September 13, 2006

Lamont: Latest Dem to Try the Crybaby Strategy

Can you really get elected to the United States Senate by positioning yourself as a big baby? We return now to Connecticut, where Democratic nominee Ned Lamont appears determined to find out.

Lamont, whose primary victory over incumbent Sen. Joseph Lieberman merely set up a general election battle against Lieberman and his independent candidacy, is showing that he has one of the most important qualities required to carry the Democratic banner. That is, he can’t take criticism. But even more so, he waxes indignant at criticism that never happened.

Now that will put you at the head of the Democratic class. And Lamont is already proving he’s a natural.

Come with me to Lieberman’s latest campaign commercial, which features a series of military personnel praising the senator for his support of the Iraq war – or, as they put it, his support of them – and their assurance to the senator that they “have his back.” Like he had theirs.

That’s it. No mention whatsoever of Ned Lamont. No mention of any war opponent. Just a sampling of the troops thanking Joe Lieberman for supporting them – and pledging to support him.

Well. Positive campaigning. We don’t see enough of this, yes? What a refreshing change of pace. Vote for me because I’m good. No mention of the other guy.

You silly! Joe Lieberman should know better than that. He was Al Gore’s running mate, after all, so he has surely sat through his share of Democratic strategy sessions, which means he knows that Democrats love to wax indignant about mean, horrible criticisms leveled against them, even if no such mean horrible criticisms have actually been leveled.

And Ned Lamont did not disappoint. Shortly after the Lieberman ads began running, the Lamont campaign called a press conference and demanded that Lieberman – get this – “stop the swift-boating of Ned Lamont.”

Exactly what kind of whine would you like with that main course of indignation? The Democratic playbook here has become exceedingly predictable, and since it is largely based on the John Kerry playbook of 2004, Joe Lieberman would seem to have little to fear.

Consider the notion of “swift-boating.” This is a Kerry special. You run around telling everyone they should vote for you because you were some sort of Vietnam War hero. You make your own war record the issue. Then we hear a different story from a bunch of people who served with you and remember your tour of duty – all four months of it – far less admiringly.

Unfair! How dare you! Stop swift-boating me!

Being a baby about criticism worked great for Kerry, didn’t it? Swept him right into the White House. Of course, he is hardly the first Democrat to try it. Michael Dukakis declared that he “resented” having his patriotism questioned, which it wasn’t, and rode the big baby act all the way to a 40-state defeat.

But Kerry has taken the baby routine to a high art. He has practically invented the notion that any criticism of a Democrat – “swift-boating” is the label he has chosen – is mean, nasty, rotten, dirty fare that must be denounced as beyond the pale.

If Lamont has taken it to a higher art, he has done so by whining about his own swift-boating victimization in an ad that neither mentioned nor alluded to him in the slightest way.

To put it more simply, Lamont is a big crybaby. It didn’t take him long to learn the modern-day Democratic game plan, did it? Someone criticizes you, whine. No one criticizes you, proceed as if they had and whine anyway. Demand that they stop. If you really want to make an impact, have that storied winner John Kerry declare that he will “not stand for this.” Whatever this is, even if it’s something that never happened.

Can you win in Connecticut by convincing the voters that you are the biggest baby in the race? The tactic does not have a glorious history. Just ask Presidents Dukakis and Kerry. But Lamont appears convinced that his predecessors were merely trying to sell this whine before its time.

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