What does moolah mean in a high profile campaign?
Just look at Republican Tom Foley and Democrat Jim Amann. Foley was a little known ambassador to Ireland under George Bush. Amann was speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
Amann was among the first Dems to jump into the race for governor after he decided not to seek reelection to his Milford state house seat. In doing so Amann walked away from a fundraising base. That would not be a problem if Jim was a man of wealth. He is not.
Foley, of Greenwich, starts his quest for Chris Dodd’s U.S. Senate seat challenging Linda McMahon and former Congressman Rob Simmons for the GOP nomination, then switches gears to run for governor after Jodi Rell says no more for me. In an instant Foley slides straight into contention for the GOP guber nomination. Why? Because he can write the check. Nice to have $2 million just like that. The power of pen can make up for low name recognition quickly and attract political support.
Amann, a Bridgeport native, is scurrying to stay in the guber game with low polling numbers. Amann has political support in the city including State Rep. Chris Big Wave Caruso who says Amann was good for Bridgeport as the house speaker. And maybe he’d be better for Bridgeport as governor than any of the other candidates. What will Jim do?
Politics is a crazy business. So often it’s about timing. And money, and money and money.
(Check out my daily webzine at www.onlyinbridgeport.com)
I know that feeling Lennie. Don’t think that just becasue one has money, they are running an effective campaign. Take McMahon and Simmons. for over a month, I have been trying to contact the McMahon camp to sit down and talk business. With the millions McMahon is spending and the $5 million already spent, they don’t have someone on the phones or answering e-mails 24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week. I am supposed to sit and wait or contact Simmons next.
With all of the deck chairs shuffling around, I have to believe there will be a few more names entering the Gov race…what we need is an experienced leader willing to take on the tough short and long-term issues facing CT. Right now it seems we have denial, denial, denial going on to the tune of billions in deficits this year and who knows in the future once the money from DC tightens up…