Blue Mass Group

Discuss

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1. Hat's off to Lamont

   for getting out in front of Blumenthal, CT's second most popular politician for the past decade or two who just never seems to jump in the race.

   Maybe Blumenthal will run against Lieberman?

   stomv   @   Tue 4 Dec 7:00 PM
   

   • I think that's what he'll do

     he'll stomp Lieberman if he does. He's certainly made some statements that suggested he was open to it.

     But, yes, it was smart for Lamont. If someone wants to win a race, there is never a point in which it's "too early" to run. The sooner you announce and start ramping up your efforts, the better.  

     ryepower12   @   Tue 4 Dec 7:00 PM
     

2. CT Governor's race

   Rell has always been cagey about whether she would run for re-election again, so I don't think this comes as a big surprise. Rell has never seemed like she embraced the politics of being a Republican Governor in a state with veto proof Democratic majorities in both houses. She seems like she always wants to be above the fray, but as the Republican executive she is automatically part of the fray whether she likes it or not. And the fray has gotten especially rough after the budget went bad and she was forced to actually make tough decisions.

   Lamont is actually just now treading into a race thats been going on for over a year. Sec. of State Susan Bysiewicz, Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, and former Speaker of the House Jim Amann have been actively campaigning for the Democratic nomination. Amann has basically no chance. He's like the Tom Finneran of CT politics, too Conservative for the Democratic primary voters on many issues and too much of an insider/hack to attract much interest from moderates or Republicans. Malloy ran for the nomination in 2006 and lost, and Stamford just elected a Republican mayor in his wake, and he still has very low recognition numbers considering that he's been a perpetual gubernatorial candidate, so his candidacy has some major weaknesses. Susan Bysiewicz was largely seen as the front runner before Lamont started making noise.

   On the Republican side, Chris Dodd's vulnerability has brought GOP Senate candidates out of the woodwork. Former Congressman Rob Simmons is the front runner, but WWE CEO Linda McMahon, State Sen. Sam Caliguleri, and Paulist/economist Peter Schiff are also running. Linda McMahon has made some headlines so far, mostly related to the exorbitant amounts of money that she's willing to spend. Her CEO background and her ties to popular Gov. Rell (Rell appointed her to the CT Board of Education) might make her a better candidate for Governor.

   Attorney General Blumenthal seems scared to ever enter a race that he's not guaranteed to win. He is very popular, largely due to his constant populist grandstanding on any and every issue out there. He hasn't distinguished himself as an Attorney General because he cares more about making headlines than he does actually acting as an attorney for the state of CT. There was a recent discussion regarding Martha Coakley signing on to an amicus brief in a death penalty case because MA had an interest in a procedural issue. It's safe to say that Blumenthal would never put the interest of CT above his own personal political ambitions.                

   power-wheels   @   Tue 4 Dec 7:00 PM
   

3. Lolz Lamont

   Seems he has caught Chris Gabrielli syndrome and doesn't realize that when the voters reject you for one office they probably won't vote you in for another office. I just wish the man had the decency to waste his money on charity instead of making more political consultants rich. At the end of the day the result would be the same-he wouldn't be governor-but at least needy people would get the money instead of consultants.  

   jconway   @   Tue 4 Dec 7:00 PM
   

   • Oh please

     Losing once doesn't suggest a lifetime of losing for every position.  Heck, Abe Lincoln lost in 1832 in his run for the state lege, lost his run for Congress in 1843, won in 1846, lost again in 1848, lost in his run for senate in 1854, and lost again in 1858.

     Was elected POTUS in 1860.

     The political climate in CT and in tUSA has changed substantially since Lieberman won the Democratic primary for CT-Sen in 2006.

     stomv   @   Tue 4 Dec 7:00 PM
     

   • Ridiculous comparison.

     Lamont actually won a hotly-contested primary.  Maybe you'd forgotten.

     david   @   Tue 4 Dec 7:00 PM