How Lamont wins the General!

[jackbourassa]

Lamont has to run against Lieberman like he is an incumbent Republican. The same old line about Lieberman "not being a real-Democrat" was all fine and good during the Democratic primary. But it won't do during the general.

Lieberman can always spin that by saying, "i'm an independent" blah, blah, blah!

Lamont has to change the dynamics of the race and is in an excellent position to do so...

Lamont has to make this election a referendum on the war in Iraq and George W. Bush's handling of the war in Iraq. After all, Lieberman has said that we shouldn't even question Bush in this regard. Let's see if the people of Conneticut agree.

Some possible themes: "Do you want to give Bush a blank check on the war?"
"Lamont will fight to end the war and begin the peace!"
"Let Conneticut be the place that sends George Bush a message:
NO MORE WAR!"
"It's the war, stupid!"
"Vote for Change," "Time for Change," "Support Change!"
"Say NO! to the Iraq War, vote for Ned!"

Lamont should also use Lieberman's words against him when it comes to the war.

"Lieberman voted so-and-so many times to give Bush blank-check authorization!"

"Send George W. Bush a message! Vote for Ned Lamont, Democrat for the Senate." etc. etc.

That's how he wins.

What do you guys think?

[CrazyForKucinich]

1. I don't think it's going to be much of a contest...

Lieberman has gone beyond insane with his website hoax. With all the Dem leaders jumping on Lamont's bandwagon I think a lot of Lieberman voters will find it very strange to even ponder voting for Lieberman. Then again Lamont has the money and organization now. If Lieberman comes back after just firing his entire staff...well that'd be something.

I'm eagerly awaiting the 3 way race poll numbers post-election. I'm sure Lamont will have more than 52 percent. Joe will be around 30 with the Republican guy around 10 or so I guess.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

2. If the numbers come out the way you predict and

if they stay that way thru mid- Sept, I think Loserman will drop out.

[monarch]

3. I think Joe will drop out.

What will make him drop out will be the ridicule. The more of a joke he becomes, the harder Hadassah will try to make him get out. He'll spin it all sorts of ways, but I don't think that he will be able stand the humiliation.

By the way, has anyone done anything morphing him into Katherine Harris? Joe is starting to become the same kind of joke.

[Ken Burch]

24. I wouldn't count on Hadassah talking him out of the race...

As I understand it, she was the one who talked him into staying IN.

[NewJeffCT]

4. According to DailyKos...

Rasmussen is wrapping up an early poll on the 3 way race and it is basically a dead heat between Lamont & Lieberman right now.

However, Rasmussen has not finished the poll, so final results could differ a bit.

[AX10]

17. I don't see Lamont getting 52%. Assuming that Alan S stays in...

Lamont: 47%
Lieberman: 43%
Schesinger: 10%

Lamont could still walk away with this seat. Things will change once Labor Day passes.

[bigwillq]

5. Ned should not make the War the #1 issue.

He needs to attack Joe's close ties with Shrub and the repukes on all issues not just the war.

***Like voting for the Energy Bill, which essentially gives oil companies more of a tax relief.
***Like voting for CAFTA, which essentially puts more jobs overseas.
***Like Joe's support of the NSA wire tapping, which infringes on civil liberties.
***Like Joe's support of John Roberts, a conservative judge.
***Like Joe wanting to privatize Social Security.

I think you get the point. Ned really needs to be through on what he can offer the state and country. He can't just attack. What will he DO for us, is what the message should be.

Connect Joe to the pukes and to Shrub's failed policies on many, many issues.

He needs to point out that Joe is basically a repuke, a DC insider with close ties to lobbyists and other corporate thugs.

[connecticut yankee]

6. Don't forget

His vote against the Alito filibuster.

His comment about "just a short drive" to another hospital.

[bigwillq]

7. Those two, too!

:)

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

8. It was a sad day leaving Connecticut

The boat was transferred to South Carolina. Grotten was the whole world as I saw it. And the city liked us too. Hell, I guess I grew up there. Or at least I became rocket man, I suppose thats what you might call comming into your own,.

I truely do understand that Mr. lieberman is in a total state of shock.
In fact, he must be in complete denial.
He has always been an independent. It should than stand to reason in his state of shock ,as to him this is not real, it could not and would not really happen,- that he would see himself as a middle of the road ,easy going cross between a democrate and a republican , morso leaning to the republicans though a firm party democrate.

How it is that people cannot just love that, is far beyound Mr. Lieberman ,as the infamous Nixon Lt.coined of a term (at this point in time).

As Mr. Lieberman becomes sober to the truth as it is, he will indeed see that the time has come for his politican to fade away and leave the order of the running of this government to the new high order of change in demand ,as it is the will of the people.

And it is the will of the people and the democratic party that Mr. Lieberman has completely defied in and from within his heart of hearts and furthermore repeatdly without conscience objection.
And so indeed he places himself above his party and even above himself. Fore he sees himself as being the very truth in being right.

There can only be one Bush little king.
And little king Bush can only discard that which he can no longer use.
And Mr. Lieberman is just not ready to except it yet.

And so Mr. Lieberman will no doubt resign from his dutys as a United States Senator. Because Change has so ordered it.

[JerseygirlCT]

10. Absolutely correct. nt

[JerseygirlCT]

21. Yes. If he allows himself to be stuck with the

"one-issue candidate" label they're ever so eager to pin on him, he's not going to make it.

Plenty of other areas in which to attack Joe as well.

[JerseygirlCT]

22. Oops

Apologies. Have been away and didn't notice I'd already responded!

It would have been more fun if I'd argued with myself though, huh?

[ignu]

9. Lieberman's new ad

[jackbourassa]

11. YOU GUYS ARE WRONG!!! And will lose this campaign!

Don't make the issue too confusing to people. You guys seem satisfied in running the same campaign you did in the primary. Guess what? Only Democrats were allowed to vote in that election! In the general, Republicans and Independents will be able to vote. Neither gives a rats ass if Lieberman is good Democrat or not.

We NEED AN ISSUE. An issue that the majority of people agree with us on.

Whether Joe Lieberman is a good Democrat or not IS TOTALLY and COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT now that he is running as an independent. We can talk about Alito and God knows what else from here until Kingdom Come and it won't do us a bit of good.

In Conneticut - 81% of Democrats oppose the war in Iraq.

In Conneticut - 70% of independents oppose the war in Iraq.

Lamont is clearly against the war in Iraq.

Lieberman and Bush are clearly for it.

THAT'S YOUR OPENING!!!! THAT'S YOUR ISSUE!!!!

Lieberman will counter with this "al-Qaeda's favorite Democrat" kind of stuff. That's to be expected. Of course, it doesn't matter. Since we can always counter with the war being this huge distraction on the war against terror, and the consequences of that: Hamas taking over in Palestine; increased fighting in Afghanistan; Hezbollah's resurgence in Lebanon; Radicals taking over in Iran; Radicals winning the election in Iraq. We can even spin some of these recent developments in our favor - including the recent subverted plot in England. We should run ads of prominent generals and people, including the recent comments made by Bush's Director of Homeland Security, how the war in Iraq is a "distraction" from the war against terrorism. We should show how Bush, whom Lieberman said we should not even question, recently closed down the search for bin Laden. You know, the guy responsible for September 11th! They want a fight about terrorism? Let's give them one!

We shouldn't run from a foriegn policy debate. We should confront it head-on! I think we CAN WIN it and that, more than anything else, will send a message to Washington.

We can run ads of Lieberman morphing into Bush on the issue of Iraq. We should ask Conneticut voters to stand up and SEND A MESSAGE TO GEORGE W. BUSH by voting in Lamont who promises to fight to end the WAR and focus on the real enemy: al Qaeda.

A VOTE FOR LIEBERMAN IS A VOTE FOR BUSH'S FAILED POLICIES!

HEY CONNETICUT: DON'T GIVE BUSH ANOTHER BLANK CHECK! VOTE LAMONT!

THAT'S HOW YOU WIN ELECTIONS!!!! Not confusing people with every 10 cent gripe you have.

[sidpleasant]

12. Exactly right!

Engaging Joe in a "who's a better Democrat" pissing match is a losing strategy. Ned should hang Bush around Lieberman's neck and bash the two of them relentlessly. He should never say either man's name without adding the other. I completely agree with you that "A vote for Lieberman is a vote for Bush" is the way to go.

[jackbourassa]

16. We should come up with a new term:

Bush-Lieberman...Busherman...Lieberbush.

Okay, these are getting pretty funny, but you get the idea.

But I totally agree that you should hang Bush around Lieberman's neck.

We should treat Lieberman as if he were just another Republican incumbant. Lamont should campaign on how he wants to win this seat for the Democrats and a vote for him is a vote for a Democratic Majority, etc.

LET'S GO!!!

Is Lamont on the air yet?

P.S. We should also have some sort of "unity" dinner for Lamont. Bill Clinton has recently come out hard against Lieberman. So let's get Bill and Hillary, Chris Dodd, the Democratic candidate for Governor, the Democratic state operators in CT, other big names: Kerry, Edwards, DSCC chair Shumer, etc.

LET'S GO!!!

We can totally win this thing.

[Nightjock]

13. F**K....ING.....A!!!!

You should put your response as it's own thread.

People NEED to see this!

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

14. Indeed , I am suggesting that,

You look at The New Bull Moose Party way of political philosophy.
Bull Moose Lieberman believes with many others that (A) party left and a party right would create a path to the middle.Such people would view it as a point of balance.

Lieberman running as a independant allows him to go down in flames.
However Mr. Bull Moose Lieberman would see it in the opposite.(flaming glory) The guy just has to believe in his super self. Believe it ,Lieberman has presidential dreams that he has processed into his very own beliefe system.

Mr. Bull Moose Lieberman thinks that he is going to walk across both partys combined and fuse it all togather. And furthermore in a very twisted way, he thinks that it is his destiny.

Believe it, in his dreams ,he must see himself being carved into the mountain. All of this makes perfect sense to him because, he was almost on his way there.

Mr Bull Moose Lieberman may even see his-self in a place on the mountain just above Teddy R.

Let Mr. Bull Moose Lieberman,s dreams run wild and his emotions on high. And when the pan becomes red hot, you may watch him fry.

The path to a better future is in the frame work of the democratic party. It will require solid reinforcement. And Lieberman will clarify this of an issue ., To the democratic party and to the people.

The insanity of it will be uncovered and clearly seen.
Holding a flaming torch ,he will go down in flames.

[cabral]

19. Bush/War is the winning Combos

well said Jack, no need to change a strategy that is working, just stick to the War/Bush Combo will Loserman in the middle and everything will be alright...

[krispos42]

15. Hammer the message: "End the occupation!"

Nobody likes to leave a war without winning, so the message can't be "End the war now" becauese it won't resonage. But when a counry decided to end an occupation, that's not losing. How can it be losing? The fact that we occupied the country means that we won!

Dimson threw on a codpiece and strutted around proclaiming the war won, so let's bring the troops home and end the occupation!

[against all enemies]

18. "Joe Lieberman thinks George Bush is doing a great job - I don't"

If you think George Bush is taking America is in the wrong direction, vote for me, Ned Lamont.

[jackbourassa]

20. This is exactly what I'm talking about...

Lieberman currently has some dude dressed up as Osama bin Laden following Lamont around with a sign: "Support Lamont...We Do!"

This is such a great opportunity for a one-two knock out punch. Don't let Lieberman get away with such things...ATTACK! Attack Lieberman for his BLIND support of Bush and the War which has helped bin Laden escape and terrorist/extreme groups to seize power all around the Middle East.

What Lamont should not do is allow Lieberman's talking points to take hold. Lieberman wants to turn this into something where if you oppose the war, suddenly you support Al Qaeda. No doubt the Republicans will try to make this an issue in other campaigns this fall, and no doubt a good many Democrats will capitulate under the pressure (led by our fearless leaders in Washington).

But the truth is this is the ABSOLUTE EASIEST thing to counter. We counter by a) continuing to challenge the war...b) By reminding people that this "assertive" (and stupid) foreign policy has actually led to INCREASED terrorist violence and what we need isn't MORE OF THE SAME, but rather, CHANGE in every level of government.

[connecticut yankee]

23. Sounds like

Karl Rove's dirty work.

Well, he did offer to help Joe.

[sidpleasant]

25. Re: "some dude dressed up as Osama bin Laden following Lamont "

Is Joe's campaign really doing that? If so I'm completely at a loss for an adjective strong enough to apply to Joe's sick tactic. It's beyond reprehensible for any American to claim that the fiend responsible for the deaths of thousands on 9/11 is a supporter of your opponent. It's depraved. I'm nauseated. I didn't like Lieberman before, but if he's really doing this than my dislike will morph into utter burning contempt. No one who would condone anything like that is fit to be in the company of decent people, much less the United States Senate.