Before his union with Gore, Lieberman was, by most accounts, held in high esteem by Democrats and Republicans, touted as a moral leader, steadfast in his beliefs.
During the campaign season, however, many noted that his views on abortion, racial quotas and school choice changed to reflect the more leftist rhetoric of his running mate.
At one point, Lieberman, who describes himself as an Orthodox Jew, even agreed to meet with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, whose public comments have often been called anti-Semitic. Lieberman changed his mind about the meeting after absorbing a pounding from critics, but defended his strategy anyway.
"My feeling has been, if I meet with Minister Farrakhan, the worst is that he won't change. The best is that we'll begin a constructive dialogue in which he may help strengthen families and strengthen America."
Similar statements, along with his toned-down criticism of Hollywood and the entertainment industry and his meeting with Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., to discuss racial preferences – after which he curbed his opposition to the policy – disillusioned certain Lieberman supporters, Johnson said.
"Now that he has shown he's willing to do political double talk, that's going to be trouble for him," said Mark Johnson, a senior partner with Patriot Campaign Consulting in Virginia.
"The media is going to be watching him, comparing his statements with ones he made earlier ... and anything he does will be scrutinized."
Some fellow senators will also likely view Lieberman now as a "player," or a tool to accomplish their legislative goals, as his willingness to compromise on key policy issues was demonstrated during the campaign, Johnson continued.
"All you have in politics is your word," he said. "I would say Lieberman's political career has lost a lot of its oomph."
Spokesmen for Lieberman and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., did not return telephone calls for comment.
But Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, discounted the views of those who say Lieberman's political career is on the way down because of his campaign tactics. Cromartie did admit "it was too early to tell" with any certainty.
Lieberman might suffer a loss of respect among Republicans, Cromartie said, but maintained his moral leadership role among Democrats.
"I think Lieberman has diminished himself among conservatives who may have admired him on certain issues," Cromartie said. "But he's always been a player ... been a loyal trooper and who knows, he could be on the ticket in 2004."
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