Email from Mike of Mike’s Blog Roundup at CrooksandLiars. He’s been working on Lamont’s campaign and says netroots is just a small part of what’s happening in Connecticut.
I’ve spent a good deal of time working in CT over the past six weeks. The guys I work with are old time, blue collar democrats. They don’t know from the blogosphere, much less Kos. Holy Joe’s trouble is that he’s taken positions on many major issuees which are unpopular with his constituents. The notion that netroots is a driving force in this race is kinda silly. Sure, blogs are a new and important voice in political discourse, and can have some impact on fundraising, but the CT race shouldn’t be viewed by anyone as a test of the blogosphere’s strength…or weakness.
I was in Willamantic, CT on the 4th of July with a buddy for the boombox parade. Willy is a blue collar, union town, on the skids, losing jobs, the middle class disappearing, public services eroding along with thee landscaape. Both Joe and Ned were in the parade. My pal said, “when I see Joe marching in the boombox parade in Willy, I know he’s in serious trouble!” And yes, it is starting to feel more like the 60s. If we had a draft, the Bushistas and the rest of the war floggers would’ve been voted out in 04.
I grew up in Connecticut. My parents still live there. My father says that while he and my stepmother (both in their late 80’s) have been long-time Lieberman supporters, they will be voting for Lamont instead – a small but I think significant tell.