The Political Fun & Games Begin

Posted by Bob Greenberger on March 25, 2010

Even though the voting isn’t until November, people have been jockeying for office for upwards of a year now. This month, both parties are selecting their delegates to attend the various nominating conventions for the state and federal offices. One of the perks of serving on one of the town political committees is being able to become a delegate to the conventions.

The last time I attended the state convention it was a wild weekend affair as Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy and New Haven Mayor John DeStefano vigorously worked the crowds, climbing over chairs, taking people off for one-on-one chats, and so on. A fun time was had by all (except Malloy who failed to get the nod).

Last night, the Fairfield DTC confirmed its delegates and as Vice Chair, I will be attending the state rep, state senate, gubernatorial, and congressional conventions, scattered throughout May. Oddly, other than the state convention in Hartford, venues for the others have yet to be named.

From now until the conventions, I am told there will be a tremendous amount of mail, calls, and personal outreach from candidates who desire my support (and more importantly my vote).

And to be honest, I have yet to decide on my choice for governor. Connecticut got exactly what it needed when M. Jodi Rell succeeded John Rowland and restored some dignity to the office. Since then, though, she has shown a shocking lack of vision and leadership. Similarly, the Democratically-controlled legislature has been even worse, letting the state fall into deep debt and paralysis. The democratic leadership has been tone deaf to the needs of the state’s population and has opened itself up to a vigorous challenge from the Republicans.

Thankfully, my local representative, Tom Drew, has been among the level-headed moderates, trying to bring sanity to the process.

It’s the governor I’m really undecided on. There’s Malloy, who has continued to lead Stamford and seems like a good enough guy. And then there’s Ned Lamont, failed Senate candidate. Neither have convinced me they have the right plan for the state which has to include a slimmer government, a better balance between the needs of all the counties and a vision to bring business back to the state.

I’m big on people having a vision of the future and a roadmap to achieve those goals. It tells me they’ve really given this thought and are equipped to be the state’s leader. As a result, in the weeks to come, I’ll be listening to both men before committing myself.