The Daily Lieberman: No One Cares Edition

David Weigel | August 14, 2006

Despite the best efforts of cable TV and magazine journalists, pollster Rasmussen finds that most Americans don't give a fig about the Joe Lieberman-Ned Lamont Senate brawl.

Just 21 percent of American adults say they have been following news stories of the campaign Very Closely. An equal number have not been following the story at all.

Twenty-one percent is pretty high, actually, but not swinging-races-across-the-country high. Or so it seems. While Vinegar Joe's favorability rating is a meager 35 percent (to 24 percent negative), a healthy 30 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Lamont. Just 13 percent like the guy.

The big story is still how few Americans care about the fate of the Nicest Man in Washington Ever (copyright David Brooks, Joe Klein, &c). The B-story... how did a political newcomer like Lamont get himself loathed by 1/3 of the country? Why didn't he get embraced by the 3/5 who share his view of the Iraq war? This suggests that the light and heat on the issue are still on the pro-war right. Certainly, if you flipped on talk radio over the last week, the only talk you heard of Lamont was goo-goo praise on low-wattage Air America channels and demonization of Lamont as Al Qaeda's Number One Dude on the right wing channels.

Comments

|8.14.06 @ 2:25PM|#

I think I've seen Lamont on TV once and he struck me as a rather snoozy if affable millionaire. The guy is named "Ned" people. So it's pretty funny to watch him cast as Jane Fonda's Weather Underground boyfriend. But his rep as that is now locked in cement for a bunch of people who wouldn't vote for him anyway.

(Incidentally my republican pals, does running on them damn dirty hippies still get you a lot of steam? I'd think the demo that gets worked up over that is the Mattlock, Depends, Rascal, AARP life insurance "I've fallen and I can't get up" demo. Ok, they vote a lot but it's a stale bit no? And here I thought 2006 was going to be God n' Gays again).

|8.14.06 @ 2:35PM|#

Most people don't read the internet. Most people don't follow politics very closely until right before the election. Lamont Liberman, if you don't live in Connecticut is insiders baseball. The nutroots, while wealthy and dedicated, are a small minority of people. They are no more a significant minority in this country than the readers of instapundit are. They knocked off an incumbant in a Democratic Primary. That is a big deal if you work for the Democratic Party, are obsessed with politics or live in Connecticut. If you don't meet those criterea chances are you don't know about it and wouldn't care if you did.

|8.14.06 @ 2:39PM|#

"Incidentally my republican pals, does running on them damn dirty hippies still get you a lot of steam? I'd think the demo that gets worked up over that is the Mattlock, Depends, Rascal, AARP life insurance "I've fallen and I can't get up" demo."

The 60s were 40+ years ago. The depends, I have fallen and can't get up crowd are the dirty hippies. The Archie Bunker generation you are speaking of are pretty much dead or in the nursing home these days.

|8.14.06 @ 3:30PM|#

It's just running on Vietnam and George McGovern . . . I dunno guys. Maybe that'll work out for you. Whoever invented "Defeatocrats" is quite funny, intentionally or not.

"low-wattage Air America channels"

Heh. I think the jazz and classical NPR channels come in clearer than AA around here. Seem to be operating at about microwave oven power.

|8.14.06 @ 3:39PM|#

It's worth keeping in mind that the "Matlock, Depends, Rascal, AARP life insurance 'I've fallen and I can't get up' demo" is disproportionately likely to vote -- having little else to occupy their time.

|8.14.06 @ 4:15PM|#

...most Americans don't give a fig about the Joe Lieberman-Ned Lamont Senate brawl.

What? Most Americans aren't interested in largely local fight in a relatively inconsequential state between a has-been presidential bridesmaid and an anti-war nobody over an issue most folks are - at best - full of mixed feeling about?

Surprise, surprise, surprise.

Most interesting, however, is that for all the hootin' that "this means the Dems are now officially run completely by anti-American liberals," Dirty Dick and the Pundit Posse can't seem to raise so much as a notch on the American Give-A-Shit meter.

Tells me the Rep/Cons ought to be pretty scared right about now.

|8.14.06 @ 5:08PM|#

Brian

Hippie Bashing is a universal Good.

|8.14.06 @ 5:24PM|#

it aint god n' gays, brian

it's god GUNS n' gays

actually, it should be GUNS gays and god

for the following reason

if ya got a gun you can ensure that the guy trying to kill you meets god (or whatever non-specific supernatural entity, to include the great no-one (tm) suits yer fancy) before you

and if yer gay, instead of relying on stupid orwellian "hate crime" laws, carry a frigging gun yerself and show some sack... no pun intended instead of relying on govt. bureaucrats to pass laws that turn you into a victim/symbol

and clearly, hippie bashing IS a universal good. see: Cartman

nuff said

|8.14.06 @ 6:14PM|#

I don't think 3/5 of Americans agree with Lamont's take on the war.

Middle America does not like to make sacrifices. You can reliably predict that they will be against ANYTHING that requires them to do such, after sufficient time has passed for the costs to sink in. This has nothing to do with them supporting ideologues on either side of the debate - rather, it just shows the voter's short-sighted way of thinking.

For example, solid majorities are against higher taxes, against bigger deficits, and against major spending cuts.

Figure that one out.

|8.14.06 @ 9:22PM|#

Joe Lieberman is a substantial and positive icon in American politics, not just in Conn. He's got political weight and power. Lamont does come off as a Limousine Liberal trying to buy his way into an election. He's got zero experience for the job, he did some time eons back as a Selectman (whatever low-level local politician that is) but it certainly isn't Senatorial material. It's more like slating pothole repairs vs repainting the blue handicap parking spot lines.

Furthermore, Lieberman is a religiously observant man--that is important to so many Americans. Religion, regardless of sect, teaches you community values and lessons we can use to weigh and make important decisions. Lamont, in comparison, seems to prey at the Altar of the Almighty Dollar--he really isn't one of us.

|8.14.06 @ 11:10PM|#

From a recently translated NSA intercept:

"Hey Osama, did you see this on CNN? Early exit polling results show Ned Lamont leading that son of a monkey and a pig Lieberman by about four percent in the Connecticut Democratic senatorial primary."

"Excellent news Hassan, that is just the encouragement the brothers needed at a time like this. If Lieberman pulls out a win I really don't think I can go on anymore, for if we've lost the people of Connecticut we've lost the war. Anyway, change the channel over to MSNBC, Olberman's coming on in a minute and I need to finish my post on Kos."

What was the voter turnout for that race? Something like 30-35 percent? If 70% of the voters of Connecticut don't care, why would anyone else, especially if they live in a cave in eastern Pakistan? (I'm looking at you Mr. Cheney). Those of us who spend hours a day on line following the news forget sometimes that we're in the minority.

|8.14.06 @ 11:35PM|#

Is this something like Ned and Ted and Red in bed? Or am I confusing it with something else?

|8.15.06 @ 1:17AM|#

It's funny how politics works:

Back in 2000 when the senator was running with Gore, about half of what my father said about Joe Lieberman bordered on the Mel-Gibson-level anti-semitism (the other half crossed the border). Now, he's screaming bloody murder that Lieberman's defeat was a literal act of treason (his very words).

I've said it once, I'll say it again: If 8-years of Bill Clinton unhinged the American Right, then 9-11 drove them into incurable insanity

Rick H.|8.15.06 @ 2:04AM|#

Religion, regardless of sect, teaches you community values and lessons we can use to weigh and make important decisions.

For instance, the best approach for hijacking planes and ramming them into public buildings. Or murdering the receptionist at an abortion clinic. Or the exact procedure for mutilating the genitals of babies and small children. Or storming the funerals of complete strangers. Community values, like banning birth control or STD medication.

...No, I don't think your statement was overbroad in the slightest.

|8.15.06 @ 6:35AM|#

...No, I don't think your statement was overbroad in the slightest.

Rick, you forget to mention that religion also teaches the fine commmunity value and lesson of willfully ignoring reality (i.e. "faith").

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