Joementum

According to recent polls Senator Joe Liebermann leads his opponents Ned Lamont, the recent winner of the Democratic primary in Connecticut, and Republican Alan Schlesinger by a margin of 12 points. After losing the primary to Lamont, who publically opposed the war in Iraq, Liebermann vowed to stay in the race as an independent. Right now, it seems as if Liebermann might very well prevail in this race.

My feelings on this development are mixed. On the hand this seems like a positive development on the American political landscape. It often feels as though the two-party system bi-furcates political issues to such a degree that there is no place for a sufficiently nuanced position or perspective. And yet, most of think of ourselves a centrists. So when a moderate Democrat is leading in a general election because he is able while running as an independent to garner broad based support from across the political spectrum, part of me wants to rejoice. Perhaps this is a sample of things to come. Dare we hope for a more textured political system and culture, one where a new broader center is carved out by an array of political voices? This would be well worth celebrating!

But the center emerging, the center which might very well propel Senator Liebermann to victory, is one that is not worth celebrating. It is a center formed by a shared commitment to zealous prosecution of the current war on terror. The war on terror's advocates are convinced that premptive wars which leave sovereign states on the brink of civil war and disproportionate military responses that cripple an entire nation actually curb terrorist activity, rather than creating the sort of social conditions that encourage it. Lord have mercy...

Comments

[Geoff Holsclaw]

hey scott,
i totally feel the same way. Now you know that I'm part of the Hauerwasian mafia, but in my more Stoutian moods I wonder if the most politically fruitfully actions be Christians might not be too assist in the creation of a via 3rd party. The Liebermann this prompted it again.