Posted by
Michael on Thursday, November 09, 2006 5:19:06 PM
The most positive development was the re-election of Senator Joe Lieberman in Connecticut. Lieberman had been deemed a traitor to his party and tarnished by liberal bloggers that flocked to his primary challenger, Ned Lamont. All because he refused to back a cut and run policy in Iraq, the man who had been the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000 found his old allies turning their backs on him.
It’s worked out for the best, however. Lieberman is no longer tied to either of the two major parties, giving him the chance to be a truly independent voice in the United States Senate. While he may have been part of the establishment for a long time, he no long has a D or an R stuck to his name.
I’ve written in this space before about how toxic the political atmosphere is for candidates outside of the two main parties. In other major democracies, such as the United Kingdom and Canada, there are multiple parties with elected representatives. Those countries also tend to have better voter participation.
Lieberman’s victory in Connecticut could help alleviate that problem. With many independent candidates striving for attention throughout the country, this affects us locally.
While Democratic candidates plowed through this year, the presidency is still in Republican hands. What the results of the 2006 election mean in the long run is anyone’s guess, but it sure will be interesting.