The Blogster wonders why Waterbury Mayor Mike Jarjura was invited to the Democratic gubernatorial debate on NBC Connecticut tonight, but is glad the former House member was there with the other five pretenders to the party nomination. “I’m the whole package,” Jarjura summed up, even though he hasn’t even filed papers for an exploratory committee. Still, he was a breath of fresh air among the field of other Democrats. Jarjura’s leadship style? Invite top legislative leaders into the governor’s office for pastry! And Jarjura’s platform, however jokingly, includes reopening the infamous “Hawaiian Room” in the Capitol, where lawmakers and lobbyists, exclusively male, boozed, smoked, schmoozed and laughed it up on the Capitol’s fifth floor before it was phased out nearly 30 years ago amid charges of institutional sexism.
There were at least three “laser-focus” quotes, which without going back to the tape (Please don’t make me!), were uttered by Ned Lamont and Dan Malloy, the frontrunners, respectively, in the latest Q Poll. Ugh. The last guy the Blogster heard use that characterization of personal concentration was from the mouth of John G. Rowland. What ever happened to him?
Thank Ned Lamont, the Greenwich millionaire and former member of that town’s board of selectmen, for the final question, after he pronounced everyone in Connecticut either a Yankee fan or Red Sox fan. Yeah, Met fans should deduce a diss there.
There was a minute left before the debate so the candidates were directly asked their baseball affiliations:
The Nedster: “Usually I cheer for the underdog. I’m a Yankees man.” (Blogster: “underdog?”)
Dan Malloy, former Stamford mayor: “I’m a Yankees fan. My wife who was born in Needham, Massachusetts is a Red Sox fan.
Ridgefield Selectman Rudy Marconi: “I’m a die-hard Yankee fan and I always will be. My kids have gone Red Sox on me.”
Juan Figueroa, Meriden health care advocate: “If you go to my house there’s a big New York Mets flag on my house. Let’s go Mets.”
Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman: “Go Red Sox.”
Jarjura: “Life-long Yankee fan.”