Former Speaker Jim Amann Vs. Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy: Capitol Watch

The comments on the story on the Hartford Courant page crack me up, looks like Dan has started working his smoke and mirrors act elsewhere in the state.

Trashcan Dan wrote:

The comments on the story on the Hartford Courant page crack me up, looks like Dan has started working his smoke and mirrors act elsewhere in the state.

I think Stamford Democrats hung Martin out to dry.
Why?
After 14 years of Malloy, in the midst of a failing economy (lower tax revenues & higher costs of government), the next mayor inherits problems.
Once the election is perceived as unwinnable, a true Machiavellian runs someone he hopes will lose. Gets him out of the way, you see.
(One failure was the election of Fred Lenz, whom party leaders ran to flop.)
So Martin - a bright guy who's in the way - pushes Abazzia out of the nomination - and the party gives him a combination of lukewarm support (few "workers" and less money) plus some fatal advice.
That was the attack mailers calling Pavia a quitter, personal attacks far out of character for Martin, and poison to his race.
All perfectly arranged to produce a no-win campaign, stick Pavia with managing in troubled times, and have the next anointed Democrat ready to run in 2013. Plenty of opportunity for sniping awaits, ensured by the Democrats majority on the District Board, which has the last word on almost everything.
Pavia's personality and style may enable him to overcome that hurdle on key issues, but it won't be easy.

I like a couple of points in that article from the pro-Malloy forces.

The one who thinks that Dan has the god like powers to cause a rainstorm, although he attributed it to Amann. That was Priceless.

But really great was the one who thought that the Democrats knew how to use the primary process to win the election. How'd that work out for them last time?

This time Gov. Rell will be even stronger and have a record to run on. The only good thing is that maybe Dan will disappear from the political scene altogether when this race is over.

Vox Pop wrote:

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I think Stamford Democrats hung Martin out to dry.

He wasn't hung out to dry. There were plenty of workers there on election day, more then in past years. He raised plenty of money, Pavia raised more. It was the first real candidate the Republicans had in 14 years and the guy they've wanted for 8, so of course there was more excitement about him. Ellen Camhi had some major health issues recently hence her lower profile. Martin didn't win because the minority caucus of the BOR didn't deliver the voters like they told him they would. Look at the low turnout in Districts 3, 5, 6 and 9. Martin had a 4 to 1 advantage in 3 and 5 and a 2 to 1 advantage in 6 and 9. If they delivered the voters it would have been a lot closer race.

David wrote:

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He wasn't hung out to dry. There were plenty of workers there on election day, more then in past years. He raised plenty of money, Pavia raised more. It was the first real candidate the Republicans had in 14 years and the guy they've wanted for 8, so of course there was more excitement about him. Ellen Camhi had some major health issues recently hence her lower profile. Martin didn't win because the minority caucus of the BOR didn't deliver the voters like they told him they would. Look at the low turnout in Districts 3, 5, 6 and 9. Martin had a 4 to 1 advantage in 3 and 5 and a 2 to 1 advantage in 6 and 9. If they delivered the voters it would have been a lot closer race.

I partially agree.
The minority caucus can't deliver in a local election year.
Its members treat their seats like sinecures and don't do much more than tell people they're all machers whose blessings are mandatory.
Martin didn't have ENOUGH help or money from the party. He got more lip service than support.
Ellen has had health issues for years, and I meant her no disrespect, but her weight - ill or well - was not behind Martin.
True, Pavia's candidacy had a tantalizingly long preamble.