YKos: Lamont Campaign Panel
Yesterday I attended the “Ned Lamont: What Really Happened?” panel moderated by Tim Tagaris. I recorded the audio with my iPod and filmed it with my mini-DV camera and will have some clips up sometime in the future (at YearlyKos there is no time for any significant video editing). USTREAM.tv apparently broadcast a video stream of the panel, but I can’t find a clip on their site at this time.
But as for lessons learned and the effects of such an insurgent campaign, the Lamont veterans here — who extolled the virtues of using the national and local blogosphere — said Mr. Lamont’s anti-war stance forced other Democrats to deal with the issue once he had won the primary last August. One of the reasons we’re writing this is because a large swath of the energy on the left blogosphere devoted itself to trying to defeat Mr. Lieberman, whom they consider pretty much a Republican these days.
As for Mr. Lamont, will he run again? He’s not closing the door. Meanwhile, he’s setting up a policy institute, wants to bring together business and labor in the state of Connecticut and trying to stay relevant, we’d guess.
He had one choice quote while on stage that’s somehow befitting this convention and its audience’s relationship to political campaigns: “I’m a 53-year-old guy and I didn’t know a lot about blogs, and I sure do now.’’
Ned Lamont made a surprise appearance at the panel, and a friend snapped this picture of Ned and I chatting.
It’s really no surprise that Ned showed up, but I didn’t expect to see him until the breakout session for CT’s Democratic Senator and Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd this afternoon.