A few random observations after last night's primary, which we observed via the Internet (including texts from our friends) from way up North here in Vermont.
First, on a purely local note, we might hope that the Day might take a lesson from the shellacking Betsy Ritter gave Bill Satti last night (20th Senatorial District) to change its endorsement policy, pursuant to which a candidate's experience, ability and policy positions are completely irrelevant, except where they count as minuses because they are impressive. The Day prefers to consider intangibles such as “passion”, and even there it misses the mark. The voters disagreed. Betsy won every town except Satti's home base of New London, and she did better there than he did anywhere else.
Speaking of newspapers, is the Hartford Courant still a news dispensing organization? I kept hitting the refresh button on the Day's website, which stayed reasonably up to date. We were trying to see if the Republicans would really be stupid enough to nominate our local Sarah Palin clone as lieutenant governor (looks like they were), so I went to the Courant's site on the theory that the bigger paper ought to have the better coverage. Their numbers were at least two hours old at the time I checked.
As to the big races, as others have observed, Malloy has a big problem, mostly of his own making. It is apparently a sign of maturity (Democrats only, of course) to shit on your base as soon as they get you elected, which Malloy seemed to relish doing. Funny how there's a distinct lack of enthusiasm for him these days. I still think he can beat Foley, whose performance in Sprague, we can assume, will not be forgotten. Give Malloy credit: he fights hard and he'll pound on Foley almost as hard as he has on the teacher's unions and the public schools.
If our local Sarah Palin clone does manage to get elected, let me be the first to announce that it will be her ticket to political oblivion, unless Foley dies in office or goes to jail, the latter, of course, being more likely. He will be the most hated man in Connecticut in less than 2 years (people will begin fondly remembering Malloy), and, Connecticut not being Maine, his chances of getting re-elected (or a Republican replacing him) will be next to nil. Anyone who can accuse laid off workers of being responsible for their own layoffs while he's trying to get their votes is unlikely to be able to contain his arrogance and rich boy sense of entitlement once he's elected.
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