Final Weekend Before Vote, Ganim, Moore Pitch Primary Voters

Analysis and Comment, City Politics, News and Events22 Comments

Mayor Joe Ganim and State Senator Marilyn Moore are making their final pitches in advance of Tuesday’s Democratic primary. This weekend is all about the touch tone of campaigns, reminding voters who expressed their fidelity to come out for the cause.

For Moore, part of her closing message centers on toughening up the contrast in this mail piece:

For Ganim in the days leading to the primary it’s ending on a high note focused on power of incumbency including ribbon cutting for Great Oaks Charter School in the West End and highlighting the record in social media, mail, radio and rallies such as the one at Sazon y Mambo on Main Street.

Republicans on Tuesday will have a three-way primary for mayor between John Rodriguez, Ethan Book and Dishon Francis.

Not sure where you vote? See here.

0
Share

22 comments

    1. As Communications Director for the Branch I am happy to find the opportunity to post this “official” response for readers.

      A Press Release from: Greater Bridgeport NAACP Branch
      Executive Committee – authorized
      Date: September 7, 2019

      The Greater Bridgeport NAACP governing body and its members stand in solidarity with all people in the region who believe in the equality of all people, without regard to the color of one’s skin. We seek to remove systematic or structural racist barriers to fairness and equality for all.

      Last week the CT Post featured a front page article where a ‘race baiting’ headline was used. City Council member, Rev. Mary McBride-Lee running on ballot Line A, asked if Mayoral challenger Senator Marilyn Moore of Line B “was black enough.” A lengthy article included comments from George Mintz, NAACP President, who indicated the racism of her comment when he was quoted saying: “So they’re going there.” Later in the article some out of context speculation by Mintz was reported as to how communities may, can or should act in concert for good result. Unfortunately, the NAACP antiracist response to the incumbents running on Line A, may have become lost.

      The people of Bridgeport are divided in many ways, as various communities of color within Bridgeport are further divided. Such fracturing of community is supported by those who ‘control the status quo’. The NAACP resists all types of racism on many fronts currently including: funding education of the young; supporting rights for “returning citizens”; encouraging full participation in election process; entrepreneurship as a step forward on the economic ladder; advocacy for community health and wellness; spotlighting racial bullying; fighting systemic housing issues leading to foreclosures and evictions; holding police departments responsible for incidents revealing a structural lack of “effective community policing”.

      To practice ANTIRACISM we are called to oppose ‘race-baiting’ by individuals and parties in the political process. As an organization, we are open to active community members who oppose the “official momentum” meant to keep things as they are. Change is required from all and by all, including an official apology to Senator Moore and people of this City, if Bridgeport is to grow.

      OIB: we go to the polls on Tuesday and await results on Wednesday….time will tell.

      0

        1. Why don’t you post what you think would be “sufficient”? As a writer listening to members of an executive board and coming to agreement on how to combat the concept of “not black enough” in the 21st Century and framing a response, we tried. Not everyone is happy. Read the Commentary from Rev Anthony Bennett in the CT Post today. Perhaps his wise writing will be more to your liking. By the way, as someone who has written here for years, I am not likely to take your comment about “credibility” that fearfully. “One and done” is not my pattern of behavior. Give the subject your best. Perhaps I will learn? Time will tell.

          0

  2. Councilwoman McBride is a deplorable example of a minister, a politican and more important as a Black Woman for her detestable and atrocious comment that Senator Moore isn’t Black enough to be Mayor of Bridgeport. I can imagine that MLK and those other ancestors that marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge are rolling over in their graves by such a derisory remark from a Black woman.

    McBride and people like her believe they are the legitimate holders of “real black culture”, and everyone else is a sellout or white washed. That assertion is as absurd as Minister McBride calling herself a minister. Is not being Black enough like
    acting white and that statement is one that seems to indicate that being white is bad in of itself. It’s a slap to the face of all educated black people when one of the deciding factors of being an educated Black person is something like bad grammar.

    I would think that every Black religious leader, every Bridgeport politician, Mayor Ganim and especially those Black women ministers that stood along side of this execrable lady, that they repudiate her vile statement and views with respect to whether Senator Moore is Black enough.
    Councilwoman McBride wears those colorful African garb and hats, but those hats that she wears are a classic example of putting a $50 hat on a nickel head.

    0

    1. Don, Marilyn Moore was the Director for The Witness Project that serves underserved women in Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford. The Witness Project provides education, screening, diagnostic and treatment advice and support service for African American women throughout the state of Connecticut. Don, how blacker can Marilyn Moore be than health and life of black women from cancer? What has Rev. Lee and the other black female pastors have done for black women and their health? “If she were friendly and I thought she cared I’d go for her, because we’d make history in Bridgeport,” McBride-Lee said, well, it’s obvious that Rev. Lee is totally out of touch with black women and black women health issues like cancer.

      The article said, “Ralph Ford, a black political leader in the East End, said Moore, who has a reputation as being independent of the city’s Democratic movers-and-shakers, did not do enough “to personally unite the black community behind her — to get black leadership behind her candidacy.” Hey Ralph, what the hell have you and the city’s Democratic movers-and-shakers have done for your district, the 139th district and for blacks in Bridgeport? Ralph, are you saying that top Democrat, Mario Testa gives a damn about blacks then tells us all about it. Ralph, where you and those Democratic movers-and-shakers when State Senator for 23rd district Ed Gomes sick and his state district was cut up by Democratic leaders in the State. Rev. Lee and Ralph Ford had no problem in supporting Bill Finch who is white and who was the State Senator in the same State Senate district as Marilyn Moore, and that they had no problem in supporting Bill Finch in running for Bridgeport’s mayor and Bill Finch had no type of relationship with blacks but Rev. Lee and Ralph Ford had no problem a white male but they have a problem supporting a black female. By the way Ralph, where is that Puerto Rican candidate for mayor that you were going to support instead of State Senator Moore because you and others wanted that Puerto Rican candidate instead? Joe Ganim has been playing black ministers like Rev. Stallworth and the voters of the 139th district ever since he’s been mayor in 1991.

      0

    2. Donald and Ron,

      This is only the most recent use of Little Joe Ganim’s divide-and-conquer strategy, polarizing the African-American community to his political advantage. Is this the height of cynicism, or what?

      0

  4. Where’s the separation of Church and State? It’s insulting and hurtful on so many levels……………..Holier and wiser than thou comments are embarrassing and should insult the intelligence of anyone in earshot. Elitism, racism and other foolish human shortcomings are not exclusively owned by any demographic. And those kinds of conceited comments fundamentally betray several things. …That the speaker’s “social lens” through which they view the world before them is, for some reason, not clear. Because, their words reinforce stereotypes which are a warped version of humanity and the reality of events. These comments also show a certain contempt for others who have prospered, worked their way up in life, demonstrated their tenacity with intelligence and grace and attained a very high level of recognition and respect from their peers of all demographics. Self righteous conceits are underpinnings of foolish wisdoms wrapped in a cloth of moral superiority. Just another thin veil…So don’t get played.

    0

  5. It’s awesome to be able to celebrate our own culture, but it’s not okay to judge others because their interests fall more in line with those of another culture. Black people, unlike most racial/ethnic groups on EARTH are judge by their lowest common denominator and assumed to be that stereotype until proven otherwise which is the case, by other Black’s like councilwoman McBride.

    There are 40 million African Americans, and for some reason we are assumed to be a monolith, socially, politically and culturally. Black folks have to learn to think with a free and independent mind. You can’t allow others to blanketly influence you so please beware of professional political hacks or political mercenaries or better yet political whores who get paid to promote a given candidate. (Steve, Ralph, Wanda & McBride) They don’t necessarily care about you or me. That is their job, right councilwoman, minister, Ganim rump kisser McBride-Lee?

    0

  6. I think most voters will see this as an act of desperation on Little Joe Ganim’s part. He coopted May McBride-Lee and Ernie “Moses” Newton with DTC endorsements. They used to represent the interests of the African-American community; now they represent the interests of Little Joe Ganim and the dark lord Mario Testa.

    Amazing what forty pieces of silver can buy these days…

    0

  7. Humanity- There is no such thing as the separation of church and state in the United States Constitution.

    TBK – This goes beyond Joe and Bridgeport’s election.

    jdon – The Black vote will relatively comparable to Finch’s and Ganim’s election but will lean towards.
    Moore. The white vote will lean toward Joe. because I do acknowledge racism, as well as, inclination. (barring political alliance) It’s the Latino vote that needs to be looked at closely. They don’t have a chip in the race, so their inclination can vary and is racially unknown (JMO)

    Ron and Day – Since I am not black and my first impression of this term “not being black enough” was when blacks used it against Obama against Hilary, because Obama being white and having a white mother which made him of mix race, white and black, hence “not black enough”

    Day, I now believe, that was not the case? Was it?

    I now believe this charge of “not black enough” when one black says it to another black is not about race, skin tone, and is more about the closeness to the white community. Your comment implies to it as well.

    “McBride and people like her believe they are the legitimate holders of “real black culture”, and everyone else is a sellout or white washed. That assertion is as absurd as Minister McBride calling herself a minister. Is not being Black enough like”

    Ralph and Wanda do not dress in African Garb and Steve, well? When I think of black culture JZ, Kanye, Lil Wayne, even Eminem come to mind.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV2ssT8lzj8

    What I have a harder time understanding, you, Ron, JML, and others make charging that Joe and his administration as being racist or “White Supremacy”. If that’s your belief, are you also calling (Ralph, Wanda & McBride and others like them (black) as being deplorable? The same charge you made against Rev. McBride. Well, Steve is white and Jewish so I will place your injection of Steve as a deplorable in your racist and antisemite column. 🙂

    If I am wrong again on this term, “not being black enough” please tell me straight out, spell it out in SIMPLE English for know confusion. Not to mention JML like things to be OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT and HONEST. 🙂

    As for selling out, if it was just about race, Black, Francis would win the black vote based on his performance at the Mayoral Forum. But as a Republican, he too might be deplorable according to Hilary Clinton.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5D2RvIQwQE

    0

  8. My stance brings a casino, gaming, to the Port, a real casino, not a cheap sawdust casino, making the Port an entertainment destination. That will take some heavy lifting, at the state level and here in the Port.

    My posts take lean toward Joe is for that very reason. Sen. Moore neither didn’t work hard for a Bridgeport Casino Bill nor is it going to be a priority of her, as mayor of the Port. Those are her words and her acts in the Senate. I can’t understand it, Trumbull and Monroe don’t not want it. Something to think about, because a Walmart or strip mall developments are not game-changers for the Port.

    Joe, on the other hand, while not too enthusiastic about gaming in the Port and is keeping a casino at arm’s length, it can be tweeted, Rep. Rasorio and Sen. Bradley who are vocal pro-casino advocates in Hartford. These election cycle go by pretty quick. It seems like just yesterday Joe was bald and mending fences. 🙂 JS

    https://www.ctinsider.com/local/ctpost/article/Ganim-Moore-talk-about-Bridgeport-s-economic-14374668.php#photo-18152240

    0

        1. Ron since JML might be afraid or his schedule will not allow him to answer my question on what’s exactly “white supremacy” and is Frank’s mentality, asking me to go back to school and stay here, OIB, away for what he perceives is only for his opinion domain, supremacy. Frank being white, would you call that, “white supremacy”, and are you Frank’s McBride? Un-like JML you are not afraid right? #black culture. 🙂

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5-yKhDd64s

          0

  9. Personally I found the response from NAACP’s president George Mintz tepid at best. The only thing he said as an admonishment or to repudiate the vile statement from McBride Lee was “So they’re going there.”
    If as an organization he is going to be critical of police abuse or others acts of racism then righteousness dictates that he is as critical when blatant racism is done by a Black person to another Black person.

    I found the letter from the NAACP Communications Director equally tepid because like the response from the president it didn’t deal with the reprehensible, vile comment from McBride Lee in a personal nature. Instead it beat around the bush with respect as who the person was that made this vile statement while Never mentioning her name and talking in general terms. Like most Black’s I don’t expect much from the NAACP because they’ve grown into a paper tiger without any teeth left.

    To George Mintz, if you’re going to do the job then righteousness dictates that you speak out on ALL issues of racism whether it is done by a Black minister or a white person and your condemnation should be swift and personal to the person that commits those acts of racism. You don’t have the luxury of not offending those that use racists statements, by anyone for any reason.

    0

  10. Day, following the path of JML, what does the tepid NAACP statement on McBride tell you?

    The NAACP not calling out Black racism and only white racism, wouldn’t that make it a racist organization?

    Where they, NAACP implicit in fostering racism by not speaking out and not asking the firing of the black officers involved in their racism behavior within the BPD, and only asking for the firing of the white officers for their racist behavior?

    Do you feel the NAACP response was also tepid in the shooting death of Jayson?

    Was the NAACP tepid demand for body and dash cams for the BPD implicit is the continued abuse of the officers in the BPD?

    #Blackculture.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPA2czkOsFE

    0

Leave a Reply