Kerry delivered the Senate.

[Firespirit]

I believe that Montana is all over but the last few hundred ballots, which will not change the result.

Virginia is the state that gave us the Senate, and that seat was competitive ONLY because Webb and not Miller was the candidate. As we all know, JK helped Webb win his primary and I am convinced pushed him over the top.

Webb always had the support of the netroots. However, if it hadn't been for the early support of a prominent national figure like Kerry, he would have been regarded in a similar light as Lamont -- not a serious candidate. Kerry legitimized Webb's early candidacy and made sure everyone knew it was a serious race, not a vanity race. (I'm not saying Lamont ran a vanity race, but that was the narrative that developed because of the lack of institutional support.)

Kerry also raised the initial money for Webb and made him competitive in the eyes of the DSCC, getting more funding to go to that race.

They can spin it all they want. John Kerry won the Senate for us, through Jim Webb.

[wisteria]

1. Yep, we will never here the "insiders" admit this though. n/t

[TayTay]

2. Remember, this ain't over yet.

This is the glow after the euphoria of winning last night. There were hidden winners and losers from last night. John Kerry is a 'hidden' winner on a lot things, not least among them, in garnering support from a lot of netroots people because he stood up for Lamont in Ct. (People are vowing to remember that going forward.)

Also, a lot of 'fighting Dems' won and that ain't nothing.

Then there is the Senate.

Give this a couple of days. It should get giddily interesting.

[whometense]

10. I'm willing to wait.

For the first time in 6+ years, I have some patience.

:-)

[Mass]

3. Lamont lost when Hillary lent him her communication director to lead the campaign.

If this is any indication of the campaign she intends to run, she has to worry.

As for Webb, I am confused as Kerry did not endorse him until late in the primary (though I would not blame him for that, given the passed relationship between the two. Bob Kerrey is the one who endorsed him early.). However, contrarely to others, he DID endorse him in the primary. However, his fundraising for Webb was important.

I have the feeling that Kerry was more instrumental for the House, where he raised a ton of money and supported early many Fighting vets, but also campaigned extensively in their favor). A while ago, Emmanuel recognized that, though he is certainly not ready to do so today.

[beachmom]

5. Don't underestimate Kerry's influence on VA primary voters

Fedup, JohnKleeb, and I were going to vote for Harris Miller. And family members of theirs were going to vote for Miller. And a lot of people were suspicious of Webb; Bob Kerrey is a conservative Democrat so his involvement, which was excellent, was not enough to pull him over the top. I think that in both GOTV fundraising and in allaying liberals' feelings about Webb, he was one of a few deciding factors for Webb.

Most primary voters don't make a decision until the last moment. Kerry's involvement was HUGE; take my word for it.

[Mass]

7. I do not. I was talking about the fact that Kerry did not endorse Webb

early, which in my opinion is not a big deal.

[TayTay]

9. There were a lot of people who didn't want early endorsements

before the primary. That was a gutsy thing to do. Webb himself has said that Kerry had provided a lot of the seed money for Webb's primary victory.

This is a big, big chit.

[karynnj]

6. I agree that Clark and Kerrey were earlier supporters

However when Kerry did endorse him in the last couple of weesk and appeared with him in Northern Va, he blew away one reason many weren't behind him - his Vietnam stance and his previous obnoxiousness to Kerry. Kerry also supposedly raised all (or almost all) the money Webb had for GOTV in the primary. (Webb actually wasn't good at raising money.)

Webb didn't win a huge primary victory - and Kerry did instantly turn a group of people who weren't supporting Webb because they did respect Kerry. I have no idea how big that group was. That and the money could easily have meant the difference.

[Mass]

8. My only question was on the use of "early". I am sure his endorsement in the primary

was important to get Webb above the line, and the fundraising in the general was certainly very important.

[Firespirit]

11. I only used "early" in comparison with other Dems' support of him. /nt

[ProSense]

12. Lamont stopped talking about Iraq at one point

He should have drowned out Lieberman with that message. Shays was forced to call for withdrawal and almost lost his seat. Still, I think because there wasn't a strong Republican on the ballot, Lieberman picked up some support there, including independents that normally vote Republican, I suspect. If this had come down to Democratic support, Lamont would have pulled it off!

[Mass]

13. Yes, it was when the Hillary guy came onboard. Thanks Hillary.

[ProSense]

4. OT: ballot initiatives dealt blow to conservatives

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2943638&mesg_id=2943638