Danbury & Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney has been said to be the conservative candidate in the race for President. He is the former one-term Governor of Massachusetts, and also ran against Sen. Ted Kennedy in 1994. Romney is also a very controversial candidate because he has flip-flopped on many social issues, becoming much more conservative since he decided to run for the White House. Romney has ranked third in most national Republican primary polls. However, since the news that former Sen. Fred Thompson may enter the race, he has dropped to fourth in many polls. Here is the most recent one from Polling Report:

Rudy Giuliani -- 33%
John McCain -- 22 %
Fred Thompson -- 17%
Mitt Romney -- 12 %

Now, I honestly don't see Danbury Republicans going for Romney. He is far too conservative, and not moderate enough. He is also not as well known, and he may have been Governor of one of the most liberal states in the country, but Danbury Republicans will most likely go for Giuliani because he is most like them. I also don't see Connecticut going for him either, and neither does the most recent Quinnipiac Poll, as these are the following results:

Giuliani -- 43%
McCain -- 27%
Romney -- 4%
Gingrich -- 5%

Even though it seems to be that Connecticut will most likely be going for Giuliani or possibly McCain, Romney could do well in conservative states, and get the nomination. If he were to, he will probably have a difficult time at winning our state. The following poll is how he has most recently rated in our state against Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton:

Clinton -- 55%
Romney -- 27%

So, Romney will most likely not be a fan of our state, but that doesn't mean he can't become the next President. He is still a top-tier candidate. What could make or break it for Romney is whether his flip-flopping on social issues comes back to backfire. Now, he has the most money out of all the Republican candidates, and he could use that to his advantage. Also, it is said that not necessarily the President supports him (for now), but many people from the Bush family (especially Jeb -- though he hasn't officially said), are very favorable of Romney. At this point not enough people know him. He will definitely have his work cut out in the next many months.

More on Cappiello's Congressional Run

The News-Times has now reported that State Senator David Cappiello (R-24) has filed paper work to run for Congress against Congressman Chris Murphy. It was said that Cappiello filed paperwork last week sometime, and now it has become official. So--will it be Murphy vs. Cappiello or someone else? As of right now, Sen. Cappiello is the only announced candidate, but others have been expected to emerge. Whatever the case...we have a race here in the fifth district. This is sure getting fun!

Remember---you heard the news here first! Make sure you take our new poll!

UPDATE: Here is the full article from the News-Times and the Hartford Courant. Just for the record -- Cappiello has said that he will officially announce his run after the legislative session ends on June 6th. Stay tuned!

Fifth Poll Results

Our latest poll question was whether you approve of the Republican-controlled Common Council. This was one of the closest poll questions yet as the results were the following:

Yes: 8 (62%)
N0: 5 (38%)
Not Sure: 0 (0%)

A new poll is up so make sure that you take it. Remember to come back often, and comment on the issues.

Danbury & Barack Obama

Senator Barack Obama is the youngest candidate running for President, and has attracted the youth. He is currently represents Illinois, being elected in 2004. Previously he was in the Illinois State Senate. Almost everyone can agree that Obama lacks experience, however he is using that to his benefit saying that it is time to change government. He has been considered the second best candidate on the Democratic side. His high fund-raising mark has really evenly tied him up with Hillary Clinton, at least on the money side. The following is the most recent poll from Polling Report showing where Obama stands in the crowded field of Democratic candidates:

Hillary Clinton -- 41%
Barack Obama -- 20%
Al Gore -- 16%
John Edwards -- 12%

Now Danbury Democrats have gone with the leading candidate in the primaries, picking Gore and Kerry. However, since Obama has just as much money as Hillary he has shown that he is definitely a huge possibility of getting the nomination. Something tells me that Danbury may go for Obama, possibly because they want change. He has been against the Iraq War since the start, which could attract young voters in Danbury, as well as liberal Democrats. Unlike the Republicans, who are moderate and would make much sense if they pick Giuliani, the Democrats in Danbury have many candidates to choose from. Here is the most recent poll from Quinnipiac University showing Obama slightly behind Hillary in Connecticut:

Clinton -- 33%
Obama -- 21%
Gore -- 9%
Dodd -- 8%
Edwards -- 5%

If Obama get's the Democratic nomination, he does pretty well in head to head match-ups against the top Republican candidates here in Connecticut. He does well as a whole against John McCain, but not that great in our area--Fairfield County.

Connecticut
Obama -- 43%
McCain -- 38%

Fairfield County
Obama -- 39%
McCain -- 44%

Barack Obama has already made history running for President, and his ability to attract young voters and people who are just tired of Washington politics is impressive. If enough people agree with him on that then he has a very good chance of being the next President. What will make or break it for Obama is if voters want a person who has more experience because if that's the case, Obama is in trouble. However, he hasn't had any major obstacles yet.

Cappiello Running For Congress

It has been reported that our very own State Senator, David Cappiello (R-24), has filed with the FEC, a campaign committee to run against Congressman Chris Murphy (D-5). You can read the story here.

Cappiello was first elected to the State Senate in 1998. Before that, he served as a State Representative, representing the 138th district. You can click here to get his official biography, or click here to read a post I previously wrote about him.

Senator Cappiello hopes to defeat Chris Murphy, who was elected this past November, defeating twenty-four year incumbent Nancy Johnson. Murphy has already raised 420,000 dollars, having the edge in money. However, Cappiello is one of the most well-liked politicians in our area. It will be interesting to see if any other Republicans will come out and announce their intention to run as well. We'll wait and see what develops.

Where's The Money Going?

I thought that some of you political junkies would find this interesting. I was a little bit surprised when I saw this. The following is a list of the amount of money people from our state contributed to most of the presidential candidates:

1. Dodd (D) : 1,006,411
2. Giuliani (R): 528,360
3. Romney (R): 472,428
4. Obama (D): 419,284
5. Clinton (D): 397,785
6. McCain (R): 352,165
7. Edwards (D): 260,760
8. Biden (D): 44,650
9. Richardson (D): 35,450
10. Brownback (R): 5,880
11. Tabcredo (R): 2,400

Now, it makes sense that Dodd led all candidates, as he should. He doesn't get nearly the amount of support he should get from our state, but he gets a lot of money. What I find so interesting is that Connecticut is such a Democratic state, but some Republican candidates did very well compared to others. Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney led the pack after Dodd. For some reason Romney is able to raise much money, but not enough support, at least right now.

It does make sense that Giuliani leads the Republicans in Connecticut because he is the most moderate Republican candidate. I thought that Hillary didn't do that great, as Obama lead the Democrats, besides Dodd. McCain did just okay, as his amount matches his fund-raising total pretty well. However, Edwards didn't do that well considering he is a top tier candidate.

Well, we will have to wait and see where all the money goes. I will continue to analyze the presidential candidates, and I hope you comment to share your thoughts. Also, the first Democratic Debate is next Thursday, April 26th at 7 PM on MSNBC. The first Republican Debate is the following Thursday, May 3rd. This is sure getting fun!

God Bless Virginia Tech

I just wanted to take this time to remember the people who have been touched by the devastating shooting that took place yesterday at Virginia Tech. As Americans we will always remember this terrible day, and our hearts and prayers will always be with the families and friends that have been affected by this tragedy. Evil may have occurred, but our souls will never let evil prevail. May God Bless the students, staff, and the others that have been touched by this horrific day.

Danbury & John McCain

Senator John McCain was seen as the front runner to receive the Republican nomination about five months ago. However, his position on the Iraq War, and support of the Bush Administration's policy, has dropped him out of that position. He still is a top tier candidate, and it is still very possible for McCain to get the nomination. McCain has been Senator from Arizona since 1987, and was previously in the House for four years. He was also a Prisoner of War for about five and a half years during the Vietnam War. The following is a poll of where he stands in the crowded field of Republican candidates:

Rudy Giuliani -- 27%
John McCain -- 23%
Mitt Romney -- 12%
Newt Gingrich -- 10%
Fred Thompson -- 9%

Now, in 2000 Danbury Republicans chose McCain over Bush by only nine votes in the Connecticut Primary. They showed their moderate side by not voting for conservative Bush. This time around Rudy Giuliani is the most moderate candidate so it will be interesting to see if they again choose McCain, or if they go with a more moderate candidate. Giuliani does well in Connecticut Republican polls. McCain is currently in second. Here are the results from the latest Quinnipiac Poll:

Giuliani -- 43%
McCain -- 27%
Romney -- 4%
Gingrich -- 5%

In the general election, McCain does fairly well when polled up against the top three Democratic candidates. He is either ahead or at a reachable number. Here are the results from the latest Quinnipiac Poll from Fairfield County:

Clinton -- 50%
McCain -- 41%

McCain -- 44%
Obama -- 39%

McCain -- 48%
Edwards -- 36%

However, at this point I just don't see McCain winning Connecticut the way that Giuliani could. But anything could happen. What will make or break McCain is simply the War in Iraq. If the troop surge works, or the public begins to see improvement in Iraq, then he has a good shot. However, he may attract Republican voters which helps him getting the nomination, but winning the general election could prove to be very, very difficult. Arguably, McCain is said to be the one who deserves to become President, or at least get the nomination, because of his experience. As of right now when it comes to getting the nomination, he is stuck in second place. It will be interesting to see how McCain does especially after his low fund raising mark. One question we may ask is, if his "straight talk" message will get across to voters because so far it hasn't been that effective. We will wait and see.

Urice May Run Again For Council

I have just finished watching the Comcast show, "In Our Opinion". For those of you who don't know about this shows it features Lynn Waller and Joel Urice talking about various issues happening in our city.

On tonight's show, Waller asked Urice if he plans on attempting to fill the vacant Common Council seat left open because of Ted Cutsumpas' resignation. Urice was elected to the Council in 2003, part of the Republicans takeover of Danbury. However, he was one of the three Republican Councilman to loose their bid for a second term in 2005. Urice represented the sixth ward.

Now, Urice told Waller that he doesn't plan on filling the vacant seat because that means he would have to resign his position on the Planning Commission. But he added that he "may run in the fall". It will be interesting if he does plan on running, and whether he will run in the sixth ward or at-large.

The following are the results from the sixth ward Council race in 2003:

*Michael J. Steinerd (R) -- 749
*Joel Urice (R) -- 707
Paul T. Rotello (D) -- 687
Valdemiro D. Machado (D) -- 622

The following are the results from the sixth ward in 2005:

*Paul T. Rotello (D) -- 770
*Benjamin Chianese (D) -- 727
Joel Urice (R) -- 637
Christopher A. Sanzeni(R) -- 617

Note that Paul Rotello lost by only twenty votes in 2003, and then led all sixth ward candidates in 2005, earning a victory. We will have to wait and see what happens.

Gay Marriage Passes Committee

Breaking News: The Judiciary Committee has voted to approve gay marriage in the state of Connecticut. The final vote was 27-15. The bill now goes to the State House of Representatives, where its future is said to be unknown. You can read the story here from the Hartford Courant.

This is how our following representatives from Danbury, who are on the Judiciary Committee, voted:

State Senator David Cappiello (R-24) - NO
State Representative Bob Godfrey (D-110) - YES
State Representative Jan Giegler (R-138) - NO

So, we will have to wait and see what happens. However, this has become a historic day for Connecticut.

Danbury & Hillary Clinton

Well, where do I begin? People love Hillary, while others hate her. As we all know, she has already made history, being the first really electable woman running for President, and the only former First Lady. She is currently the junior Senator from New York, being elected in 2000. Clinton is said to be the front runner on the Democratic side, but that seems to be shrinking little by little, as many have become interested in Barack Obama and John Edwards. However, she enjoys the lead as of now, with the most recent poll from Polling Report being the following:

Hillary Rodham Clinton -- 41%
John Edwards -- 19%
Barack Obama -- 17%
Joe Biden -- 4%
Bill Richardson -- 3%

Now, Danbury Democrats can be very interesting. More picked Dan Malloy than John DeStefano in the 2006 primary for Governor. They went with Ned Lamont over Joe Lieberman in the primary also. However, they did pick Al Gore in the 2000 primary, and John Kerry in the 2004 primary. If Danbury Democrats pick the front runner when they vote, Clinton may have the edge (if she is still the front runner), but it is really to close to call. I do have a funny feeling that Danbury Dems are going to go with Obama. As of right now, Connecticut Democrats do support Clinton the most. The latest Quinnipiac Poll is below:

Clinton -- 33%
Obama -- 21%
Gore -- 9%
Dodd -- 8%
Edwards -- 5%

If Clinton does get the nomination, she does do fairly well in head to head match ups against Republicans in our state. The following are poll results that show Clinton leading Rudy Giuliani and John McCain in Connecticut:

Clinton -- 46%
Giuliani -- 44%

Clinton -- 48%
McCain -- 40%

Though there aren't any polls done in Danbury, polls from Fairfield County show similar results:

Clinton -- 47%
Giuliani -- 43%

Clinton -- 50%
McCain -- 41%

What is interesting is, Fairfield County is considered to be more Republican than many other parts of the state, but Clinton does better against McCain here. Clinton has a good shot at winning Connecticut in the general election, but Barack Obama is going to give her a very tough fight in the primary. When about 47% of Americans have negative views of Clinton, it is hard to get elected, but if anyone could pull it off it's a Clinton!

Danbury & Rudy Giuliani

I decided that instead of just constantly posting news on the Presidential candidates, I would analyze the candidates and connect them to how Danbury voters may view them.

The first candidate is Rudy Giuliani. He was Mayor of New York City from 1993-2001. What may make or break it for Giuliani is if he will be able to make voters remember September 11, 2001, and remind them that the threat of terrorism is still very big. If he can do this then he is in very good shape. Giuliani is consistently ahead of all of his Republican rivals for the presidency in all national polls. The most recent from Polling Report is:

Rudy Giuliani -- 34%
John McCain -- 17%
Fred Thompson -- 10%
Newt Gingrich -- 9%
Mitt Romney -- 6%

Danbury Republicans are not very conservative. They usually support the more moderate candidate for President. For example, John McCain won Danbury in the 2000 primary. What is different this time, is that when you put all the Republican candidates together, McCain is not the most moderate candidate --- Giuliani is. This could be good news for the former Mayor, as I predict that Danbury Republican voters will support him, and the state of Connecticut will as well. The latest Quinnipiac Poll shows Giuliani with the lead:

Giuliani -- 43%
McCain -- 27%
Romney -- 4%
Gingrich -- 5%

If Republicans across the country want moderate views, and Giuliani is the nominee, he could definitely win northeastern states, and possibly Connecticut. As of right now, most polls show Giuliani with leads over all of his likely Democratic opponents. In Connecticut, Giuliani trails Hillary Clinton by a very reachable number:

Clinton -- 46%
Giuliani -- 44%

In Fairfield County the results are very similar, however Clinton has a slightly bigger lead:

Clinton -- 47%
Giuliani -- 43%

So, what does all this mean? Well, it is still very early, but if voters not only in Connecticut, but throughout the country, want a moderate, independent voice to be their next President, then Rudy Giuliani is on track to become it. Don't mark my word, but I believe Giuliani will win the Connecticut primary, and if he is the Republican nominee, will win Connecticut in the general election.

Councilman Resigns

At-Large Councilman, Ted Cutsumpas (R), has resigned his position to become the new city's Community Services Director. He became a member of the Council in September of2005, to fill the term of Wanda Payton who resigned, and was then elected to his own term two months later. You can read the article here from the News-Times.

UPDATE: Here is the full article from the News-Times that's in today's paper. Just a note for those of you who don't know, the Republican Town Committee will nominate a person to fill the vacant seat. The full Council will then vote and approve the pick. Another side note is that anyone from Danbury can fill Cutsumpas' seat because it is At-Large. So, wonder who it will be?

Budget Passes

Last night, the Common Council passed the budget that Mayor Boughton put before them. The News-Times is reporting that it passed on a vote of 16-3, while other local blogs have reported that it passed on a vote of 17-2. I guess these are the times where we can't trust our local paper. Whatever the fact is, the budget has passed, and it was nice to see that most of the Council members were in favor of it.

Fourth Poll Results

The results of our most recent poll are in! The question that was asked was if you plan on supporting Senator Chris Dodd's presidential campaign. It seems like most people are fond of the better-known candidates, rather than our Senator. The results were the following:

Yes: 3 (25%)
No: 7 (58%)
Undecided: 2 (12%)

A new poll is up, make sure you take it. Coming soon we will be analyzing how Danbury voters may vote for particular candidates running for President, and of course more on the upcoming election. For now, enjoy the college basketball championship, and finally BASEBALL IS BACK!!!