CT Blue

Delusional thinking is a common failing among politicians. It appears, for instance, that Joe Biden really thought he could be elected president. This type of thinking infects politicians at all levels. I myself am not immune, having run unsuccessfully for every elective position in Groton, except justice of the peace and judge of probate.

Few suffer from this disease more acutely than James Amann (D?, Milford), who apparently believes he can be elected governor of Connecticut as a Democrat. Having existed in the other-worldly cocoon in the state legislature for lo these many years, he has no conception of the reception he will get from real live Democrats, the ones who donate money and work to support candidates. You know, the ones who supported Ned Lamont, and will not forget that Amann turned his back on the Democratic party in 2006.

We here in Southeastern Connecticut know only one thing more about Amann. He is the guy who tried to prop up scam artist Joe Gentile even after it became apparent that he was a complete fraud. It was probably the first time Amann became aware that this part of the state even existed.

I personally am looking forward to Amann’s visit to our town committee as he tries to sell himself as a credible candidate for governor. Aside from the Lamont issue, and aside from the Gentile issue, it will be interesting to hear him explain why, as the Speaker of the House, he did precisely nothing to articulate any time of progressive alternative to the hack we have in office now. In fact, sad to say, the hack we have now is possibly preferable to Amann.

But we need not worry. Unless Amann is the only candidate, he will not get the nomination. He will find, as he traverses the state next year, that being a former Speaker of the House means nothing. Among those of us who donate money and time, he will mainly be remembered as the guy who “stuck with Joe”. He is, in a word, delusional. But let us give thanks that he suffers from this disease so common to politicians. Next year he will be out of office completely. His replacements, as state representative and speaker, can’t be worse, and he will be relegated to the political wasteland from which, the forces of blind chance willing, he will never return.