21 comments

  1. Honestly, Lennie? I voted for Ganim, so much for the poll. What it does show is the readership. So far we see about 75 people voted.

    Mary-Jane Foster has the cash, foot soldiers, endorsements and excitement on her side. To be honest I did not even know she had supporters on this blog. Okay, I know of 12.

    Everyone missed a fantastic gathering this evening at the Klein. I am actually surprised Lennie was not there.

    Jennifer Buchanan. There were so many Republicans there whom I have not seen in 30 years. Many and most from Black Rock. Foster has serious support there as does Bill Finch. I was surprised about your comment regarding Kathleen Pierce being there as a paid fundraiser. I can only tell you she is a lovely lady and many Black Rock Republicans were there. Of course it was a nice diverse crowd. Every corner of the city stopped in and out to wish Mary-Jane Foster well. Marilyn Moore gave a very nice speech and Introduction for Mary-Jane Foster. A few weeks ago, I heard Mayor Bill Finch give an amazing off-the-cuff introduction for Mary-Jane Foster that absolutely blew me away at a packed meet and greet. It is hard to believe with only three days to go and public property lawn signs disappearing. It is clear Foster has finally begun to surge. After months of opposition with eight signs per lawn the new norm, it is nice to see the city without signs on every vacant home, public dump sites and medians up and down main arteries. I know Ganim is getting very very nervous. Chris Taylor alone has been resonating with Ganim supporters. His showing will be humiliating to Coviello. Mary-Jane Foster has built bridges into all party affiliates. Bridgeporters are going to come out in force for Foster. Row G. For those Ganim and Torres supporters who have shown disrespect to Finch since before the primary, take notice. He can and will deliver eight thousand votes to Mary-Jane Foster. Add Caruso and his loyal supporters and so many more including great volunteers and you have a winning candidate. Anyone think Finch is not still a much respected Mayor? Think again. Go Mary-Jane, go row G!

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    1. Steven, MJF is not Bill Finch, he would have been a much better candidate than she is. I’m sure he will help sway some of his supporters to her, but I don’t think with the huge numbers you predict. If Republicans support her that’s great, we all know you could fit most of Bridgeport’s Republicans in few school buses. Rick is going for Democrats, unaffiliated and probably a few Atheists thrown in for good measure. The R next to his name is simply the party affiliation he chose, partially to distance himself from the dirty machine that has tried to destroy the city. It’s likely those prominent Republicans in attendance are being treated just fine by the machine, and fear the only anti-machine candidate Rick Torres will upset the status quo. I guarantee those prominent, well-to-do Black Rock Republicans fear Rick Torres becoming Mayor more than Joe Ganim. The machine’s endless gravy train based on power, status and connections will end with Rick; and will be replaced by a system that will reward honesty, integrity and a job done well.

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      1. Mr. Boland, very eloquently put. I do not see Mary-Jane Foster as part of the machine. Mayor Finch was an excellent candidate and through a comedy of errors the woman I believed in four years ago has again become my candidate. I am proud of Mary-Jane Foster. I am proud the Mayor who has transformed our city with bricks and mortar is now 100 percent behind Foster. Any vote for Torres will be a waste. The Republican plan was to run Torres to get Ganim elected at the expense of our future. I appreciate your support of Torres. Mary-Jane Foster is not part of the machine. She in fact can be the one who stimulates the change within the party. Mayor Finch also had bucked the party on occasion. When talking about the machine we are referring to many people I consider friends. Mary-Jane Foster never went to the DTC for them to endorse her. She is not part of the machine. I am supporting her because I believe she shares my vision of the future of Bridgeport. She is a smart businesswoman. She understands my favorite topic of economic development. She is a well respected businesswoman and has connections Hartford. She is personal friends with Malloy. She has the the support of elected officials across the city and State. She will have the same positive relationship with Government officials bringing funds to Bridgeport. She has the funds to take her campaign to the finish line. Do you really believe your vote for Torres is gong to help our city by electing Ganim? At this point I do not believe Torres represents an issue for Foster. She will have a very strong finish. I respect the desire of all the candidates and thank them for wanting to run our city. I know Foster represents the best Bridgeport has to offer. She will make a wonderful role model for young girls in our city. She will represent our city most beautifully and she is a tough lady! Mr. Boland, make your vote count. We do not see Foster as any part of the Mario Testa machine. That is Joe Ganim. Vote Foster, row G.

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      2. Rick Torres became a Republican as an independent thinker, a libertarian, and a disenfranchised Democrat, who could not surrender his personal integrity for a place in Bridgeport machine politics. However he has in no way stopped asking for Republican support in Bridgeport. His ideals are based on fiscal responsibility and sound open governance. These are Republican ideals and should be the ideals of any person concerned about accurate and honest government. His social side is for the people, regardless of their politics, politics are most movable and fluid, especially to people in politics. Case in point is Bill Finch asking Rick to let him run as the Republican candidate. Lennie has chronicled that fact recently. The voter in many cases thinks of their political identity as a badge of honor, which perhaps it should be. To the politician, political party is mostly the team you happen to be on. Feel free to tell me all the distinctions between parties, we have a day left and Torres encompasses most of your contradictions. He is a man of the people running an honest, populist campaign. He is poised to win this election. Let your laughter resound in your house or wherever you may be. Just remember it on Wednesday and then try to celebrate the new and open spirit of government in Bridgeport with a Torres win. Good luck. And George, your writing has been excellent in my humble opinion.

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  2. Steven, I understand you (and many others) have personal relationships and believe in the good motivations of individuals who are part of “the machine,” and I’m sure there are some fine, decent people involved. However, this city is broken on many levels, and if the machine didn’t cause it, the machine hasn’t fixed it. You may believe MJF is an original and strong independent voice who will change the ethical standards and deliver a successful administration that will benefit the city. I say, even if her motivations are as pure as the virgin snow and her ethics sound, the machine is like a rapacious creditor who will stop at nothing to be paid, and she will have no choice but to pay. If some of the gears and belts in the machine still work and the motor is shot, the gears and belts will do nothing. The “working” parts of the machine should not be discarded with the motor though, they should be removed and restored into a brand-new efficient and modern machine with a new motor. These “good” parts will be successfully integrated into this new motor. They will not be judged by their association with the old broken machine, but by their contribution to the sleek, modern motor they’re in now. MJF may think she has good intentions for Bridgeport, but if she really did she would have supported Rick Torres rather than run independent of a major party. She still has a couple of days to endorse him, perhaps she’ll see the light.

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    1. George, let’s see. Foster has the support, funds and endorsements to beat Ganim. Rick has none of that. I am asking Rick Torres to support Mary-Jane Foster. Foster is endorsed by Weiker, Panuzio, Finch, Caruso, Stafstrom, Moore and Ed Gomes. Raised $200,000 in the past week. Has a serious campaign. I think Rick needs to face the obvious and Mr. Boland, although I respect Rick, his current video on his Facebook page is a vain attempt to disparage Mary-Jane Foster. The video must be a joke! It is reprehensible at best and he should be ashamed for posting it. But he is not. Desperate times, desperate measures I guess.

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      1. You’re the one who should be ashamed. Must not have been a big turnout for the rally. Both Torres and The Crook have been drawing supporters away from Foster.

        Linda McMahon put up millions of her own money in pursuit of a Senate seat. She was resoundingly defeated. Money and endorsements don’t amount to much if the public doesn’t like the candidate.

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          1. The pedigree doesn’t matter. MJF dropped a lot of her own dough into the primary and ended up with a whopping 9% of the vote. Money doesn’t buy elections, no matter who puts it up.

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      2. As a taxpayer and a Democrat, I think Mary–Jane Foster should be honest with the people of Bridgeport and tell us what kind of deal she made with ex-Mayor Finch and John Stafstrom.
        The backdoor deal with Finch and Stafstrom is just the kind of thing Foster has been complaining about for the past four years!
        Now that the shoe is on the other foot, transparency be damned!
        Now that Mary-Jane is in with the Strafstrom, Pullman & Comley Machine, she can care less about the taxpayers of Bridgeport.
        Now she wants to have a conversation with city employees/city councilman like Tom McCarthy about sitting on the city council, or her dear good friend Sal DiNardo’s millions of dollars in back taxes! A conversation?
        95% of Mary-Jane’s campaign money comes from people who live out of town!
        Stop Mary–Jane from giving Finch and Stafstrom a job!
        Vote Joe Ganim on Tuesday November 3rd.

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  3. Considering the fact the unique votes are likely counted by separate IP address, the potential is each voter can place as many votes as he or she has unique IP addresses. As George Thorogood might sing: One desktop, One Laptop, One Phone.

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  4. My first impression was, “would you look at that shit!” Torres ahead of Ganim marginally, Mary-Jane pulling up the rear. Also has me in line for winning the OIB Swami thing, from a look at the numbers. Oh, if each vote is an independent IP address, and can vote as often as you can blah blah blah … then go ahead and do it. Steven, if you voted for Ganim above, then you are a moron. Sorry. We won the last poll on OIB and can only hope it is reflective of the city. The unwashed masses who vote don’t read it though and white-bread Mary-Jane ain’t gonna cut it. I learned a long time ago if you beat the rhubarb roots real good with an axe, the rhubarb will come up stronger next time. Go Torres!!!

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  5. Over-posting again. I know. What is clear is this OIB site is read by informed people who understand the backstories of the politics in Bridgeport. That said, it is an indication of voter support of people who read political information. A large voter turnout does not read anything political, they either get impressions from meeting a candidate or from past associations, especially with Ganim. The even larger factor in the uninformed voters’ decision making is the automatic choice of voting the Democrat top line. On that basis, Ganim will be hard to beat, Torres and he being fairly even on OIB. It is imperative Foster supporters think on these things and consider voting for Torres. For Foster to pull 30% in the general election will be a great showing, setting her up for another run in some years, but Ganim will win. I truly believe her 1400 primary votes should have gone to Finch to beat Ganim in the primary. Now, the same is occurring in the general election. Please vote Torres to beat Ganim.

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  6. Based on results in OIB as of this writing. A 20,000 vote turnout would score 37% Torres 7400 votes, 35% Ganim 7000 votes, and Foster 5000 votes at 25%. My swami prediction a couple pages back is Torres 7400 votes, Ganim 7200 votes, Foster 5250 votes. What is yours?

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