the upper upper west side

Westport Residents Bitterly Divided on Lieberman

In the grand tradition of seeing what’s on rich white people’s minds, Times “Our Towns” columnist Peter Applebome trekked out to Oscar’s Deli, in the well-heeled town of Westport, Connecticut, to gauge residents’ reactions to Joe Lieberman’s speech the other night. There, he found a community bitterly divided. One woman nearly upset her backgammon board while arguing with a neighbor who said she admired Lieberman and admitted she wasn’t “ready” for Obama to be president. (Yipes!) Others seemed to be taking their senator’s support of the Republican candidate personally. Really personally.

It’s like a divorce in the way divorces are hard on everyone involved,” said Roy Occhiogrosso, a Democratic consultant. “No matter how amicable they are on some level, they’re never amicable. You’re divorcing. You’re rupturing something. So the overwhelming feeling many people have is just sadness. Some are angry. Some are really angry. Some are shocked. Some are appalled. But the overarching feeling is sadness that it’s come to this. And in this case, it’s like standing in the courtroom and finding out your ex just went off and married your worst enemy.”

Um, whoa. Okay, Roy? We thought we were over this. Don’t go back into the darkness, Roy. Look at us. You will find love again. You will. Believe it. Better?


Connecticut Wonders, Again, About Its Senator [NYT]
Related: Joe Vengeance [NYM]

Westport Residents Bitterly Divided on Lieberman