Which Way?
Photo by Steve Kotchko
Posted 1/18/10
In his classic offering “The Road Not Taken”, American poet Robert Frost ponders the choices we all face in life. A metaphorical walk places Frost in a wood where “two roads diverged” and he selects “the one less traveled by”, keeping the other path for “another day”, while quietly admitting he probably would never come back for that option.
That symbolism should not be lost on an increasing number of Connecticut politicians who have engaged in a game of switcheroo in recent months—suddenly leaving one “path” to elective office for another.
This phenomenon was spawned by the dramatic decisions of Republican Gov. Jodi Rell and Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd not to seek reelection. Those two moves broke a logjam in Connecticut politics, tempting many to seek higher office, and prompting some established candidates to switch races in mid-campaign.
The first statewide candidate to “flip” was former ambassador Thomas Foley who said he wanted to be a United States senator and was seeking the Republican nomination. When Rell bowed out, Foley, announced he would try for governor instead.
At about the same time in November, State Sen. Sam Caligiuri (R-Waterbury) also dropped out of the U.S. Senate battle. Caligiuri decided instead to run for Congress in the 5th District. The seat is now held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy.
When Dodd stepped away from the Senate race, Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal quickly announced he would drop his own bid for reelection, to try for the U.S. Senate—a lifelong goal.
As the political “domino effect” continued, Democratic Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz shook up some observers by dropping her “exploratory” bid for governor to run for the attorney general’s post. Her move was a bit surprising because Bysiewicz was the frontrunner among Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls in past polls.
It’s hard to figure out why the 2010 campaigns have been characterized by this game of musical chairs, but it may be due in part to the political adrenaline released by the Rell and Dodd departures, creating golden opportunities at the top of Connecticut’s political food chain, and making ambitious pols dizzy.
There is a risk in this exercise for all who choose to play. Voters may view bouncing from one campaign to another as sheer political opportunism. Was Candidate X really interested in working for the people in Washington or was that candidate just looking for the best chance to get elected to something big? Does Candidate Y have what it takes to hold an executive post such as governor, as opposed to being a member of Congress?
In their rush to switch some of these candidates found themselves in embarrassing situations.
Foley held a media event to move from the Senate race to the gubernatorial contest. He read his speech, then quickly left the stage without taking reporters’ questions. Journalists complained and Foley returned to take a few inquiries, but appeared uncomfortable.
Bysiewicz found herself in double trouble. Former state Democratic party chairman George Jepsen, a potential challenger for the Democratic attorney general nomination, said if elected, he would serve all four years of his term, and he challenged Bysiewicz to promise the same. She would not take the bait, saying no one knows what the future will bring. There’s speculation that if Bysiewicz is elected attorney general, she’d polish her statewide image in that office for two years, setting herself up for a U.S. Senate run in 2012.
Days after her announcement, Bysiewicz found herself defending her legal credentials. A blogger on legal topics noted that state law requires the attorney general to have 10 years experience in “active practice at the bar of this state”, and questioned whether Bysiewicz met the standard.
Bysiewicz let this odd controversy simmer for a while before taking action. She told reporters her critics were using a strict and “irresponsible” interpretation of the phrase “active practice” viewing it as private practice of law. Accordingly to Bysiewicz, the correct definition of “active practice” is simply being a member in good standing with the Connecticut bar.
Seeking more illumination, Bysiewicz now is asking Blumenthal to offer a formal legal opinion on how to define the official eligibility requirements of his job.
This campaign year remains fluid and chaotic, so don’t be surprised if additional contenders for high office bow out, switch to another campaign, run back to seek reelection for their current office, or quit politics entirely to raise Alpacas.