Ned Lamont beat back Joe Lieberman in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate nomination, upsetting a three-term incumbent in a fable-like campaign that promises to reshape Connecticut and national politics in the fall and 2008 elections.
Lieberman sort of conceded the race (he’s still saying he’s running as a third-party candidate in November), as Lamont captured roughly 52 percent of the vote in an upset that saw him emerge from anonymity to a national symbol of progressive change in just six months.
The ballroom of Meriden’s Four Points Sheraton was mobbed and filled with deafening roars as Lamont declared, “No more stay the course. Stay the course is not a winning strategy in Iraq, and it is not a winning strategy in America.”
“Our health care system is broken,” he said. “Forty-seven million uninsured and escalating costs are bankrupting business and working families alike. It is time to fix health care.”
National figures from the Rev. Jesse Jackson to California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who visited Connecticut three times to campaign in cities with Lamont, accompanied Lamont on stage, as did progressive Connecticut political figures like State Rep. Chris Donovan and organizer Tom Swan, Lamont’s campaign manager.
“Let’s see if you were paying attention,” Lamont called out in his speech, which took place around 11 p.m. “How many lobbyists are there for every Congressman on Capitol Hill?”
“Sixty-two!” someone called out.
“Sixty-three!” Lamont responded. “It’s time to fix Congress!”
“This shows that change is possible,” said former state Democratic Party Chairman George Jepsen, who was chatting (in photo) with state NAACP chief Scot X. Esdaile at the Lamont party at the Four Points Sheraton in Meriden. “Lieberman outspent Lamont two to one. A lot of this was self-generated; people wanted to come out and vote.
“Ned was a credible messenger. If he was a joke or a crackpot, people being angry at Joe, it wouldn’t have been enough.”
Esdaile was visibly jazzed by the high turnout and campaign work not just statewide, but in the African-American community.
“I haven’t seen this many blacks out since John Daniels’ campaign [in 1989 to become New Haven’s African-American mayor],” Esdaile said. “A lot of young people came out. I’m excited about it. Now I’ve got to work on unifying it.”
As civil-rights leader Jesse Jackson put it to a TV reporter in the Lamont hall, natonally, “Democrats can no longer fake left and vote right. They can no longer be wolves in sheep’s clothing.” He spoke of the two top issues Lamont ran on — opposition to the Iraq War, support for universal health care — as signposts for the national party.
Joe Lieberman did win the city of Waterbury. “Waterbury,” said Lamont campaign manager Tom Swan (pictured), “are where the forces of slime meet the forces of evil.”
Where the forces of slime meet the forces of evil? Waterbury?! In Connecticut?!! I never realized that there was that much going on out there! And here I thought San Francisco was crazy.