Lamont's victory was about far more than them. Lieberman's fervent support for the Iraq War, and his attacks on many of his party who opposed President Bush's policy there, annoyed Connecticut voters as much as bloggers. Also, aside from the war, Lieberman suffered from a feeling among many voters there that he was taking the state for granted, and liberals in the blue state were frustrated by his positions on other issues, such as his support for school vouchers.
I think the reporters conclusion, however, is correct.
Either way, this primary win means the Netroots now must be treated by Democratic leaders and politicians like the party's other major power centers -- pro-abortion rights groups, African-Americans and unions.... Now that the Netroots' power has been cemented, any Democratic presidential candidate will have to consider how to woo these Internet activists -- or at least keep them from hating him or her..... this race sends one clear overriding message: in a liberal state like Connecticut, Democratic candidates defy the Netroots, who are here to stay, at their own peril.
Yes, we are here to stay. It's people-powered politics. But the win in Connecticut was not the result of the blogs, it was the result of the voters' disenchantment with Joe Lieberman. Lamont won because of that disenchantment and because he had amassed an incredible local campaign team that knew how to find, target and convince the voters. The Blogs just spread the message and created buzz. But they aren't the reason Joe Lieberman lost.
[Update: The Washington Post
Moving on to the next issue: Lieberman's independent run. Sen. Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer put out this message today:
"The Democratic voters of Connecticut have spoken and chosen Ned Lamont as their nominee. Both we and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) fully support Mr. Lamont's candidacy. Congratulations to Ned on his victory and on a race well run.
"Joe Lieberman has been an effective Democratic Senator for Connecticut and for America. But the perception was that he was too close to George Bush and this election was, in many respects, a referendum on the President more than anything else. The results bode well for Democratic victories in November and our efforts to take the country in a new direction."
Atrios has part of the transcript of Lieberman on the Today show this morning. I think this says it all:
Yes, I'm a proud Democrat, but I'm more devoted to my state and my country than I am to my party. And the parties today are getting in the way of our government doing for our people what they need their government to do.
....I am committed to this campaign, to a different kind of politics, to bringing the Democratic Party back from Ned Lamont, Maxine Waters to the mainstream.
Markos at Daily Kos has a good roundup of reaction. My favorite: Karl Rove offering to help Joe Lieberman:
According to a close Lieberman adviser, the President's political guru, Karl Rove, has reached out to the Lieberman camp with a message straight from the Oval Office: "The boss wants to help. Whatever we can do, we will do."
Update: Hillary on Lieberman: She does all but call on him to quit and tells Lamont she will be contributing to his campaign soon.
