Domestic disturbance

It seems parochial in the extreme to blog about the Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut while conflict rages in the Middle East. But the result of this election could impact U.S. foreign policy as much as the current crisis. A new poll out today shows Joe Lieberman trailing Ned Lamont 51 percent to 47 percent ...

607536_Lieberman_15.jpg
607536_Lieberman_15.jpg

It seems parochial in the extreme to blog about the Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut while conflict rages in the Middle East. But the result of this election could impact U.S. foreign policy as much as the current crisis.

It seems parochial in the extreme to blog about the Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut while conflict rages in the Middle East. But the result of this election could impact U.S. foreign policy as much as the current crisis.

A new poll out today shows Joe Lieberman trailing Ned Lamont 51 percent to 47 percent among likely Democratic primary voters. When you consider that Lieberman was the Dem’s VP candidate in 2000, you realize what a political earthquake the defeat of this third term senator by a political unknown would be. It is widely thought that two four-letter words can be blamed for Lieberman’s problems: Iraq and Bush. Add to this the determination of the left-wing blogs to flex their muscles within the party and you are well on the way to creating a perfect storm.

If Lieberman goes down it will make U.S. foreign policy even more of a political football than it is now. The Republicans will spend every day between the primary and November talking about how there are some people in the Democratic Party who are serious about winning the war on terror but they’re getting rid of them as quickly as they can. Outsiders for the ’08 nomination may well decide that their best chance of beating Hillary Clinton is to hit hard at her hawkishness. If that tactic succeeds, we could have successive elections that turn on foreign policy.

James Forsyth is assistant editor at Foreign Policy.

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