Truer Than Blue Connecticut

Paul Bass’ estimate of the state of the state election is fairly accurate:

“Connecticut went true blue—bluer than ever. Malloy will have become the first Democrat to win the governor’s office since 1986. Democrat Richard Blumenthal captured an open U.S. Senate seat the party had seemed until only recently in danger of losing. And all five of the state’s U.S. House seats went to Democrats again—even though the 4th and 5th District appeared at times heading to turn red. Democrats also swept the under ticket constitutional offices.”

While Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz has called the gubernatorial election in favor of Dan Malloy, Republicans may contest her finding in court. For someone who had been found by Connecticut’s Supreme Court to have lacked the requisite court experience to serve as attorney general, Bysiewicz certainly has been spending an inordinate amount of time in court.

Nationally, Republicans appear to have swept the boards: They won back the U.S. House of Representatives and a number of prime gubernatorial offices, but not in truer than blue Connecticut. No fewer than 19 legislative bodies switched from Democrat to Republican. Democrats have lost key chairmanships in the U.S. Congress; among the fallen is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. When Rep. John Larson returns to the House I the new session, he will find it remodeled. Republicans also picked up some seats in the U.S. Senate.

Some commentators, though not yet here in truer-than-blue Connecticut, are asserting that the national change – not the sort of change President Barack Obama approves – is a stunning repudiation of the president’s agenda. After a display of partisanship unmatched in recent times during which Democrats passed a Health Care bill and a massive Dodd-Frank regulatory Bill, it is expected that leading Democrats in the congress, their status and power much diminished, will begin in the new session to call for non-partisanship as a means to consolidate their programs. Sen. Richard Blumenthal will be among them. Connecticut’s senior Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman, repudiated by his own party, has indicated that he may be willing to caucus with Republicans.

Change is in the air, but not here in truer-than-blue Connecticut, the status quo state.