Democrats Voting Power over Principle!

Re(1): ‘Connecticut Feels Strain of a Rematch at the Polls’, NYT, Nicholas Confessore
Re(2): www.ElectionProjection.com

Can anything express the values difference between Conservative thought and Liberal thought than this graph from the NYT:

Peter Gray wrestled long and hard over how to vote in Tuesday’s Democratic
primary in Connecticut before deciding to go with Senator Joseph I. Lieberman over his challenger, Ned Lamont. And he is not exactly looking forward to doing it all over again.

“I’m very conflicted,” said Mr. Gray, 32, of Stamford. “I feel like he turned his back on the party, but I don’t like a brand-new senator who doesn’t have power.”

But like most of the Lieberman supporters interviewed during the past two days, Mr. Gray said he would probably stick with Mr. Lieberman in the general election on Nov. 7, when the senator will be on his own ballot line as he tries to keep his seat.
“Joe’s still the man for the job,” Mr. Gray said. “He’s used his power to do a lot of positive things.”

A thought: Where does that desire for naked political power find itself within the conservative election time thought process?

It is there – but is it job 1 for Conservatives.

It appears so for Liberals.


Some Stats on the US Senate:

Both Parties now are actually about as radical:

• The average rating for a Democratic Senator is 14.
• The average rating for a Republican Senator 85
  
  That is, both Parties average scores are centered 15 points off their extremes

There is very little difference in average age of Senators by Party.

• The average date of birth for a Democratic Senator is 9/16/1943.
• The average date of birth for a Republican Senator 10/20/1944

Here is a more substantial difference:

• The average election year for a Democratic Senator is 1989.
• The average election year for a Republican Senator 1994

In contrast, here are juicy tidbits:

• Newer Senators in the Democratic Party are more conservative
• 58% of the Democratic Party is of the pre-Baby Boom generation
• There is a growing divide between the aging bulls and the new Senators
  
• Newer Senators in the Republican Party are a bit more conservative
• 51% of the Republican Party is of the pre-Baby Boom generation
• There is minimal cultural divide between the aging bulls and the new Senators
  
• Out of the septuagenarians in the Senate, two of the Democrats are leaving public service while a third wanted to. None of the Republicans of that age group elected to leave public service.
  
• Another interesting tidbit, Joseph Lieberman falls dead center with liberal rating of 17. The fact that he was deposed means that the Party activists are shifting hard to the left. With the above trends, this does not bode well in general elections – how could Lamont possibly move to the center of an ever more conservative Democratic Party. His survival requires Connecticut to be an island in a sea of change – and it might be, see the ElectionProjection web site.

So, where is the country headed?

Do you want to hitch your wagon to Lamont’s star?

What are the odds that we will have a more cohesive Senate soon?