Speaking in an almost empty lecture hall in Shanklin on Monday, former U.S. Senate candidate Ned Lamont appropriately began his talk with a joke about his declining popularity.
“I’ve gone from six, seven speeches a day to maybe a monologue in the shower,” he said.
Despite receiving vocal support from the student body before the November elections, Lamont attracted few students to this appearance.
His decision to run for the Senate, Lamont explained, was spurred by his disappointment with national politics and the jadedness he perceived from politicians who had spent too much time in Washington. He considers the government’s involvement in the private lives of citizens in such issues as stem cell research, wire tapping, and the Terry Schiavo case, to be inappropriate.
At the same time, Lamont said that politicians do not take strong enough stances on more germane issues. He considers the attachment of earmarks to unrelated bills, a practice supported by most members of both parties, to be unfair to citizens and a sign that politicians care more about reelection than representing their constituencies.
In an exasperated tone, Lamont called for more frankness in government.
“Politicians are so risk-averse,” he said. “But look at the cost of doing nothing.”
Lamont called Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) his hero for reneging on his support for the war in Iraq. Lamont compared his own experiences in the business sector to the current political climate.
“In business, changing your mind and saying you’re wrong is not a high crime and misdemeanor,” he said. “I don’t know why it is in politics.”
While on the campaign trail, Lamont had the opportunity to learn what the citizens in his state truly valued. He said that more people asked him about healthcare than about the war in Iraq.
“You learn a lot,” he said. “These campaigns are really good for the politicians as well. That’s why it’s important to keep these guys running.”
With little support from the Connecticut Democratic establishment, Lamont had to rely on more personal measures, like blogs, to gain support. However, Lamont dismissed the lack of advertising help he got from his party.
“It’s all vanilla crap anyway,” he said.
Despite his many criticisms, Lamont ended his talk on an optimistic note, explaining what a good experience the campaign had been for his entire family as well as for himself. He urged students and other audience members to involve themselves in civic life.
“Start locally but think big,” he said. “And if you think big you can make a big difference.”
Michael Gilo ’10 appreciated Lamont’s positive outlook.
“I was impressed by his general optimism for the country, and I think that’s something we don’t get enough of,” Gilo said.
The conversation then returned to current political issues. Lamont was open about his opinions on the candidates for the upcoming presidential race, and stated that he plans to support sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT).
The students that did attend the lecture were impressed by Lamont’s frankness.
“I appreciated that he came and spoke pretty earnestly about such a diverse range of issues,” said Madeline Weiss ’09.
“He didn’t avoid any questions he was asked,” said Sherry Sybertz ’10. “Even though he lost the campaign, he still had hope for students and the future.”
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