The Vanilla Bean Café is at the intersection of Routes 44, 169 and 97 in Pomfret. There, on the wide plank floors, under worn ceiling beams and blackboard menus, a couple of classrooms of Connecticut Democrats came to listen one late March evening to three who want to be governor.
It was one of the first joint appearances for Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and former House Speaker Jim Amann. The moderator of the event promised his audience that the next governor of the state was seated before them. It is too early in the campaign season for a debate so the three candidates took turns explaining their reasons for running and their vision of what the job of governor should be.
All three are clearly tired. They weren’t tired by the three- to four-hour drive they made to get there, or by the prospect of making trips like this one for the next year and a half. They are tired of their party being locked out of the governor’s office since 1990 and particularly frustrated at being locked out by the current occupant who they described — in combination — as a lying show horse who doesn’t get it.
Residents Are Concerned
At different times, all three have described Gov. M. Jodi Rell as a nice lady, who means well, but they are all betting that in 2010 the voters of Connecticut will be looking for something more than that. Despite Rell’s latest approval ratings, they may be right. Lurking just under those high numbers for the governor are statistics that show state residents are concerned about the future, worried about their jobs and, in some cases, their declining income. Challengers hope those concerns will have voters looking for a new leadership direction. A change at the top.
Although he is the only candidate who has fully entered the race, Amann may have the furthest to go. He is a controversial figure within his own party. He stood with Joe Lieberman in 2006 when the rest of the leadership sided with Ned Lamont. He is prone to speak his mind without regard to diplomacy and his battle with cancer has left him almost permanently hoarse.
His early stump speech emphasizes his legislative experience and promises more of the same if he becomes governor: working with members of both parties and embracing new ideas and running with them. His general recipe for winning elections and policy debates is to get in first and work hard.
More Passion Needed
Bysiewicz offers a career-long dedication to her party’s ideals and an ability to challenge Gov. Rell woman-to-woman without fear of looking like a middle-aged man beating up on grandma. Bysiewicz has never been known as a dynamic orator, but she is moving in the right direction. Her speech in Pomfret had a good outline, but lacked passion. When enthusiasm is replaced by seriousness and confidence, you get passion. And that’s what Susan needs.
Mayor Malloy is there. He has the passion of a candidate who believes he should have won the last time — and he may be right. He knows why he wants the job and views Gov. Rell as not much more than an accident, a mistake that needs to be corrected. He is the candidate who did not hesitate to accuse the governor of lying — three times — that night in Pomfret.
If Gov. Rell decides not to run for re-election, trends favor the Democratic candidate. If she decides to run, she will face one of three credible candidates who intend to make it difficult and will not defer to her age, gender or popularity.
Dean Pagani is a former gubernatorial advisor. He is V.P. of Public Affairs for Cashman and Katz Integrated Communications in Glastonbury.
