In a two-party contest, whoever commands the center wins. JL solidifies Gore's hold on the center, since he is more conservative than Gore. Second, he takes away the principal Repug charge against Gore -- he's a low-down, no-good person of poor character. JL, by Republican lights (and with the benefit of a long record of statements) is just a great guy. He's got no weak spots. JL will help Hillary a lot, IMO. Al won't even have to go to NY.
How Buchanan and Nader play out could obviously affect the balance, but on that I have to withhold predictions. Not enough data yet.
The jewish stuff is all wheels within wheels and has no relevance. The Repub problem w/JL is not being careful about attacking him, but what to attack him on. IF the 'character'/values thing is neutralized, which I think this does, the economy becomes the overriding factor and puts Gore/Lieberman first over the finish line.
Nostradamus
Michael Pollak wrote:
This makes me think that one of the ideas behind choosing Lieberman is that it can be counted on to set off some anti-semitic crazies. . . .
. . . Lieberman's Orthodox Jewishness will be, among other things, a rhetorical stone thrown in the Repugs. road. They will have to be hyper-hyper conscious of their "inclusiveness" rhetoric. . . .