Tonight I voted for Joe Lieberman for Senator. Why? I'll tell you.
It wasn't for his staunch conservatism. Being a hawkish democrat doesn't make him a conservative.
It wasn't for his charisma or eloquence. His public speaking skills and droning voice are only slightly less likely to make me cringe (or sleep) than are President Bush's - and I voted for Bush - twice!.
It wasn't his voting record - either the liberal votes he cast or how few he actually showed up to cast compared to other Senators.
It wasn't his loyalty. Let's face it, his third term as Senator was a consolation prize for him not being elected Vice-President. We weren't his first choice. (Accordingly, he wasn't mine, either.)
It wasn't his ability to keep a promise."18 years only"
No, it was none of those reasons. It was simply this: Joe Lieberman is a known quantity. Be he good or bad, we know how to deal with him. Schlesinger, for all his good ideas or positions is, sadly, unelectable. Lamont, the man against everything and for nothing, was to me an unacceptable choice.
I hate it when my I find myself using my vote as a preventative measure rather than a step forward. But, in politics as in chess, sometimes you get to advance, and sometimes all you can do is block. So, I realized the only way to keep "little Neddy" out of office was to keep "ol' Joe" in. Joe's no prize but thankfully, in my opinion, he's no Lamont, either.
Keeping my fingers crossed...
Great points. I like Joe and one thing he gives Connecticut is some political punch in Washington. Lamont just scared me. I had no idea where he would take us. Generally, he waws way to left for me.
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