Obama winning Connecticut is the only thing about last night that I just didn't see coming. I thought Hillary, who represents New York, could practically count Nutmeg State residents as part of her constituency; kind of like nearby New Jersey. I think the two people Obama has to thank for this are Ned Lamont and Mike Bloomberg.
Lamont's victory over Lieberman in the '06 primary, and Joementum's subsequent rightward shift, gave CT Democrats a legitimate reason to go against the establishment favorite. Last night's primary became Lieberman-Lamont Round 2, with Hillary's supporters having a mostly favorable opinion of Trader Traitor Joe (expect to see Lieberman at the GOP convention this fall).
Another factor, according to a former Connecticut resident turned VA Democratic activist (and it's not Lowell!), may be the pathetitic status of Mike Bloomberg's much-hyped third party presidential run.
With a return from the dead by so-called moderate Sen. John McCain on the Republican side, and the dramatic emergence of Sen. Barack Obama on the Democratic side changing everything, it is said that Bloomberg abandoned the idea of a presidential run, leaving the Gin & Tonic swilling, poker playing passengers on the 5:08 to New Haven longing for a candidate to support.Unlike Virginia, Connecticut recognizes political parties. So, to have voted in yesterday's primary, one would have had to be registered as a Democrat or Republican. Obama, may have filled the void with registered Dems disappointed by Bloomberg's decision to abandon a White House run. And, exit polls indicate that Obama attracted highly-educated, high-earning Fairfield County voters.