Who expected a Democratic primary for a Senate seat held by one of the dullest politicians we've ever seen up close in a state we never visit to prove so riveting? It helps that Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., has seemed to go out of his way to alienate the left, especially in his tireless, vocal support for the war in Iraq. That made it easy for challenger Ned Lamont to be readily embraced by national activists, who have helped fund a credible fight -- and launched a campaign ad series that's genuinely compelling. Let's take a look.
First came an ad that boasted a cameo by Markos Moulitsas Zuniga of Daily Kos, grassroots networking god. If you don't recognize Zuniga, this ad may seem a little creepy; who is this guy sneaking into Lamont's suburban backyard, peeping through his curtains? But the ad's clearly not targeted to a local base as much as a national, grassroots one:
Critics immediately made fun of it, with this Mentos (yes, everything revolves around Mentos these days) spoof. Clever concept, poorly executed:
Lieberman's official attack ad response, released last week, is remarkable. Lamont allies called it cruel in its depiction of Lieberman's predecessor, Lowell Weicker, portrayed as a battered bear in crutches (the 75-year-old Weicker recently had knee replacement surgery). But the astounding thing about this ad is its abysmal quality. When Lieberman's face appears at the end, you want to throw food at him and tell him to rent a Pixar film:
But if there's one video that may doom Lieberman more than any other, it is footage of the famous kiss the President planted on him after his 2005 State of the Union. The lusty peck has been reproduced and mashed up endlessly on lefty blogs ever since, to sometimes hilarious, often ridiculous and frequently homophobic effect. But they're ubiquitous -- as many of you may already know. This one is typical:
We can't wait for the next installment!
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