How sure are you that Joe Lieberman would not switch to Repub Party?

[kentuck]

Or that the Republicans are not at this very moment attempting to get the other Republican out of the Senate Race in Connecticut? Or that Joe has not promised to switch to the Republican Party if they can pull this off and he wins the election by capturing almost all the Republican voters and just enough Democrats to beat Lamont? Do you think Joe has too much character to pull such a stunt? I don't....

[w13rd0]

1. I think it's highly plausible...

...especially if the Democratic establishment comes out increasingly against this self-serving bullshit of his...

[femrap]

2. Joe has been a pug mole since the kiss. nt

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. He doesn't need to switch. If he agrees to caucus with them

in order to keep his appointments (should the Dems dethrone him) that's all that would be necessary

[niallmac]

4. Isn't it hard for traitors to get respect even from their new masters? n/t

[barb162]

8. How is he a traitor?

Traitor against what?

[niallmac]

11. Weren't we talking about him running as a Republican. Or am I missing

the point of the OP here?

[barb162]

12. So is Jeffords a traitor for switching parties?

Or am I missing something. Everyone here seemed to love it when Jeffords switched, including me. No one on DU called him a traitor as I recalled.

[fishwax]

14. a traitor is

someone who "betrays one's country, a cause, or a trust." If Joe were to run as an independent, having promised to caucus as a democrat and claiming that his independent campaign serves the higher cause of saving the party he so dearly loves, then I think turning and caucusing as a republican would clearly meet that definition.

In Jefford's case, he ran as a republican and switched to an independent, caucusing with the dems. Was this a betrayal of a cause or a trust? Well, I can't imagine that his campaign relied so heavily on party loyalty and party ideals as joe's will, but certainly a die-hard republican could make the claim that he betrayed the trust of republican voters who only voted for him because he was a republican, rather than his stance on any of the issues. But then, like trash and beauty, "traitor" is very much in the eye of the beholder. I've heard g. gordon liddy, for instance, call John Dean a traitor for betraying the trust of his fellow criminals in the watergate affair. I doubt many at DU would call Dean a traitor for that, though he did betray a trust of sorts.

[barb162]

18. He's stated he intends to caucus as a Democrat. I will take

him at his word, though he may switch down the line as I can't predict his behavior. I see no diff between Jeffords and Lieberman other than Jeffords did it midstream. Many of his constituents were pissed because he did it midstream; they thought they were voting for a Republican. I remember clearly many being very angry about it. Lieberman is being very open about what he is doing going forward. He's clearly saying he's running as an Independent, he's not messing with the voters who vote based on party affiliation. All of those who are upset with his switching can vote against him. I see nothing traitorous about Lieberman OR Jeffords.

[fishwax]

20. the whole hypothetical of this thread involved him not keeping his word

that's what the thread is about: how can we be sure lieberman won't switch to the republicans, for instance after he is elected.

He's clearly saying he's running as an Independent,
Independent Democrat, that is. Actually, Whatever his affiliation on the ballot, lieberman has said clearly that he intends to caucus as a dem and argued forcefully that his very candidacy is a struggle to save the democratic party. So it's rather silly to say that party affiliation has nothing to do with his candidacy just because he's an independent.

fwiw, i too take him at his word that if elected he'll caucus as a democrat. I think if he wins, that is what he will do. But if his were the deciding vote for senate control and he caucused with the republicans, I'd think him a traitor.

[niallmac]

16. Didn't Jeffords become an Independent?

Mayby that's splitting hairs but maybe not. I am guessing as an Independent he is
not ave owing loyalty to either party. If Lieberman becomes a Republican then he
has to wear the ring and vote with the party on all of it's odious little
projects that for me make the Republicans a life form divorced from humanity.

What exactly does he stand for if he becomes a Republican. Does he stand for
more tax breaks for the rich, more holy wars? Is traitor too crude?
Maybe I just don't understand someone who is so eager to embrace this
obscene war and this obscene president.

[barb162]

19. But there are Republicans who don't vote party line

just like Democrats. There are a few of them. Look at Lincoln Chafee. If Lieberman becomes a Republican, he'd be a liberal wing Republican. He probably wouldn't be switching his voting patterns.

[niallmac]

22. Then who is he representing?

Is he representing a personal litany of principals that take a hard right at Middle Eastern wars?
Is he going to sacrifice my constitutional freedoms in the name of this New World Order of wars
and exporting jobs? He obviously does not care a whit about the collective power of the Democratic party.

Lieberman has made the right decision, for Lieberman.

[movonne]

5. I think it would be more to his advantage to run independent...that way he

will get the dem vote...

[Taoschick]

7. He has to run as an independent

Since the primaries are over. The problem is, if he wins, will he switch parties?

[Taoschick]

6. He'll do

Whatever he thinks will benefit him.

I'd like to think he'd stay and independent and caucus with the Democrats if he won so it wouldn't be a gain for the Republicans but I just don't know.

[MADem]

9. It could happen

Heck, he's already running on the DINO ticket, why not?

He's a real Zell, ain't he?

If polling suggests that he could win this thing with some BIG money for ads and so on, and the GOP ponies up, well, it's VERY possible. And it would be LIKELY if he won, and the Senate came down to 51 D to 49 R after elections are held.

Hey, they don't want to give up those chairmanships. No doubt JoeMentum would get a very cushy one for his trouble.

[barb162]

10. He may switch. And I'm not sure about your other questions

as no one can be. But even as an Independent he can still grab most of the Republican vote. I saw the Republican guy on TV yesterday talking about how he gave an alias going into casinos. He'll be lucky to get any votes.

[Blackthorn]

13. I guarantee he WILL NOT

until AFTER the election, if he wins. At the moment, he is splitting the Dem vote while picking a majority of the Repub vote. That's what he's aiming for. If he formally jumps ship BEFORE that he'll lose the Dem vote putting him back where he was against Lamont.

[KingFlorez]

15. That's not something he'd do

If he wanted to do that, he'd have done it before now.

[pa28]

17. If Repubs retain the Senate and Lieberman wins I think he'll jump over.

That's why he should be pressed on the issue now. Lamont needs to make him go on the record and squeeze until he gets a definitive answer.

Ask over and over if necessary so voters can make an informed choice on election day.

[skids]

21. Yeah he needs to be put on record.

I want to see him say he will be a D in front of a Fox News audience.

[KoKo]

23. Wouldn't put anything past Lieberman. Already Repugs are silently

endorsing him and trying to manipulate his poll results making it seem like the CT Primary didn't "really" exist.

Lieberman is a PRO and he cries when he doesn't get his way...crocodile fake tears stream down his face as his voice fills with emotion when he talks about all those issue that are dear to him...the top of the list always being Repug...and the bottom supporting Dem/Social Issues (which he always knows he can get the votes if he votes in "affirmative" knowing the Repugs will overule Dems in the final vote.) Liebby likes to play "both ends against the middle..standing tough when he knows he can't win but the Dems will applaud his vote...but when it MATTERS he goes to the Repug Caucus and votes with them.

Liebby is a "Double Dipper!" Time for him to be called out and GONE from Dem Party!

[xxqqqzme]

24. I expect him to bail if he is elected.

That 'judas kiss' wasn't wasted on anyone who saw it.