Lamont ahead in latest poll.

Though I am supporting Lieberman in the upcoming senate primary, Ned Lamont has taken a huge lead in the latest poll. Lamont is now ahead 54% to 41% for Lieberman.

I wrote a post about why I was supporting Lieberman. But still, Lamont being elected might not be a bad thing.

Why? Well, first, the Lamont campaign could be an example, and a tool, on how to turn out our liberal base. The problem Democrats have is that they can never get their base out, or the base votes for someone else. Lamont has been able to mobilize them, yet we don't know if they will vote until election day. Remember, that is how Bush won, by turning out his base.

And second, maybe Lamont is helping people change their view about the war. Again, in another post, I said that people trust the Repubicans more on the war and the so-called 'war on terror' than Democrats. I still stick by that statement. But while I think the Democrats cannot take over the issue, Republicans can certainly lose it. And I think that Lamont is starting to expose that weakness. I think that the 'lesser of two evils' plays into effect in this primary.

But Lamont seems to be a new candidate as well. Since the debate, where I think Lamont looked like a bug-eyed crazy liberal, he has seemed to tone down his 'crazy look' quite a bit. He needs to remember, the primary isn't the only race, you still have to win a general.

But if Lamont wins, the Democrats have found an issue to bring out the base. We have seen what happens when Republicans turn out their base. Now we can do that as well with the issue of the war. I don't think the war will change the average voters view of the Democratic Party, but it sure can keep the ultra-liberals from voting for Nader (which is why we have President Bush in the first place).