(Cross posted to Greater Democracy)

Over the past week, all the pundits have been explaining the meaning of Ned Lamont’s victory over Joe Lieberman. It is a victory of the liberals over the moderates some tell us. Others say that it is a victory of the anti-war crowd. Still others suggest it is a victory of the outsiders over the insiders. As a staffer on the Lamont campaign and a frequent contributor to Greater Democracy, I want to add my thoughts on this. It is a victory of good old-fashioned American Democracy.

Polls have shown that the war was a very important issue for voters in Connecticut. They have shown that many people voted for Ned Lamont because they no longer approve of Sen. Lieberman. Yet to me, the line that sums it up most succinctly was at the nominating convention when the Southbury delegation cast its vote saying, “Madam Secretary, Southbury, the town that invited Joe Lieberman to speak in February, and is still waiting for a return call, proudly casts five votes for Ned Lamont!”

To put it into the language of this blog, Lamont’s victory was a victory of post-broadcast politics. The disengaged beltway sound-byte isn’t good enough anymore. People want a representative democracy where candidates go out and engage in an honest and vigorous discussion about the issues. These discussions are not simply a candidate talking at potential voters, but a multi-way discussion.

This is why Connecticut has become 2006’s Iowa. People around the country have always complained that Iowa and New Hampshire get a disproportionate share of the attention of Presidential candidates. The Democrats have come up with a new schedule to balance this out a little, but the fact remains, we as Americans are starving for candidates that actually interact with voters.

Now that Ned has won the primary, sending ripples across the country, the Democratic 2008 Presidential candidates are lining up to find ways to help Ned and thereby help their Presidential aspirations. John Edwards was the first to call Ned Lamont and offer his congratulations. Hillary Clinton was the first to have her leadership PAC cut a check to Ned’s campaign. Wes Clark was the first to send out a mass mailing asking people to sign a petition requesting that Lieberman drop his third party bid. John Kerry has now sent out an email urging people to contribute to Ned’s campaign.

Tomorrow, the next part of the game begins with John Edwards showing up in Connecticut to campaign for Ned Lamont. You can be sure that other 2008 hopefuls will soon follow suit. The Connecticut voters will get a special opportunity to meet and speak with these candidates.

I am proud to be a citizen of Connecticut. I am proud to work on Ned Lamont’s campaign. The people of Connecticut have engaged directly in the political process. They have gotten the attention of the country and they will now be reaping benefits from this. They have made Connecticut 2006’s Iowa. It is a victory for democracy and will hopefully encourage citizens in other states to become more involved in their politics and will serve as a reminder to all elected officials that America draws great strength from its representative democracy. Perhaps 2008 will see candidates that are much more representative and interactive. I hope that the citizens of Connecticut will ask the Presidential candidates how they plan on engaging the voters.