For conservatives watching this week's primary elections, Tuesday night brought good news and bad news.
The bad news involves sympathy, even pity, for poor Joe Lieberman. I've known the man for thirty years and while I disagree with most of his voting record (which is conventionally liberal) you've got to admire his courage on the war and his personal commitment to the Orthodox Jewish faith we share. In terms of character, just think about this: the primary election was unexpectedly close (Lieberman lost, 48% to 52%) yet just three days before this most important election of his career, the Senator took 25 hours off, as he always does, to honor the Sabbath. This may never win him votes, but on some level, somewhere, it ought to count for something.
On the other hand, there's good news: Lieberman immediately announced his independent candidacy, and that effort will keep the national Democratic Party deeply divided through November. What are high-profile Dems (Hillary, Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid) supposed to do? Ignore their own primary voters and their party's own official nominee and campaign for Joe, or else support Lamont and alienate what remains of the moderate wing of their own party? Left wing money that might have gone to defeating Rick Santorum or Mike DeWine will now come pouring into Connecticut to defeat Joe Lieberman--- who's almost certain to win as an Independent, given the awful quality of the current Republican candidate.
Meanwhile, it's also worth celebrating that Cynthia McKinney went down to ignoble, overwhelming defeat in her drive for re-election --- barely clearing 40% of the primary vote as an incumbent. There's been considerable focus on McKinney's Jew hatred, but the real problem with the Congress Lady (using the term very advisedly) is her America-hatred. Now there's this rumor to turn the good news of her defeat into the even better news of future campaigns: some of her die-hard supporters want her to concentrate over the next few years on a run for the Presidency, representing disillusioned leftists and entertainment figures who are angry with the Democratic Party and yearn for Cynthia's strident, fearless voice. Run, Cynthia, run! Given the fact that the Dems will almost certainly nominate a mainstream liberal (Hillary, Kerry or Gore), we can expect a Nader-like fringe candidate who will peel away some of the nutburgers who would otherwise ride the Donkey. Russ Feingold would probably be the most formidable leftist candidate for some Third or Fourth Party, and there's also talk of Michael Moore making a race--- but he's too busy with his new movie ("Sicko") for the moment. Then there's McKinney: a woman of color, a celebrity who's suddenly unemployed, furiously angry (listen to her "concession" speech last night) and addicted to the public spotlight.
Her potential candidacy gives conservatives even more reason to celebrate the results of these primaries.