CT Republican Strategy 101 – Snatching Defeat out of the Jaws of Victory
Political observers and students of Connecticut politics are fond of noting that while many Connecticut voters are perfectly comfortable splitting their tickets, the Connecticut Republican Party has had a tendency to nominate state-wide candidates who, when the critical moment arrived, were unable to gather the support of a majority of those who cast their votes on Election Day.
In the 2014 gubernatorial campaign, Dannel Malloy won a second term in office despite the fact that a majority of voters had an unfavorable opinion of him. In the hours leading up to Election Day 2014, the Quinnipiac Poll reported that 49% of voters had an UNFAVORABLE opinion of Malloy, while only 43% had a FAVORABLE opinion of the first term governor.
However, although the political table was set for a Republican victory, the Republican Party’s nominee squandered the opportunity to build a coalition and message that would have earned him enough votes to win.
Had the Republican candidate for governor been former state senator John McKinney or Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, the outcome might have been different and Connecticut might now have a Republican Governor.
But the ability to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory was alive and well.
The Republican Party’s commitment to reducing their chance of winning federal and CT Republican Strategy 101 - Snatching Defeat out of the Jaws of Victory - Wait What?:
