The conventions to choose Republican Congressional candidates took place over the weekend. In the 3rd District, Boaz Itshaky was selected to challenge Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro.With all due respect to Itshaky, who does contribute fairly frequently to the CT political blogosphere, it's a token candidacy. And that's unfortunate.
Itshaky, a Bethany acupuncturist who managed 52 votes in his run for First Selectman there, also previously challenged Democratic State Senator Joe Crisco.
While Itshay's weak political pedigree does not help, most of the factors that make him token are out of his control. In the Congressional redistricting that took place after the 2000 census, Connecticut was reconfigured from six districts to five, due to population loss.
At the time, the Republicans held the upper hand in this redistricting, as Jim Maloney's district was eliminated, pitting him in a failed bid against Republican Nancy Johnson. After the 2002 elections, Republicans held three of the state's five Congressional seats.
To achieve this, the First District of Democrat John Larson and the Third District of DeLauro were sacrificed, as their composition was arranged to virtually ensure no Republican had a shot there. It was a plan that worked well for the GOP at the time, by making the other three districts better ground for Republicans. Of course, in the sweep against Republicans in 2006, the arrangement was little help.
While I wish Itshaky well with his race, the real focus by Connecticut Republicans needs to remain on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Districts. Incumbent Chris Shays in the 4th will have his work cut out for him in against Democrat Jim Himes, a man who gives the leftwing blogosphere painful priapisms. State Senator David Cappiello is a good candidate to oppose Chris Murphy in the 5th District. Unfortunately, the Sullivan campaign in the 2nd District against Joe Courtney seems stillborn.
Collectively, Republicans are going to need to do better than this if we expect to have a chance at regaining a majority of the Congressional seats in the state that we held such a short time ago. That process begins with good candidates and ends with not abandoning conservative principles.
1 comment:
Don't believe the Sh** you read over at that Connecticut Liberal Politics. The Democrats are scared of Sullivan and that's why they are promoting this myth that it is stillborn.
Norwich Blunder political reporter Ray Hackett wants to cancel the election. Every time he blogs about the 2ND, its about how the race should be cancelled. Why is that? Hackett is protecting his boy.
Sullivan is an outstanding candidate. I met him and I am impressed. Have you ever met him? He is real Republican. All he only needs money. A few of the right commercials and we will be in business. I am not about to wait for Rob Simmons in 2010. We can defeat him now.
Simmons is going to be out of luck if Republicans would just grow a set. We got all the basic ingredients to defeat Courtney. I am convinced it is just a lack of will and cash.
I just gave him 100 bucks and he is going to get more over the Summer :)
Courtney is weak little pinhead. Courtney is a misfit for our defence-based district. How can a peacenik like him argue for subs when he only supports them only because they are made here?
That can't be very convincing from the standpoint of other congressmen. Courtney isn't there to represent Connecticut's defense interests, he is there to represent the Connecticut Bar Association.
Now that school is over for the summer, I am on board and we are going to make some noise.
Stay tuned and send the dude in some cash!
http://www.sullivan2008.com/content/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
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