Posted By James Besser
Lieberman's McCain Endorsement: Well, DUH / James Besser in Washington
The interesting thing about Sen. Joe Lieberman's endorsement of Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential bid is that almost nobody in Washington was surprised - despite the fact Lieberman was a Democrat until 2006.
Political observers here say a number of factors made the endorsement predictable, starting with the veteran senator's fury at a Democratic leadership that mostly supported his rival in 2006, after Lieberman lost the party primary in his bid for a fourth term in the Senate. Lieberman, Democratic sources say, feels betrayed by a party he served as 2000 Vice Presidential nominee.
Another factor is his long term friendship with McCain - until this year a GOP maverick who, since his presidential campaign started, has tried to cast himself in a more conservative Republican mold.
And there's the war in Iraq; both men remain unapologetic supporters of President Bush's decision to make that the primary front in the war on terrorism after the September 11 attacks.
It's not just political; people close to the senator say he genuinely believes the Iraq war can and must be won.
There is also widespread speculation in Washington that Lieberman's hopes for higher office have not been quenched. By endorsing a Republican even before the Democrats select a nominee, he may be positioning himself for a cabinet position if the GOP holds on to the White House - or, as political scientist Larry Sabato said in a Jewish Week story this morning, for nomination to a "fusion" ticket with McCain or another Republican.
Could Lieberman be the first man to run for vice president under two different party banners?
It will be interesting to see how the McCain endorsement affects Lieberman's standing with Jewish voters.
His groundbreaking 2000 vice presidential nomination as a Democrat stands as a landmark in Jewish politics.
But Jewish voters were more opposed to the Iraq invasion than almost any other group in 2003, and that opposition has only increased as the war has dragged on.
And, as the recently released American Jewish Committee Survey of Jewish Public Opinion shows, Jewish voters are even more solidly in the Democratic camp as the 2008 campaigns move into high gear.
Lieberman's endorsement may boost McCain with Jewish Republicans - a group that is seen as leaning strongly toward former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Lieberman has been a champion in the critical area of Jewish political fundraising; his endorsement could help the cash-starved McCain campaign remain competitive.
But with the continuing Democratic identification and strong opposition to the Iraq war among Jewish voters, the impact is likely to be far less in the overall Jewish electorate.
What about a McCain-Lieberman ticket?
Lieberman was said to be deeply disappointed by the paltry Jewish support he received in his unsuccessful bid for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. It may be that nomination to a ticket led by McCain would have only a small impact on a Jewish electorate that shows every sign of turning in a strong Democratic performance next year.