How Lieberman Can Be Defeated and How Lamont Can Win

There is no question that democrats have the chance to take back the house and possibly the senate in November. All the indications are that, most likely, we will win back the house and we will make major gains in the senate. That's all great, and I hope this momentum lasts until Novemeber and this really happens.

Beyond these races, however, there is another very important and highly symbolic race within the democratic party. That is the race for the senate seat in Connecticut. Democrat Joe Lieberman currently holds that seat and he has been elected and re-elected for many years. As we all know, Lieberman was also the democratic Vice presidential candidate in 2000. So, Lieberman is a "high-profile" democrat with a lot of connections and name recognition. Normally, his re-election should be a routine process. But not this year. This year it is of outmost importance that Lieberman is defeated in the democratic primary and not re-elected in his senate seat.

Why is it so important that Lieberman is defeated? The reason is simple. The outcome of the Lamont-Lieberman race will have long-lasting effects in defining the character and the identity of the democratic party. Lieberman has defied the anti-war wisdom among the base of the democratic party and the majority of the country, and continues to openly support the war and president Bush. He clearly represents the far-right wing of the democratic party, despite some centrist positions on other issues. In fact, there are several republican senators that are to the left of senator Lieberman, like Chaffee from Rhode Island or Olympia Snowe from Maine.

Why will the outcome of the Lamont-Lieberman race have long-lasting effects in defining the identity of the democratic party? The democratic party has an identity crisis. That is the reason we lost the presidential elections in 2004. John Kerry behaved like a "confused" candidate who could not take a clear-cut position on the Iraq war. Although it is impossible to know what exactly was happening within the Kerry campaign, it somehow seemed that he was attempting to balance divergent opinions and positions within the democratic party. That led, of course, to the disastrous re-election of George W. Bush. Beyond the war though, there are several additional issues on which we see divergent positions within the democratic party. As an example, the call of senator Feingold to censure president Bush was seen with ambivalence, questions, concerns and anxiety by many democrats. Something so clear as censuring a president that broke the law can not unify the democrats.

So do we want a party infiltrated by right-wingers that are ideologically allied to republicans and other hawks, or do we want a democratic party that has clear-cut goals, identity and character? Defeating Lieberman will send an extremely important message to the "republican-allies" that have infiltrated the democratic party. It will establish that even someone who run for VP does not belong to the party, as far as he or she violates its principles and positions.

Lamont appears to be an excellent candidate with progressive thinking and liberal views. His positions clearly reflect the ideology of real democrats. He can and should win over Lieberman, but it will not be easy. It will take a massive national campaign to defeat Lieberman that will require the support of many real democrats across the country. It will be of outmost importance for people to contribute financially to his campaign and help in any way possible. But such efforts and investment will be certainly worth it. It may ultimately help redefine our identity as democrats and move the party to the right (left) direction. In the long run, it may be even more important than winning back the senate from the republicans.