull the more moderate voters from the democratic side.

Time is running out for Lieberman in the national races though, and he doesn't seem to have much more chance to get a nomination for either of the top two spots on either national ticket.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top

If he loses the primary, yes he should.  And I think he would win the election.

As for the effect on the democrat party - make the loonier, but no change in the senate.