Kos Curiously Coy on Connecticut Contest

John Fund of the good old Wall Street Journal talking up the impact of the blogs on the Dem Connecticut primary. Mega-blogger Markos Moulitsas Zúniga of the Daily Kos talking it down.

The odd couple, guests on this evening's Hardball, engaged in some serious media gender-bending. Fund went first, and overflowed with praise for the role the blogs have played in the race:

Fund: "I think [the blogs' impact has] been very significant. I offer a tip of the hat to them. They have taken the former vice-presidential candidate and created a single issue around the war, and this is is a man who opposed George Bush on tax cuts, and many things, and they have turned him into the perception as George Bush's lackey, and they are on the verge of knocking off a senator. That's happened only twice before. It's remarkable."

Given Fund's bouquet, you might have expected Kos to take a big bow. He did anything but:

Kos: "I think people want to give us a little bit too much credit. . . The media wants to give us way too much credit."

So what was going on here? What explains Kos' modesty and Fund's praise regarding the influence of the left-wing blogs in the CT race? Each had his motives. On the one hand, Fund sought - rightly I would argue - to portray a Democratic party ever more the captive of the far-left netroots. In contrast, Kos had the good sense to eschew the kudos in favor of casting events in CT as the result of broad-based - rather than blog-driven - opposition to Lieberman and by extension to the Iraq war he has supported.

Thus Fund argued that while the blogs had a big impact: "It may not be the impact that they want. If Ned Lamont wins and the Democratic party lurches left, we may look back on this as the functional equivalent of the McGovern wing of the Democratic party taking control again, and I have to tell you that cannot be helpful to them. Lamont moved so far left I think that he is unelectable statewide if Lieberman runs as an independent."

Kos' counter was to assert: "If senators or a congressmen or anybody, if your constituents are happy with the service, there is nothing that anybody can do to change that. We tapped into discontent in Connecticut, and we cannot create, but we can tap into it."

Of course, the left-wing blogosphere had another excellent reason to be modest about its impact on the race in light of the blackface fiasco that Lamont's house blogger inflicted on her candidate a couple days ago!

MoveOn's newsletter activism for CT

Copy:

Help score a big progressive win in CT

Dear MoveOn member,

Progressive champion Ned Lamont is challenging Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman in Tuesday's Democratic primary.

The race has national significance: as the New York Times wrote in endorsing Lamont, it "has become a referendum on [Lieberman's] warped version of bipartisanship, in which the never-ending war on terror becomes an excuse for silence and inaction."1

Eighty-five percent of Connecticut MoveOn members voted to endorse Lamont. Now we need to help him win. Turnout in primaries is notoriously low, and victory on Tuesday will depend on who votes. Will you spend 30 minutes this weekend calling progressives and reminding them to vote? Sign up now:

>>edited<<

Not only will you help Lamont win—we're calling into parts of Connecticut where Republican members of Congress face very tight races. So with each call, you'll also help win back the House in November.

Every time right-wing Republicans want to look bipartisan, Joe Lieberman is their 'go-to guy.' He adamantly defends President Bush's Iraq fiasco. He echoed Republicans in calling war critics unpatriotic. He rubber-stamped illegal wiretapping. He jumped into the Terri Schiavo tragedy. He wavered on Social Security. Each time, he ignored the values of Connecticut voters.

And yet, 6 months ago, Joe Lieberman's seat was considered safe. A staunch ally of big business, he had a huge war chest and no challengers. When progressive, antiwar businessman Ned Lamont decided to throw his hat in the ring, pundits said he'd be lucky to get 25% of the vote.

But people responded in droves—first Connecticut voters, then MoveOn members and others around the country. Amazingly, Lamont is running even or better in recent polls.2 The race is putting Democrats everywhere on notice that it's time to stand up and fight for progressive values—or step aside.

This is people-powered politics. It's everything we stand for, and we have to make sure it's successful. Will you spend 30 minutes this weekend calling Connecticut Democrats and reminding those who favor Lamont to vote on Tuesday?

>>edited<<

As long as you can be online and on the phone (cell phones are fine) at the same time, you can use our innovative new system to reach out to Connecticut voters (see below for details). You can start right away—our tool will tell you whom to call and what to say—or you can begin with our training pages. It's easy, but don't take our word for it:

"So great to be able to help in small increments of time, and from home."
—Marlene R., San Rafael, CA

"Just did a bit of practice. This is easy!!!"
—Jackie M., Indian Trail, NC

Just like any voter calling, you have to wade through wrong numbers and answering machines, but in a low turnout election like this one, every progressive you talk to is someone who might not vote without a reminder. Please sign up today:

>>edited<<

This effort is part of Call For Change, our big new program to win back Congress this fall. Because the Lamont-Lieberman race is so important, we're calling Connecticut voters until 9 PM every day this week and talking about Tuesday's primary. After Tuesday (and after 9 PM Eastern this week) we're focusing our calling on defeating Republicans in November.

Thanks for all you do,

–Adam, Justin, Tanya, Jennifer and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Friday, August 4th, 2006

P.S. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about this calling:

How much do I need to know about the race or the candidates?
We're not focusing on changing voters' minds about the candidates, so you don't need to be an expert. We're finding people who lean toward Lamont—and then we're reminding them about the election and how important it is. All you have to do is be polite, friendly, and follow our script.

How does it work?
First, you sign up for a calling time. Then you'll get some background info and a link to start calling. We'll provide names of voters to call and what to say on the calls. There's a web page where you can practice if you like before you actually start calling voters. And there are MoveOn members on hand to answer any questions you have. Remember, you need to be on the phone (landline or cell phone) and the Internet at the same time to make calls.

Who are we calling?
We're calling Democrats who can vote in the primary. You might run into a few folks who say they're Republicans or independents—that's because of glitches in the voter file.

Does this make a difference?
We've tested this same approach in other elections and found that it's an effective way to increase turnout among people who might not otherwise vote. In fact, in our test this spring, MoveOn members' phone calls increased the turnout of voters we contacted more than any other volunteer phonebank ever studied.

How good are the lists?
We've done everything we can to buy the highest quality lists, but voter lists are maintained by the local governments and they're notoriously bad. So you will have to wade through wrong numbers and answering machines. It's a bit like panning for gold—each conversation you have with a voter is extremely valuable, and worth waiting for.

Are we trying to change people's minds or convince them of anything?
See above. We're not trying to persuade people to switch candidates. We're asking them if they support Ned Lamont, and if so, we're making sure they vote.

Are we coordinating our calls with other groups?
For legal reasons we can't coordinate with the Democratic Party or candidates, but there are two things we can do to maximize efficiency—avoid duplication among our own volunteers and coordinate legally with other non-party groups (like unions and environmental groups). We are doing both of these things.

Sources:

1. "A Senate Race in Connecticut," New York Times, July 30, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/opinion/30sun1.html

2. "Lamont Has Momentum Over Lieberman, Poll Shows," Washington Post, August 3, 2006
>>edited<<

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION,
>>edited<<
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

/copy

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.