We rate some of the winners/losers of CT’s 2012 campaign season

Winners:
1. State residents now spared “Odd Couple” media stories about Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Blumenthal having to serve with Republican Linda McMahon, who he defeated in her initial 2010 campaign.
2. Webster Bank, which fought back hard and successfully to preserve its reputation when McMahon alleged the community institution had given a special interest rate to her Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy.
3. Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, a Republican, who, because the wealthy McMahon lost two consecutive Senate races, may have gained an edge on potential self-funded gubernatorial hopefuls. We’re looking at you, Greenwich millionaire Tom Foley.
4. Democratic President Barack Obama, who decisively ended McMahon’s efforts to woo his supporters by cutting a simple, straight-forward television commercial endorsing Murphy.
5. The talented advertisers who produced some of McMahon’s ads. Love her or hate her, who will soon forget the image of McMahon pushing her way through a crowd of black-and-white Murphy clones? Or the spoof of Murphy’s bad job interview?
6. Connecticut voters who, from all accounts, despite still dealing with the impact of Hurricane Sandy, turned out at the polls.
7. Those creditors stiffed by Vince and Linda McMahon during their 1976 bankruptcy, who finally got paid after their identities emerged during the 2012 race and many were contacted by the media.

Losers:
1. Retiring State Speaker of the House Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, the one time frontrunner for the 5th District Congressional seat who lost the primary to Elizabeth Esty after his campaign was embroiled in a federal investigation over fundraising. Donovan saw what might have been when Esty, a former rank-and-file legislator, won a tough race Tuesday.
2. McMahon’s flacks. She went through three during the campaign. While that’s not in the same category as New York Yankees managers under George Steinbrenner, being McMahon’s spokesperson wasn’t exactly a stable job.
3. Hispanic voters in Danbury after concerns surfaced that at least two Spanish speaking residents were allegedly turned away from one polling site for not speaking English.
4. Retiring veteran U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, the man Murphy and McMahon were vying to replace. The “independent Democrat” from Stamford has burned many bridges with his former party and did not involve himself in the 2012 race. The mention of his name at Murphy’s victory celebration Tuesday drew some half-hearted applause and a couple jeers.
5. Quinnipiac University’s pollsters, who were prevented by Hurricane Sandy from performing a final U.S. Senate poll.
6. Connecticut which, because of its reputation as a wealthy blue state was only visited by candidates when they wanted to tap wealthy contributors. President Obama, GOP rival Mitt Romney, Vice President Biden and Romney running mate Paul Ryan all visited for fundraisers.

Brian Lockhart