The pro-Joe alternative reality, brought to us by TPM Reader NJ …
Dear Mr Marshall,
So, you have always had a soft spot for Joe Liberman. You actually liked him You were ambivalent as to who won the primary. But now . that this good and decent man refuses to be cast aside as the result of a scurrilous, sickening, bigoted, racist attack —– voila, you have changed your mind . He now deserves your f–ck you epithet . You are now free to endorse and spew the vitriol of the lunatics who wiil destroy our party.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
NJ
I think I’ve probably said about as much as I want to about this race at the moment. But I’m still amazed at how far a lot of people manage to get wrapped up in this Joe martyrdom, Saint Joseph routine.
There were some harsh things said in this campaign — not all on one side, mind you. But as hard-fought political campaigns go, it doesn’t strike me as that bare-knuckled. And bundled up in this outrage there does seem to reside a basic feeling that Lieberman was wronged, violated in some deep way.
I just don’t see that.
Turnover in office and accountability are good things in a democracy. Lieberman doggedly supported what has become a very unpopular policy. Democrats in his state disagreed. So when they got their 6 year bite at the apple, they fired him.
That’s a very good thing.
Whether it was wise with respect to this particular issue I’ll leave to another discussion. But on simple accountability and engaged politics terms we need more of that, not less. And it’s certainly not something shameful.
