"Should Lieberman run as an independent?"

[monarch]

Hartford Courant internet poll.

As of 5:30am (with 462 total votes) 64% say no. I think that it's too early in the morning for any kind of organized effort on either side so the results are interesting. The accompanying article itself has some choice nuggets:

"A decision to quit the primary would ripple far beyond the Senate race, depressing the turnout for the Democratic gubernatorial primary and possibly undermining the efforts of three Democrats in tight contests with Republican congressional incumbents. And it could force hard choices for Lieberman's most active supporters, who would have to decide whether their own political fortunes are best served by loyalty to Lieberman or to the party.

"The message shifts overnight, and that's the hard part," said George Jepsen, a former Democratic state chairman and state Senate majority leader... as Lamont's campaign manager, Tom Swan, said: "Is Ned a Republican, or a `left-wing weirdo?'"
...

"Ken Dautrich, a professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut, said sophisticated polling could give Lieberman a good sense of what path to take. But Lieberman might be supported by a majority of Democrats, yet be unable to draw them to the polls.
....

"Politicians say that polls, no matter how sophisticated, will be of limited use: Even if the polls show Lieberman with a comfortable lead, will they accurately reflect who will turn out for the first midsummer primary in 30 years? 'It's almost impossible to do by polling," said Richard Foley, a former GOP state chairman now advising the Republican nominee, Alan Schlesinger. "You have to do it by gut.' Part of the equation, Foley said, is estimating the political damage of quitting the primary.
....

"Merriam said no amount of political experience or polling expertise can predict how a three-way Senate race with Lieberman on his own ballot line would affect the three competitive congressional races. "A fortune-teller just opened down the street. It costs 10 bucks,' Merriam said. 'I might give it a try.'

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-sendecide0618.artjun18,0,4802795.story?coll=hc-headlines-home