Democratic Loyalty

I'm not the biggest Hillary Clinton fan on the planet, but this time she almost got it right. In a statement yesterday, Clinton said that while she hopes that Joe Lieberman wins his senate primary in August (OK, that part she didn't get right), she will ultimately support whoever does win the primary during the general election.

For those of you who haven't been following internal Democratic politics closely, here's a quick overview of the situation, and why Clinton's comment is both right and important - and why this situation proves that the party might just be hopelessly lost.

For the first time in quite a long time, Joe Lieberman is facing a primary challenge to his re-election bid, and it is rapidly looking like the challenge is no joke. Ned Lamont, a businessman with little political background, is running to the left of Lieberman (not a major feat). Lamont has rapidly gained support from liberal Democrats who have been alienated and angered by what they (correctly) see as Lieberman's "Republican Light" positions on any number of issues.

Personally, I think that challenges like Lamont's are fantastic. The Democratic party has been wandering lost in the wilderness for a long time now, and the current leadership shows little sign of finding a path anytime soon. If we want to see any kind of progressive change in this country, our best hope is to fix the party - starting a new one would be a time-consuming enterprise that would almost certainly slow any significant national change.

Primary challenges like Lamont's are how that process is supposed to work. If you don't like the way a politician from your own party is acting, that's how you try to get rid of them. If that happens in enough places over a short period of time, you can get significant change within the party. If you believe in the party system - even just a little - you have to respect the power of the primary.

Unless, of course, you are Joe Lieberman.

Monday, Lieberman announced his response to the increasingly serious threat of a primary defeat. He is starting a petition drive now, to ensure that he will be on the ballot for the general election as an independent if he loses the primary. If that strikes you as a sleezy move, it means that you have a pulse and are awake. That act demonstrates a total lack of respect for the voters of his own party. It says, basically, "Screw you. I don't give a damn who you want on the ballot, and I think that the whole idea of a primary is stupid. I've been representing you for decades now, and I'm running again whether you want me to or not."

Clinton was absolutely right to say that she will support whoever wins the primary. In fact, that should go without saying for a Democratic politician - but, of course, none of the other spineless bastards is actually saying it right now. Where she misses the mark is in continuing to support him in the primary. For crying out loud, the jackass just announced that he has absolutely no respect for the entire primary system. How the hell can any major Democrat continue to support the SOB?

What happens in this primary may well determine the future of the party. If more major party figures come out on the record as supporting the eventual primary winner, then there's still some hope. If even one or two come out and say on the record that they can't support Lieberman at all if he's not going to respect the will of the primary voters, then there might be some realistic hope. But if all we hear is that they aren't going to speculate because they think/hope Lieberman is going to win the primary anyway, then there is no hope left for the party at all. In that case, it will be time for those who hope to change this country for the better to seriously consider starting a new party, because it will be clear that there is no room for anyone who wants to change the one we have now.