Poll: Lieberman would 'get crushed' by Connecticut AG Ron Brynaert

Published: Tuesday February 10, 2009





Print This Email This A new poll shows that Independent Senator Joe Lieberman, who left the Democratic Party after losing the Senate primary to businessman Ned Lamont in 2006, would "get crushed" if challenged by Connecticut's State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in 2012.



"If Joe Lieberman decides to run for a fifth term in 2012, a new Quinnipiac poll suggests that it may be a lost cause," Eric Kleefeld writes at Talking Points Memo.



According to the Quinnipiac poll, "By a narrow 48 - 45 percent margin, voters disapprove of the job Sen. Joseph Lieberman is doing and give him a negative 43 - 49 percent favorability. Republicans approve 75 - 20 percent. Democrats disapprove 70 - 21 percent and independent voters split 48 - 46 percent."



"By contrast, State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal gets a 79 - 12 percent approval rating and 71 - 13 percent favorability rating," Quinnipiac's website notes. "Republicans approve of the Democrat 66 - 25 percent. Democrats approve 85 - 6 percent and independent voters approve 81 - 10 percent."



The poll determines, "If Sen. Lieberman faces Blumenthal in 2012, the Democratic challenger has an early 58 - 30 percent lead. Republicans go with Lieberman 67 - 23 percent while Blumenthal leads 83 - 9 percent among Democrats and 55 - 29 percent among independent voters."



"Sen. Lieberman's approval is negative, but up slightly. It's a long time until 2012, but this poll shows that if Connecticut's popular Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal takes on Lieberman, as the buzz suggests, Lieberman would get crushed," Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D said.



At TPM, Kleefeld concludes, "A lot can happen in four years, but right now it doesn't look like Lieberman has too many options. He can't run as a Democrat, he would still lose as a Republican, and there's no reason to believe that staying as an independent will provide much more of an opportunity."





