Obama Aides: Lieberman Would Have Helped McCain

Top advisers to President-elect Barack Obama's presidential campaign said Thursday that Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) would have been a powerful boost to the Republican ticket.

During a conference on the 2008 election hosted by Politico and the University of Southern California, Obama-Biden deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand said choosing the renegade senator as his running mate would have helped McCain undermine Obama's claim to represent a new kind of politics.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Bluedog12]

9:13 A.M. and Joe Lieberman still sucks.

[Bitsko]

This has to be the funniest thing I have heard all year. Joe tramped all over Florida speaking for McCain, and it didn't help a bit with the Jewish vote, so how would he have helped with the rich folks and fundies?

[jackmayoff]

McCain and Lieberman on fixing the economy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-4mVL9XheQ

[planetjeffy]

Ifs don't count, but Lieberman's pro abortion stance would have failed to turn out what base there is left in the Republic party. So what few independent voters who would have voted for a Mac/Lie ticket would have been a wash.

[Tropiholic]

NOBODY is PRO abortion, people are pro choice, aka MYOB.

[LMKay66]

I think a more appropriate title for this article would have been "Who Could Have Helped McCain?"

No one.

[Bitsko]

If those school kids they bused in to their rallies were able to vote, they could have turned the tide for McCain. As long as they were promised X-Boxes and Snickers bars.

[truth2008]

The downfall to mcCain's campaign was Palin, Smearing, lying and being out of touch with the American people. McCain anf Palin's rallys looked like K_K_K rallys and many Americans were turned off. As for Liar-man, he may have Mac do better with the jewish vote, but the fringe repub base would have revolted.

[blueskybigstar]

I'm not even going to read this b.s. article or study or whatever it is. The title says enough. Lieberman couldn't win his primary, couldn't have won the last senate race without Obama stumping for him, then he betrayed him for lust of power or he feels he better side with the people who can help him hide his corruption. Why does he want to hold on to that chair so badly? What is he hiding? I predict that whatever it is, he will eventually get caught.

[LeeCalif]

I'm not reading either. Lieman couldn't help McOldman with that drill baby drill crowd.

[vinny]

I read a couple of lines and got bored.

[Bitsko]

He's a politician, silly goose. That's how they act. Anyone else in his position would have done the same thing.

[westcoastsc]

He was the only one in the senate to act this way. He is a member of the corporatocracy. Not the kind of dem I like. We need to really examine which democrats to keep and which to throw back so that we can have real change. We may have witnessed the end of the Republican party unless they change FUNDAMENTALLY what they are, reinvent themselves. If they do not recover, eventually the democratic party will split into two or a number of parties. We need several parties that are named exactly for what they stand for. Or, perhaps, Obama can eliminate all parties all together and individuals can run directly on the issues, but methinks that would become enormously complicated for the electorate. But, then, there is the internet to help organize the spread of candidates.

[Fenianheart]

Sarah Palin defined herself as far, far right, not the Obama team.

[helonias]

BUt JM couldn't stare at his arse and twirl his wedding ring

[bullypulpit]

It's doubtful Lieberman would have brought anything to the McCain quest other than defeat. No one trusts a turncoat. The election would have remained historic in that Lieberman would have the distinction of being the losing VP for two parties. Voter turnout might have been lower due to the dissatisfaction of four senators running, three of them so obviously in the mainstream. Yet in the end the Obama charisma (novelty) and the desire for change would have triumphed anyway. McCain was, pure and simple, too old and out of touch to preside for the next four years.

[blakfist]

to piggy back off of your statement the extreme right would have ran for the hills politically because JM's age would have became more of an issue for the base because as much as they are ancient in progessive thinking, they truly believe LIEberman would have been in BED WITH Isreal..im not anti Jew by no means Im just saying that's truly how the base of the right feels- In my humble opinion

[buckfushlv]

has anyone heard or read if JOHN McCain offered to let obama know his plan to capture bin laden
mc cain stated that if he is elected who had a plan to capture bin laden.
SOMEONE, ANYONE please tell us.

[huffyISaHottie]

LOL...john apparently is gonna hold on until ms. runner up wins the white house and then will release that vital info to her people

[blakfist]

now that's funny

[Knowitall]

Preposterous! Nonsense! Just what would Joe Lieberman have brought to McCain's ticket? Gravitas? A conservative message? Charisma? Loyalty?
Perhaps, a few more votes in Florida, New York, and Connecticut, but not enough to offset the margins of loss in those states.

And to those who think Lieberman should have been kicked out of the Democratic party--what would that have gotten the party? A few minutes of satisfaction?
I've said on these pages before, I think it was a brilliant move to keep him in the tent. The Republicans expected him to be kicked out, and given years of talking points about the hypocracy of the Democrats' and Obama's message about hope, change and bipartisanship. Now they have nothing-- that story line is dead.
(except for the liberals keeping it alive because they want revenge.)

Furthermore, wasn't it worth it to see that puzzled, dazed look on Lieberman's face? He expected to be kicked out, and to become a Republican star. Now he is stuck, right where he started. If he moves to them now, his/their game is exposed. He now knows for SURE that he WILL NOT be reelected if he doesn't tow the Dem. party line.

He overplayed the little bit of leverage he had. Now he's expendable, unless he votes with the majority.

By not "releasing" him to move to the other side, he's been bamboozled, tricked, trapped, neutralized, hung with his own rope, and most importantly, marginalized.

[bighillaryfan]

I know he has had a ton of bad press lately because of his current position, but he was betrayed in Connecticut by his party and he remains loyal to it, but cautious.

I think he is a strong man and has held office for decades. That deserves our respect.

[Sparty1]

How was he betrayed by his party? Didn't he lose the primary to a Mr. Lamont (?) and then decided to run as an Independent? Didn't Barack campaign for him during the CT primary? After he lost the primary, were the Dems supposed to back Lieberman, now an Independent, or the Dem nominee?

[blakfist]

WHattttttttttttttttt- ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BigbHillary Fan what rock are sleeping under? This man is a turn coat- PERIOD

[Blue in NH]

I sure wouldn't want Lieberman to be in a position to benefit from my demise. The man has no principles.

[SaulBloodworth]

Are these guys for real? McCain and Lieberman, that would have been the Statler and Waldorf of Washington politics. I can't even believe someone would lend his name to that kind of crazy-talk.

http://cabal-thenovel.blogspot.com/