An Independent Democrat?

Senator Joe Lieberman has been criticized for announcing he would run for the Senate as an "independent Democrat" if he loses the Democratic nomination. Some people say it shows disloyalty to the Democratic party. Well, okay, that's true, but why is that bad? A politician should be loyal to the citizens and to his principals. The party is a device used to get elected. It isn't something to be loyal to.

Another claim is that running independently shows disregard for the democratic process. This reasoning says that whatever voters decide in the primary must be adhered to. I don't think that Lieberman running against his opponent, Ned Lamont, in the general election is undemocratic. If he loses the primary yet still becomes the Democratic nominee, without Lamont in the running - that would be undemocratic. But since only part of the electorate participate in primaries, and in the general elections all citizens would be free to choose between Lieberman, Lamont and other candidates, and are again free to vote against Lieberman, democracy isn't hurt one bit.

Joe Lieberman is too conservative in my taste. I don't know enough about Lamont to say which is the lesser of two evils. I'm not a Connecticut voter, so I don't have to pick between them. Makes my life just a little easier :) .

Tags: Joe Lieberman, Democratic Party, Democrats, Senate, Senate Races, Ned Lamont, Elections 2006, Politics