Democrats Pleased Joe Got Beat in Connecticut
    Zogby International

    Thursday 10 August 2006

    Dems nationwide think their party is stronger for Lamont's victory, and want their candidates to tout anti-war credentials

    An overwhelming majority of likely-voting Democrats nationwide said they are glad three-term Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman was walloped by anti-war challenger Ned Lamont in that state's Democratic primary election Tuesday.

    They also said the Lamont victory over one of the few pro-war Democrats in Washington makes them optimistic they can win control of at least one of the two houses of Congress in November.

    The Zogby Interactive survey was conducted Aug. 9-10, 2006, and included 1,229 Democratic respondents nationwide. It carries a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points.

    It found that nearly four out of five Democrats (79%) were happy the former Democratic vice presidential nominee was knocked off by Lamont, a wealthy cable television executive whose campaign focused almost exclusively on his opposition to the war - and Lieberman's support of it. Just 12% said they were not pleased with the results of the primary, which riveted political junkies across the nation. Another 10% of Democrats said they were not sure what to think.

    Nearly two in three - 62% - said they believe the results of the Connecticut primary will hold national implications for the elections coming up this fall. In addition, 70% said they think the Lamont victory makes the Democratic Party stronger heading into the important election season.

    A majority of Democrats said they believe the Lamont victory points to a Democratic takeover of at least one house of Congress this fall, while 27% said they believe it is a precursor to victories that will result in Democratic control of both the U.S. House and Senate. Republicans now hold control of both the House and the Senate.

    The Connecticut election highlights what Democrats across the country said they want to hear from their candidates - a resolute opposition to the war in Iraq. More than three-quarters of Democrats (78%) said they want candidates who opposes the conflict, while just 6% said they think their Democratic candidates should support the war. Another 13% said they want their candidates to take a middling stance somewhere between support and opposition.

    Pollster John Zogby: "This election is all about the war. This has been all about the war for years. Democrats have suspected this for a while, and Lamont's victory this week reinforces those suspicions. Democrats have mostly failed so far to define themselves in this midterm election, but the Lamont victory may be a turning point for them. The voice of Democrats nationwide is loud and clear. This was a small state election, but the ramifications could impact races across the country this fall. One thing is clear - the Lamont win was an important development on the road to the midterm elections this November."

    Democrats nationwide said they were unhappy with Lieberman's decision to run for his seat as an independent in the November general election, as 71% said they were displeased with the move. Another 24% said they approved of his decision to seek a fourth-term in Washington. Among progressives, 85% disapproved of the Lieberman independent effort to keep his job. Even among self-described moderate Democrats, 66% were opposed with the new Lieberman candidacy.

    A wider Zogby Interactive survey of both Republicans and Democrats nationwide showed that terrorism and security was the top issue facing the nation, eclipsing the war in Iraq - the poll was in the field for the first hours of aftermath following the arrest of suspected terrorists early Thursday who were allegedly planning to blow up airliners headed for America. Apart from such developments, the Iraq war has dominated as the most important issue in the minds of Americans for years.

    Slightly more than a third - 35% - said they thought the nation was headed in the right direction, while 54% said things are off on the wrong track. The wider survey carries a margin of error of +/- 1.9 percentage points.