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Maybe the extremes in both parties are taking over or it is a referendum on the president, the public being tired of a failed Bush Administration and want change.
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i think it's more a referendum on the war, and then by extension, a referendum on the Prez. far from the "moving to the extreme", the country shows signs of moving to the center. Lamont's victory reflects this, since his views on the iraq war are in agreement with most of the American public, as evidenced by recent polling data. also, look at Georgia last week, where far left wing-nut incumbent Cynthia McKinney got righteously trashed (59%-41%) by a moderate Democrat - no extremist movement there. this summer , we have also seen rejection of ID-promoting school boards and support for stem-cell research legislation - additional rejection of extremist positions.
normally, primary campaigns tend to sound extreme because they are designed to appeal to single-issue voters and party die-hards - usually the only ones who turn out to vote in primaries. but the Connecticut Democratic primary had an record-breaking 46% turn-out...unheard-of for an August primary. these numbers suggest that it may be the center, not the fringe, who are driving the electorate.