My Left Nutmeg is reporting that Markos Moulitsas Zuniga of Daily Kos will be appearing with Ned Lamont in a TV advertisement.
Getting beyond the question of what, exactly, this sort of joint appearance would do for Lamont (or do to Lamont), it's worth probing the connection between the Lamont campaign and what it arguably the nation's most popular blog.
It's no secret that Kos isn't a fan of Lieberman. Here are a few quotes, if you haven't been following (these are all taken from DailyKos stories written by Kos over the last few years):
Fact is, Lieberman, the DLC, and the so-called-liberal TNR are tools of the GOP. Whether they intended to or not, they are now typecast as the intra-party bomb throwers. (from DLC, the GOP's best friend 4/13/05)
What is important is partisanship. The most conservative Dem can make an impassioned plea on behalf of the Democratic Party that doesn't sound like Republican-lite.
...
Appeasement cuts across ideological lines. Sure, we have Zell Miller on the party's right, but Joe Lieberman has a progressive record, moderate at worst. And he has completely crossed the line into appeasement territory. Zell just wants to be a Republican, but there are plenty of true Democrats (I assume Lieberman, given his record, is still one of them) who are simply afraid and timid. (from Partisanship over ideology 5/11/04)
Biden bites his tongue and refuses to criticize Dean. Lieberman jumps at the bit. Biden is rewarded with a piece that is essentially about him, all the way through (and the dilemma foreign policy hawks face in the Democratic Party). Lieberman's entire role and purpose in the piece is to take shots at other Democrats.
Like I've been saying, Lieberman (like the DLC) has been typecast. (from Lieberman vs. Democrats 3/17/05)
Lieberman voted for cloture on the bankruptcy bill.
...
It's so nice of Lieberman to give further ammunition to fuel the recruitment and funding of his increasingly inevitable primary opponent. (from Lieberman 3/9/05)
It is a good development, though I don't doubt the DLC will continue undermining the Democratic Party. Remember -- they've been typecast. They, like Joe Lieberman, are the Democrats reporters call when they're looking for a Democrat to criticize another Democrat. (from DLC sells out 5/31/05)
And so on. He has never been particularly afraid to bash Lieberman, and I've found numerous references to Lieberman as "Bush's favorite Democrat" (here and here, to name a few) and Lieberman as a "Fox News Democrat," etc. This is actually pretty moderate stuff compared with the reaction Lieberman provokes in the comments of the site.
The seed of Lamont's campaign was planted at Daily Kos, if you recall. Moulitsas (there's been an odd inconsistency in the media as to which of his names to refer to him by) and the denizens of Daily Kos jumped on the Lamont bandwagon early, helping him to raise a not insignificant amount of money this past quarter. Lamont also appeared at an April party in Los Angeles celebrating the release of Crashing the Gate, Moulitsas's book about reforming the Democratic Party. Lamont's candidacy has been promoted on the front page of Daily Kos countless times: Lamont was mentioned by Kos himself 32 times in front page stories, and he's appeared 65 times total. Almost all of that coverage has been positive, while coverage of Joe Lieberman has been, from 2003 on, relentlessly negative. A entire wing of the Democratic Party has been mobilized to anger about our junior senator, due in part (and possibly for the most part) to Daily Kos.
So having Kos in a Lamont commercial is a pretty natural fit, right? It's fair to say that the Lamont campaign wouldn't be nearly as threatening to Joe Lieberman as it is today without Markos Moulitsas Zuniga. The connection runs deep, and both Daily Kos and the Lamont campaign have a vast pool of supporters and followers in common.
So why does this still feel like a bad idea?
18 comments:
I don't think that's going to happen, at this point. He's got enough money to keep going through August.
I'm witholding judgement on how well he'll do until after the convention.
As much as I love daily kos, this is a bad idea. Lamont already has the people who read dkos. He needs someone else with credibility in the state.
GC,
You think it's a bad idea because you allow fear to be your first reaction to everything just like all those DC Democratic Consultants.
Markos was schedualed to come to New Haven for his book tour for months now and the fact he'll be here the day after the Ct Dem. Convention ends is a huge plus.
There's no bigger story in the country than whats happening in Ct. and you never even saw it coming.Tell me again why anyone should worry about your feeling it's a "bad idea"?
Just curious GC,
If NYT collumnist Krugman,Dowd,Rich orFriedman wanted to appear in an ad for Lamont would it also be a "bad idea"?
Kos is probably read as widely and no doubt has as much influence as than any of these people.
How long have you been embarrased to be a blogger?
...And what angle is that? Seriously, what are you attacking me for this time? Wait, I think political blogs are "dirty"? I'm "embarassed" to be a blogger? After I just spent the last week clawing my way into the Democratic convention? After I spend my own time and money traveling around the state to interview candidates, and spend way too much time writing, designing and keeping this site going?
Sheesh. I swear, you guys have gone completely nuts.
I have nothing against Kos, although I'm a little tired of him (I tried to read his book. I really did. Zzzz). This just seems like something that won't gain Lamont much. I just don't see the benefit.
I think I've become a lot more cynical since I regularly posted at DKos, DF. I also think the site has changed, a little. I don't see much new there, anymore. I just see a lot of noise. I see noise everywhere, on the left and the right. Just my honest opinion, for what it's worth.
A good point--we don't know how serious this actually is.
mikect,
I can think of a million ways having Markos in an ad could help and every one of them has a picture of a President on it.
BRubenstein,
Actually, what I meant was that the buzz about the Lamont campaign--at least the public buzz--began with a post at Daily Kos. The push for a primary challenge is different.
Senator Reid,
That is, in fact, my real name. I have a cat named Kublai and a wife named Chaka. :)
The entire tenor of this diary was wrong,defeatist and arrogant.From the title to the attitude expressed in the second paragraph to the last sentence GC sees nothing positive about being associated with the biggest and most successful blogger in the world.
It was cheap and infintile and is something we would have expected fron TNR or some other failing arm of the DLC.
I'm proud to be a Liberal,Proud to be a Blogger,Proud I take the time online to keep myself informed and proud of my fellow Democrats who make up Daily Kos.
GCs blog was an empty wasteland until he visited and actively recruited people from Kos to come here and post.I was one of the first and I'll call a spade a spade whether or not some here feel he's being picked on.He's a big boy and can defend himself as he has for over a year now.
One more thing GC,
Although your efforts to get bloggers into the convention were commendable there were also people on Dem town committees that had ALOT to do with bloggers getting credentialed.I know more than a few who made calls over the last couple of weeks to insure bloggers got credentialed
Yes, you were one of the first. You were nasty and insulting even then, as I recall.
I'm under no illusion that I alone got bloggers into the convention. I did some things, but a lot of the credit goes to other people. I didn't know about the DTC members--I'm glad to hear it! It's good news that more than just other bloggers are interested in having us there.
Could you point to the "defeatist" section? The "infantile" section? The post wasn't written with that rather odd intent, believe me. I just wanted to explore the connection, and question the effect of a very public tie.
I'm sorry if I don't see it, but the comments made here (and elsewhere) do suggest that there's actually limited strategic value to having him in a commercial with Lamont.
DF,
If you were Jodi Rell, would you want to be seen with James Dobson? Or George Bush (if you could help it)? Maybe that's why. If he's trying to appeal to moderates, this isn't the way. And moderates win elections. If Democrats can reclaim the middle, they'll be more successful.
GC,
Keep Digging!
Is George W Bush a Moderate?
How about John McCain? Joe Lieberman?
Is there anything Moderate about Ted Kennedy?
How about Ronald Reagan?
Wasn't trustbusting a radical idea when TR did it.
How about Geoge Washinton leading an army against Great Britain,Was that Moderate?
Just because you were never involved in a winning election as a green doesn't mean only moderates win elections.Jusy asak the people of Oklahoma.
Lieberman is done as a Democrat.
You're giving Daily Kos way too much credit. Lieberman's internet reputation is universally bad - he's a creep who can't be trusted and everybody knows it.
Liberals are getting blamed that Joe attracts flies - it isn't our fault, the guy routinely shows up on local FOX News holding hands with Rob Simmons fer instance.
How stupid does Lieberman think Democrats are? If Lamont is not the Democratic nominee my lawn will have Republican signs up supporting their candidate - no way Lieberman gets my vote, ever.
cgg,
I don't dispise this blog or GCs opinion.I just think GC can be very lazy at times and spouts the conventional wisdom as fact more than he should.
Take this diary for instance.
There's not one iota of evidence that having Markos in an ad would do any harm at all and as a matter of fact it might inspire a million dollars in contributions if say,Markos is standing with Jim Dean and the founder of Move-on yet all GC can see is the negative.It's as if he were trained by Fox News.
Daily Kos has had most important Dems including Kerry and Polosi post diaries on it and yet GC ,like one of Pavlovs dogs, has the gaul to compare Markos to James Dobson instead of being a little imaginative and figuring out how Markos might be used by the Lamont campaign in a very positive way.
Simply putting 2 and 2 together (Hillman and Markos) should not only make anyone involved in politics smile it should be a moment of huge anticipation but all GC could see with his CW sunglasses is Big Trouble.
Lamont isn't going to beat an 18 yr three term entrenched incumbent with more money than god and access to even more by doing a cookiecutter campaign yet in GCs world anything with risk must be avoided.
Thats exactly how Dems have mismanaged themselves into minority status today and I, for one,am sick of it.
mod.dem.like.jfk,
Don't you believe Lieberman should be held to the same standard as every other Dem candidate and have to pledge He'll support the Eventual Dem nominee too?
So far he's refused to and is even threatening an independent run.
I'm ok with this because it's gotten my side quite a few Dem Town Chairs to switch to Lamont but Lieberman has proven his loyalty as a Dem is only if it's in HIS interest.
Lieberman said PUBLICLY he would not rule out an Independent run and now you mod dem,whom I believe has the first name Ken,are saying "Lieberman has said plainly to quite a few delegates that he is a Dem and will stay a Dem."
Thats not publicly and not binding and I don't believe it.
If Lieberman wants to declare he'll support the Eventual nominee he knows exactly how to call a press conference or put out a press release.Until then I'll take him at his word that he "hasn't ruled out an independent run"
There was never any question where I stand.I'm a true Democrat,a delegate and will stand with my Party.
Thats exactly what is required in order for any delegate to cast his or her vote for any candidate and exactly the same is required OF THE CANDIDATE.
Joe Lieberman has refused to say that publicly and said the option to run as an independent for him and only him remains on the table therefore he should not recieve one delegates vote,period.
As for 'What you've Heard".That don't mean squat.
Chris mc'
Please provide the link where any other Sitting Senator being challenged to a primary has said "an independent run by me is not off the table"
Even Spector,who lost the vote at his convention, never dared say it.
As usual,you are full of yourself and other"Stuff".
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