Colin McEnroe: The Strange Race (Lamont-Lieberman race) [View All]

[Larkspur]

The Strange Race

Nobody needed a poll to know that Ned Lamont would face enormous difficulties after the Aug. 8 primary, and few of those difficulties were under his control.

The single most important variable was the behavior of the Republican Party, and when it decided to leave the hopelessly crippled Alan Schlesinger in place and to give him no help, the most important trumpet of the campaign had been quietly sounded.

The Republicans had also, at that moment, spoken forcefully about their own vision of Joe Lieberman. On Aug. 9, they held in their hands the unique formula that allows Connecticut to elect a Republican U.S. senator, once ever 36 years or so. It is a near-impossibility, unless the Democrats spilt themselves, as they did in 1970 and again this year. A strong Republican candidate would have had a plausible chance at the brass ring, and the fact that the state and national Republican leadership decided to leave Schlesinger in place tells you what they think of all that messaging by Lieberman about what a good Democrat he is and how he votes 133 percent of the time with his party. The Republicans, anyway, dismiss all that as hogwash. From Karl Rove on down, they decided they already had a pretty good Republican senator in Joe Lieberman.

SNIP

Lamont needs to come out with a TV ad and media campaign that will blast away at Lieberman's perceived strengths -- experience, integrity and bipartisanship. If Lamont is aggressive with his attacks against Lieberman while telling voters why he is the best candidate for senate, Lamont will win. Right now Lieberman has the momentum. Lamont needs to be ruthless in his counter assault on Lieberman, who has been running ads most of September.