Is Obama throwing his supporters under the bus on Lieberman?
I knew Barack Obama would eventually throw the netroots under the bus. Every president ends up screwing his strongest supporters at least to some degree: it’s the reality of power.
I just didn’t expect it to happen quite so quickly.
Being magnanimous to Joe Lieberman may seem like good politics to Obama – very post-partisan and all that. If he takes it too far, however, he’ll pay a bigger price than he may believe. This is an extraordinarily emotional issue among active Democrats.
Lieberman didn’t just attack Obama: he attacked the base of the Democratic Party, and he did so repeatedly. Obama doesn’t have the right to forgive and forget Lieberman’s misconduct, because, quite frankly, he’s not the “person” primarily aggrieved by his actions.
Sure, it’s fine for Obama to stand aloof from the debate over how to punish Lieberman. Doing so is probably smart. But if he comes across as advocating that no action at all be taken (which is how things sound today), his honeymoon with the rank and file of the party may well be over. Yes, Democrats do care that deeply about this.
And if Obama thinks he doesn’t need the base anymore, he isn’t as smart a fellow as a lot of us have given him credit for.
November 11th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
To DO anything with Lieberman would make him a martyr. If he is left alone, shunned and ignored is a worse punishment. If something was DONE with him he could then become very superior. This is much better. Think about it.
November 11th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I’m afraid I must disagree with you Demetria. To keep Lieberman “as is” would also leave him his committee chairmanships and other little party perks that he simply should no longer have–especially since he is NO LONGER a Democrat. These powerful positions should be given to fellow party members who have EARNED them, if by nothing else, staying loyal to the party! let him “threaten” to join the Republicans. What could they do for him now, anyway? Give Democrats the Democratic power seats and let Lieberman be his little Independent self all he wants.
Ried, above all else, has to show by example that loyaly means something, or it means nothing at all.
November 12th, 2008 at 1:58 am
I hope Obama is playing a game of “good cop, bad cop.” For the sake of wanting to get bipartisanship support of bills to come, Obama wants to look bipartisan and let the Senate do the real punishment of Lieberman. Maybe. It really isnt Obama’s call. Lieberman did hurt other Democratic candidates. Those who have power in the Senate should decide what to do with him without interference. Lieberman is a schmuck. He redefines the word “JERK”.
Who could ever trust him again?! The Repugs will use him, but my bet is they don’t trust him, either. The guy is a scumbag.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Obama will continue to throw everyone and anyone under the bus. Lieberman does not merit any consideration by Democrats since he chose to buck the duly selected Democratic candidate for senate. Looking back at Obama’s history, the Alice Palmer issue showed what some consider to have been betryal. No asking everyone to forgive Lieberman is a betrayal of all those Connecticut Democrats who played by the rules. Obama’s stance on the delegate votes from Michigan and Florida seems to have been more the product of his delegate strength than consideration of the rules of the Democratic Party. Let’s just hope that is smart enough to govern. Recently, as a gay Californian, I feel that Obama failed to sufficiently support the “No on 8″ campaign for the sake of his presidential campaign. His seperate but equal support of civil unions and opposition to gay marriages is intellectually dishonest. His much vaunted organization simply failed to provide meaningful help.
Maybe Obama senses a fellow Machiavellian in Lieberman and choses to deal with a senator who has no principle other than self-interest to anyone who will a party program.