In a record week, futures in Ned Lamont continued to plummet in the political market. Big board polls put the Connecticut Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate falling sharply behind incumbent independent Joseph Lieberman.
Most legit polls that insiders and serious observers look to find Lamont stuck at no better than 10 points behind the three term incumbent.
Democrats around Connecticut and in DC are concluding that Lamont has gone in two months since his primary victory from triumphant insurgent to stymied novice. His campaign was largely somnolent for the five weeks after the August 8th primary. Lamont ignored whatever opportunities they were for a bounce after he shook Connecticut and the nation’s political class with his 4 point victory on a record turnout.
Lamont’s busiest activity since August has been writing fat checks to his campaign. He’s chugging toward $7 million. National Democrats, who were expected to close ranks around Lamont and send him some dough, have gone AWOL. Senator Chris Dodd, crucial in breathing some life into Lieberman’s campaign late in the primary battle, has not been much in evidence.
John Edwards, Ted Kennedy, and Wesley Clark are the best Lamont has mustered onto to the trail for him so far. People are wondering where the Clintons are. Their absence is a sure sign that Lamont is not seen as a winner. Hillary Clinton appeared in Fairfield County on Friday, October 6th, but there’s no word on returning for Lamont.
Lamont has been able to explain that he started the primary campaign 60 points behind. But that was in January. More is expected of a Democratic nominee in blue Connecticut. Polls of other candidates around the state continue to leek and they agree on one thing: Lieberman has a lead that is moving from comfortable to commanding.
High profile debates may be the Greenwich scion’s last chance to grab some momentum. This did not prove his best forum in his one encounter with Lieberman in July. A confident performance will be expected of him now that he’s been around the track.
Lamont continues to suffer from Republican support for Lieberman. That’s unlike to change as Republican Alan Schlesinger takes the stage with the other candidates. Schlesinger made more foolish mistakes last Sunday when he confirmed that he has indeed been dogged by rumors, which he denies, of his use of escorts over the years. He blamed the tales on felonious former governor John Rowland for the persistent rumors. Schlesinger will continue to compete with the margin of error, to Lamont’s great cost.
-- Guest contributor Kevin Rennie is a columnist for the Hartford Courant and a former Republican Connecticut state senator.
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