Poll: McCain Picking Lieberman As Veep Would Hurt Him In Connecticut
A fun number buried in a new Quinnipiac poll shows that if John McCain were to pick Joe Lieberman as his running mate, it would actually cost McCain a lot of votes in Lieberman's home state:
If McCain picks Sen. Joseph Lieberman as his running mate, only 14 percent of Connecticut voters say they are more likely to vote Republican, while 32 percent are less likely and 52 percent say it won't affect their vote.
If McCain were to pick Lieberman, more than twice as many in Connecticut would be more likely to vote against McCain than would be likely to vote for him.
Of course, that's not terribly surprising. After all, Lieberman misled his own constituents in not one, but two key ways. In order to survive the 2006 challenge from Ned Lamont, he said that no one wanted to bring the troops home from Iraq more than he did. He also pledged to support a Democrat in 2008.
Now, of course, Lieberman is supporting a Republican who explicitly says he wants the troops to say in Iraq indefinitely.
Lieberman is anathema. He is despised by democrats, untrusted by republicans. Just who is his constituency? Someone posted once that Lieberman is an "Army of One".
It is my firm belief, based on Lieberman's actions and words, that his constituency is not the people of Connecticut, but Israel. It seems that Israel comes first to ol' Joe, even before American interests.
After Pastor Hagee had been implicated as being, well, not terribly disposed to the future of the jewish people--unless they convert to Christianity, Joe is still attending the Christian Zionist meeting and will be a featured speaker at Hagee's side.
I'm glad to see the people of Connecticut are repenting of ol' Joe. I'm sure the Knesset is looking for a few good men.
July 2, 2008 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
The idea that Lieberman was ever a serious VP choice for McCain is pretty ludicrous.
July 2, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
And I'd say not so much Israel as the Likud party. He and Netanyahu are so similarly slimy.
July 2, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seriously, there are few worse choices for VP for McCain. Outside of the war, Lieberman is far too liberal for the GOP.
It'd be just like Obama picking Hagel: love him on the war, hate him on everything else.
That said, nothing would surprise me from this campaign.
July 2, 2008 9:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
If McCain picks Lieberman as his VP, I'm going to die laughing and then do cartwheels all over the office in anticipation of the oncoming electoral landslide in Obama's favor.
July 2, 2008 9:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
No shit.
July 2, 2008 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
I thought Al Gore made the worse mistake with Lieberman. He was just hard to ever watch or listen to.
July 2, 2008 10:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Me, too. I've always though Gore would have breezed through if he had picked another veep. Or at least won without the FL fiasco, if not breezed throuth.
July 2, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Outside the war, they LOVE Lieberman on FISA, school vouchers, censhorship, corporate tax breaks, faith-based intitiatives (including restricting women's access to healthcare), not to mention things like blocking Senate inquiry into Katrina, lobbying for the bankrupcy bill . . .
July 2, 2008 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
A difference between Lieberman and Hagel to me is that Hagel (for a politician) has integrity. Joe's gig is that now that he is elected, no one can do anything about it since Senators can't be removed under the Constitution, so with impunity he can represent Joe and not his consituents. Who can go fuck themselves.
July 2, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with that. Aside for the war, he mostly votes with the dems. The GOP would go nuts if he was picked.
July 2, 2008 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please pick him please pick him please pick him . . .
July 2, 2008 9:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Forget all of these polls. Obama is winning the all-important Barbecue Test! By a margin of 52-45, more Americans would prefer to BBQ with Obama over McCain.
But I wonder...is this the same as the "have a beer with" test?
July 2, 2008 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Now if I had mentioned Obama and BBQ y'all'd have called me a racist...what's up with that?
July 2, 2008 10:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
No. If you had mentioned chicken and watermelon we'd have called you a racist. :)
July 2, 2008 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
That stereotype always mystified me. Who doesn't like chicken and watermelon?
July 2, 2008 10:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
That watermelon thing is a such an old racist cliche - I wonder where it came from, too -
July 2, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Gallagher fans, maybe.
July 2, 2008 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
I know!
Actually the food critic at my magazine doesn't like watermelon. Just crazy.
July 2, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
I like watermelon . . . no, I don't need it
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630165707.htm
July 2, 2008 10:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, shit. I eat watermelon by the truck load in the summer. I hadn't noticed anything but maybe we should ask my fiance.
July 2, 2008 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
"If you don't like chicken and watermelon, there's something wrong with YOU!"
-Dave Chapelle
July 2, 2008 10:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
I love Dave Chapelle so much.
July 2, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
anathema or an enema?
July 2, 2008 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Both.
July 2, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if these results means what we think they mean. I would guess that most of the people who say they'd be less likely to vote for McCain were already not voting for McCain. It's a question of where those 14 percent actually are before being polled. If they are in the middle (which seems to be more likely as a hardcore conservative is quite unlikely to be impressed by Lieberman's appointment to the VP slot) then this actually quite a good case in favor of appointing Lieberman rather than proof that McCain shouldn't.
July 2, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'll agree with this. I think what this question is picking up on is the intensity of disgust for Lieberman by Democrats and Independents that probably aren't lining up to vote for McCain as it is. This intensity obviously isn't being countered by Republicans there who probably don't trust Lieberman enough to have him a heartbeat away from a 70 year old President.
July 2, 2008 1:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Chris said:
Chris, I think you actually meant "Lieberman is an enema."
If I am wrong I apologize.
July 2, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Lieberman has a political time bomb tied around the waist. Thr Countdown as begun, it's gonna blow up soon.
July 2, 2008 11:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm still hoping for Magic Underwear Mitt.
July 2, 2008 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
LW: I agree, I don't see how Mitt is helpful to McCain. He's not an economic master mind, as much as the guy with the Butcher Knife who probably laid the average guy off over the last 20 years. How can the Democrats NOT hammer him for this if he's the VEEP pick with "econ" experience.
July 2, 2008 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
jmarcus1789 -- you have a good point in the abstract, but the answer lies in the internals. In Connecticut, McCain gains a little among Republicans by naming Lieberman, but two other numbers stand out: First, only 7% of Democrats said naming Lieberman would make them more likely to vote for McCain, so there's very little chance of his picking off Democrats that way. Second, naming Lieberman would hurt McCain among Connecticut independents -- 33% of independents said that they would be less likely to vote for McCain, and only 15% more likely. So naming Lieberman would end up making a blue state even bluer in the Presidential election.
July 2, 2008 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Quinnipiac, btw, also reports that naming Pawlenty would hurt McCain in Minnesota. While Minnesota Republicans would be happy, only 6% of Minnesota Democrats would be more likely to vote for McCain if Pawlenty were VP, and the verdict from Minnesota independents is 24-16 against.
July 2, 2008 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would love to see Leiberman on the ticket, but I'm not sure that even McCain is that stupid. Who knows though, he has shown the ability to exceed all expectations in that department.
July 2, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Naturally. The more people are exposed to this santimonious, unprincipled hypocrite, the more he nauseates them.
Lowell Weicker warned us about Sen. Schmendrake. Too bad not enough people listened to him at the time.
July 2, 2008 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
sanctimonious
July 2, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
The watermelon bit came from "Our Gang" aka The Little Rascals. Buckwheat was sitting at the bottom of a hill on a hot day when a watermelon truck crashed at the top. As the watermelon rolled down the hill, Buckwheat began singing a song stating, "Watermelon, watermelon, wish I had a watermelon". Then the watermelon landed at his feet and his eyes nearly popped out as his hat popped off and a wide grin parted his big lips. This appealed to the masses at the time and the watermelon aspect stuck. So there you have it.
July 2, 2008 1:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
OMG, racist! :)
July 3, 2008 4:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Greg!
Can you confirm that the Chairman of the Connecticut for Lieberman resigned from his position and change his Party affiliation making Lieberman for Connecticut truly a Party of one?
July 2, 2008 9:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
OOPS! Sorry. 'Lieberman for Connecticut' should be 'Connecticut for Lieberman'.
July 2, 2008 9:02 PM | Reply | Permalink