Honestly, I wasn't really impressed with Lieberman or Lamont

[Hippo_Tron]

I didn't get a chance to watch it when it was live, so I just watched the repeat on C-SPAN. Neither candidate really refuted the attacks that the other made on each other. They just changed the subject or went on another attack. And while Lieberman did seem a lot more comfortable on the stage, Lamont definitely held his own for someone with no experience.

BTW, two absolutely bullshit things that came out of Lieberman's mouth.

1) Attacks on Ned Lamont when he was in local government. Lamont actually did refute these but he should've done it more. Saying that he agreed with Republicans 80% of the time on thinks like potholes is desperate.

2) He compared pulling out of Iraq to pulling out of Kosovo. If I were Lamont I would've said, "Senator, give me the name of one soldier that died during our occupation of Kosovo."

[Don1]

1. I wasn't especially impressed either.

I am a fan of Lamont, but Joe was definitely more comfortable. Lamont was often nervous, emotional, looking the wrong way, and bug-eyed. I was very surprised at Joe's ability to go on the offensive, too. Have we ever seen this tenacity from him versus Bush? Nope. Lieberman reminded me of Palpatine slicing up the Jedi.

Lamont said something else without enough displomacy, too. He talked about how he worked as a teacher at Harding High School in Bridgeport, CT and that some of his students were illegal aliens. Uhoh, now here comes the Gestappo...

I liked when Lamont brought up the issue of Fox News, but I didn't like how he wasn't prepped enough to rebutt some of the false claims Lieberman made. For example, Lieberman said something very contradictory several times like this: "I am for the troops leaving sooner rather than later, but soon is not good." How exactly does that make logical sense? He should have been called on it.

I did like how Lamont brought up universal health care several times. Actually, it would have been very smart for him to have prepped on this subject and to keep bringing it up even more.

[Hippo_Tron]

2. I don't think the illegal immigration thing really hurt him

He could've articulated it better, but he was mostly talking about how children of illegal immigrants don't have opportunities open to them. Also he did come out strongly in favor of prosecuting businesses and said that the "doing the jobs Americans don't want" is a fallacy.

[CTyankee]

4. Well, I tried here at DU to lower exhorbitant expectations that

Ned would be another Clinton in debate. He is not the airbrushed, facile TV personality that so many of our Senators have become, all those years on MTP, etc, playing to the national media, spouting well rehearsed lines.

But Ned is an honest, new face. He has Yankee modesty so you won't get any bombast out of him. I thought he was nonetheless forceful, but not in a slick way, like Joe. Ned was clear on what he intends to support when in the Senate. He did a good job.

[skipos]

3. Who is more "comfortable" in a debate

wouldn't effect my vote in the slightest. Lamont didn't come across as someone who is used to televised debates because isn't used to televised debates. I would agree that Lieberman gives off a more comfortable career politician vibe. Although a pretty angry and condescending one.

If this battle was over a seat in Nebraska, maybe I'd worry about Ned's non-politician veneer. The bottom line is in a fair world where both of the candidates respect Democratic voters, the person who wins in Aug would be easily winning in Nov. But this is Joe's world and he doesn't give a shit about Democrats in CT and who they choose to nominate.