Lieberman hopes poll will jolt backers

Ron Burgundy · 08-03-2006, 10:45 PM

Lieberman hopes poll will jolt backers (AP)

AP - U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman said Thursday that he hopes a new poll showing his primary challenger with a double-digit lead will "shake up" his supporters and help him eke out a victory.

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - U.S. Sen.
Joe Lieberman said Thursday that he hopes a new poll showing his primary challenger with a double-digit lead will "shake up" his supporters and help him eke out a victory.
ADVERTISEMENT
click here

Lieberman also said he will run as an independent if he loses the Democratic primary on Tuesday, despite reservations being voiced by some national party leaders.

"But I intend to win the primary," he quickly added.

Lieberman, 64, one of the Senate's most well-known moderate Democrats and his party's nominee for vice president in 2000, has been widely criticized for his support of the
Iraq war and his perceived closeness with
President Bush.

Millionaire businessman Ned Lamont, a political novice, was supported by 54 percent of likely Democratic voters in the Quinnipiac University poll, compared to Lieberman's 41 percent. The sampling error margin was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

"The fact is I'm about a lot more than one issue and the future of the people of Connecticut is about a lot more than one issue," Lieberman said during a campaign stop in West Hartford. "You always hope that a poll like this will shake up my supporters to come out and vote."

A similar survey July 20 showed Lamont with a slight advantage for the first time in the campaign.

Lamont, 52, who owns a cable TV firm, has been able to tap into voters' frustration with Lieberman as well as his personal wealth — he has contributed $3 million to his own campaign.

Lamont, who spent the afternoon rallying with the Rev.
Jesse Jackson in Middletown, called the poll "pretty good." But he said "what makes a difference is Tuesday and getting out the vote."

The poll highlighted a significant backlash among Democrats: 65 percent of Lamont's supporters said their stance was mainly due to antipathy toward Lieberman.

Poll director Douglas Schwartz said he had never seen a race where an incumbent has stirred up such negativity within his own party.

Lieberman has been collecting signatures to petition his way onto the ballot as an independent candidate should he lose Tuesday's primary.

Unaffiliated voters outnumber Democrats and Republicans in the state, and Lieberman has typically drawn strong support from both unaffiliated voters and Republicans.

The latest poll did not examine how Lieberman and Lamont would fare if Lieberman ran as an independent in the general election.

But a July 20 poll found that among Connecticut voters across the political spectrum, 51 percent supported Lieberman, 27 percent supported Lamont, and 9 percent supported Republican Alan Schlesinger.

Lieberman recently called on former
President Clinton to visit the state, and Clinton's endorsement has been used in the campaign's televised ads.

But that apparently had little effect on voters. Of those who supported Lieberman, 78 percent said Clinton was not the reason why.

The telephone survey of 890 likely Democratic primary voters was conducted July 25-31.

Scrum · 08-04-2006, 12:48 AM

Just take your ball and go independant, you crybaby.

motivez · 08-04-2006, 12:49 AM

I really don't think he wants to have to run as an Independent.

Scrum · 08-04-2006, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by motivez

I really don't think he wants to have to run as an Independent.

I don't think he wants to either, but he figures most people will see his name on the ballot and just vote for him on name recognition.

Kind of reminds me of that movie "Distinguished Gentleman"

Ardentfrost · 08-04-2006, 12:52 AM

Incumbants don't lose!

Scrum · 08-04-2006, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Incumbants don't lose often enough!

Did you see what I did there?

Ardentfrost · 08-04-2006, 12:55 AM

motivez · 08-04-2006, 12:56 AM

Liberman apparently thinks that CT Democrats are like this:

When they vote.

Ardentfrost · 08-04-2006, 12:57 AM

Originally Posted by motivez

Liberman apparently thinks that CT Democrats are like this:

When they vote.

lol, wtf

motivez · 08-04-2006, 01:01 AM

That they're retards who are going to click the vote for Lieberman button despite his stance on issues.

Ardentfrost · 08-04-2006, 01:02 AM

Scrum · 08-04-2006, 01:15 AM

Originally Posted by motivez

Liberman apparently thinks that CT Democrats are like this:

When they vote.

I think a lot of voters are like that.

Ardentfrost · 08-04-2006, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by Scrumtralecent

I think a lot of voters are like that.

I am... whenever I vote I'm like "HURRR!!!"

motivez · 08-04-2006, 01:17 AM

Unfortunately. But, this is a test I think. If Lamont succeeds, I hope politicians begin to pay more attention to their constituents stance on issues.

There's really only so long you can go against so much that the party stands for and still maintain support. Stuff like emergency contraception at emergency rooms, etc, as well as a whole host of other issues. It just adds up.

The war is a convienent rallying point though.. since he's basically been swinging on Bush's sack about the progress, etc, that's been made.

Ardentfrost · 08-04-2006, 01:23 AM

I don't know what he was expecting though... A republican-sack-riding democrat won't get far in life.

SoFlaJDM · 08-04-2006, 01:23 AM

lieberman is delusional... lamont's lead is just gonna grow

motivez · 08-04-2006, 01:26 AM

I think everyone is eager to get off a train that's headed for destruction.

Does anyone else feel kind of bad for him though? I mean, I disagree with him on a lot of stuff, and if I lived in CT, I'd be supporting Lamont.. but it's sad to watch his career come crashing down in flames after a long career of public service

Especially when you consider he would have been the Vice President.

Ardentfrost · 08-04-2006, 01:27 AM

Personally, I LOVE to see politicians careers crash down in flames. I wish EVERY politician's career ended in a huge flaming crash. It'd keep the constituents alert.

motivez · 08-04-2006, 01:28 AM

If they're doing a good job, I don't think they deserve to crash and burn. Lieberman has probably done an overall good job as a statesman for CT, and has probably gotten a lot of beneficial legislation passed for that sate.

But, that doesn't guarentee him anything.. and it seems he's come to see that seat as "his", when it's really the voters of CT that decide.

Ardentfrost · 08-04-2006, 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by motivez

If they're doing a good job, I don't think they deserve to crash and burn. Lieberman has probably done an overall good job as a statesman for CT, and has probably gotten a lot of beneficial legislation passed for that sate.

But, that doesn't guarentee him anything.. and it seems he's come to see that seat as "his", when it's really the voters of CT that decide.

Well, that's what I really mean.. I want politicians held more accountable for the legislation they vote for. What I'd LOVE is for a place we could go to hear directly from the representative so we could know exactly WHY they voted a certain way. If a representative for a city voted for farm subsidies, I want to read his reasoning behind doing that.