Normally people look particularly appealing when they’re promising to go away. This time, not so much. . . . Lieberman has reached a point in his public career when every single thing he does, including talking about his grandparents, is irritating. . . .
[Last week] When he was not busy comparing himself to John Kennedy on Wednesday, Lieberman denounced partisanship. “I have not always fit comfortably into conventional political boxes,” he said proudly. This is, of course, an old theme for him, but it’s also a cautionary tale.The reason we have political parties is that the best way to get things done is by working together. Obviously, sometimes people with principles have to take an independent stand. But Lieberman’s career has taught us how important it is to do that with a sense of humility. If you’re continually admiring yourself as you walk away from your group, eventually people are going to feel an irresistible desire to trip you.
When he started in politics in Connecticut, Lieberman was a careful politician whom everybody regarded as an up-and-comer, even though he was extremely boring. . . .
“He’s the kind of guy who, when you see him in line at the supermarket, you go and get in a different line so you won’t have to make conversation,” a friend from Connecticut protested, . . .
[After the losing Gore/Lieberman campaign in 2000] . . . he left it with the idea that he should be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004. Nobody else had gotten that message.
Lieberman, a big supporter of the war in Iraq, expected the party’s base to nominate a candidate who disagreed with them about the critical issue of the day . . . and was one of the most sluggish and cliché-ridden public speakers in the history of oratory.
He was shocked when they decided not to.
“It wasn’t a personal rejection, but I never saw anybody take anything so personally. He became so bitter about Democratic liberals,” said Bill Curry, a former Connecticut comptroller and gubernatorial candidate.
He then lost the Democratic nomination for his senate reelection bid in 2006 and experienced more shock and outrage. He won the general election running as an Independent in a 3 way race, largely due to the cross-over Republican voters who didn't like their own weak candidate. Blind to the reality of the mechanism of his win, however, for HolyJoe
"it cemented his sense of exceptionalism."
Looking at his prospects for 2012, even he could not deny that they were not favorable. Polls indicated that he would lose in a landslide. Republicans wouldn't make the same mistake again and would have a formidable candidate, as would the Democrats.
However, true to form,
. . . on Wednesday, Lieberman assured everyone that he was not stepping down because the odds of his losing the next race were astronomically high but rather because he had been reading the Old Testament and decided that to everything there is a season.
He will leave behind a long list of achievements, from helping to consolidate the nation’s intelligence gathering services in a way that appears to make it more difficult to gather intelligence, to threatening to filibuster the health care reform act until it had been watered down to suit his own high principles.
You will find it all in my upcoming book, “Everything Bad Is Joe Lieberman’s Fault.”
Gail Collins, former NYT editorial page editor and now weekly columnist, clearly does not like HolyJoe, and her feelings seem similar to mine, even though I give him a little credit for helping repeal DADT. For whatever reason (self-serving, I am sure) he jumped out ahead of that parade to influence some wavering senate colleagues.
It's not yet goodbye, unfortunately. HolyJoe has two more years in the senate. Let's see what he does with it. You can be sure it will somehow serve his grandiose sense of himself. Even if it takes the form of a humble leave-taking -- he will be admiring himself for being humble.
Ralph
"Even if it takes the form of a humble leave-taking -- he will be admiring himself for being humble."
ReplyDeleteBravo! He's an example of someone who is 'trapped in the mirror' - everything's for effect. He was the 60th vote that wasn't, and played it to the hilt for maximum personal exposure and minimal benefit to the country.
I can't praise him much for DADT. It was a right thing to do, and he grandstanded in the process. Just because he finally acted sensibly doesn't make up for the numerous times he was a theatrical bottleneck when we needed a sincere open conduit...
Back when he was Gore's VP running mate, I tried to like him; but I really couldn't. I saw through his faux-everything even then.
ReplyDeleteEven though I could admire him for sticking to his Orthodox beliefs when it was difficult, such as his refusal to campaign on Shabat and his walking the several miles from home to the Capitol when he had to go in there on Saturdays -- somehow he managed to convey his sense of specialness for being so exemplary and pious. He was insufferable in his piety.
I'm fascinated, trying to figure out how he does it -- how does an act of goodness or determination also convey his narcissistic sense of exceptionalism? Is it the false smile? The carefully controlled way of speaking? The eyes?
If I had nothing better to do, it would be fun to do some sort of analysis of his communication style from videos of his speeches. But that's way more importance than I want to give him.