It seems like the Dems will be taking both houses of Congress.

[KrazyHorse]

By the way, Drake, the most relevant piece of data can be found here:

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/CT/S/01/epolls.0.html

WHO DO YOU WANT TO CONTROL SENATE?
TOTAL Lieberman Lamont Schlesinger
Democrats (55%) 31% 66% 3%
Republicans (29%) 76% 4% 19%
Does Not Matter (15%) 62% 22% 15%

31% of 55% = 17% of the total votes cast went to Lieberman from people who thought that the Democrats should control the Senate. That's 1/3 of Lieberman's total. You can basically kiss those votes goodbye if Lieberman betrays that trust.

[Drake Tungsten]

Drake, I'm seriously worried about you if you think that voting for a Democrat-leaning independent who had already promised to caucus with the Dems is the same as voting for a moderate Republican.

Leading off with a straw-man is not a good way to start...

Caucussing with the Republicans wouldn't turn Lieberman into a moderate Republican. He'd still be an independent, one that is extremely popular with all but the far-left and far-right in Connecticut. I fail see why it would play out much different than the Jeffords defection, especially given that Joe's backstabbing by the Dems gives him a great justification for such a move, should he choose to make it. He can always spin his switch as a reaction against the far-left Dems who tried to force him out in Connecticut and are now doing (insert bad thing) in Washington...

On the whole, I think you underestimate just how much personal popularity matters in American Senate races. I guess these things just aren't obvious to a foreigner...

[Drake Tungsten]

31% of 55% = 17% of the total votes cast went to Lieberman from people who thought that the Democrats should control the Senate. That's 1/3 of Lieberman's total. You can basically kiss those votes goodbye if Lieberman betrays that trust.

I'm willing to bet that a sizable majority of Nebraskans wanted the Senate to remain in the hands of the GOP this election. Of course, that didn't stop nearly ~65% of them from voting for Democrat Ben Nelson. Personality matters a lot more than partisanship in Senate races...

[KrazyHorse]

Joe Lieberman said he was a Democrat who got the short end of the stick. But when we trusted him to go to Washington to force President Bush to change course, Joe switched sides and allowed him to stick with a losing strategy. Representing us or helping yourself. Which one is it, Joe?

Paid for by the friends of John Q Democrat

[Drake Tungsten]

You make the mistake of thinking people sent Joe Lieberman to Washington to force President Bush to change course, when they most likely sent him to Washington because they like Joe Lieberman.

Besides, how many voters do you think were stupid enough to view sending Joe Lieberman (possibly the most pro-Bush Dem in the Senate) as some sort of rebuke of Bush?

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
You make the mistake of thinking people sent Joe Lieberman to Washington to force President Bush to change course, when they most likely sent him to Washington because they like Joe Lieberman.

They sent him to Washington because they like Joe Lieberman AND he's basically a Democrat.

He ran on "I'm a Democrat"

You're completely out of touch with reality.

[Drake Tungsten]

You just don't understand. This isn't Canada. Not every election is a referendum on the performance of the executive...

[KrazyHorse]

Over half Joe Lieberman's votes came from those who disapprove of Dubya's performance.

30% of his votes came from those who strongly disapprove of it.

Those are the 30% of his votes I'm talking about.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
You just don't understand. This isn't Canada. Not every election is a referendum on the performance of the executive...

No, but this one was

Duh.

[Drake Tungsten]

If voters in Connecticut had really wanted to send a message to Bush, they would've voted for Lamont, not Lieberman. The fact that Lieberman won handily despite the anti-Bush trend elsewhere in the country just shows how popular he really is in Connecticut.

[KrazyHorse]

Drake, it's late, and this is the furthest divorced from reality I've seen you in a while. There is no reasonable way to cook the numbers so that Joe comes out on top after handing the Senate back to the GOP, barring a massive shift back toward the Republicans in the next 6 years.

It's wishful thinking on your part, and Joe is a smart enough cat to know where his bread is buttered.

Joe needs the Democrats and the Democrats need Joe. He's back in the fold, and that's what he wants.

[Drake Tungsten]

this is the furthest divorced from reality I've seen you in a while.

Keep repeating it if you want to. You certainly don't seem to have anything more substantial to offer...

[KrazyHorse]

I've given you the exit polls which show you the breakdown of Joe's support and explained where he would lose the votes and why.

That's as substantial as you're going to get unless you want to pay for a survey of Connecticut voters based on a hypothetical which isn't going to happen.

Arguing any further with you here is like trying to explain to some people why 0.9 repeating is one.

[Drake Tungsten]

I've given you the exit polls which show you the breakdown of Joe's support and explained where he would lose the votes and why.

Exit polls from today don't really have much bearing on how Connecticut voters will act in 2012 when they're trying to decide whether to send Joe back to the Senate and Hillary back to the White House...

[Ned]

Originally posted by Oerdin
.

Personally, I see this as fitting even if I put my personal desire to see the Republicans out of office aside since the Republicans have really run out of ideas. The latest do nothing Congress is ample proof for that.

Agreed.

There is something about being in power too long that corrupts even the best. The Republicans, especially in the Senate, appear to have become a party of the pork barrel and not a party of ideas.

Actually, having the Dems in power in Congress will, in a perverse way, also have a rejuvenating effect on the White House that has for too long been resistent to new ideas or changing course in anything. The next two years should really be interesting.