Reply #77: I see what you are saying, but there is hope. Look at 2004.

[karynnj]

From mid 2003 on, only two men were the front runner - Dean for all of 2003 and Kerry starting sometime in January 2004. Neither were party favorites - though both were well thought of. I remember Dean being mentioned as and interesting possibility when he worked with Hillary on her health plan and Kerry was on Gore's short list. Clinton went so far as to be quoted as saying in late 2003 that only Wesley Clark and his wife were Democratic stars.

People were not driven by Clinton's comments - they looked at the candidates and chose Dean and then Kerry. I think here, the dynamics are different. Lieberman was even 3 months ago seen as an easy win. If Clinton et al would have joyfully backed him pointing out where he was with the Democrats, Lieberman could have won people who hadn't considered the race yet. Now, polls are showing more than half of the people are picking Lamont.

This is more significant than if it were more than half of the people are choosing Lieberman. Those who are choosing Lamont have already made the big decision to not support their long time Senator and secondly that they can support Lamont. (What scares me more than the Clinton stuff here is that they will try to challange the second part of the decision - that Lamont is acceptable. I really don't want to see Democratic swiftboating.)