In 2012, president Obama attacked Mitt Romney as an out of touch rich guy who did not understand most Americans. The attack was nonsense, but it worked, and Obama won. This year, I have been watching the same attack get recycled in Connecticut. This time Democrat governor Dan Malloy is attacking Tom Foley, the Republican candidate for governor. Malloy has been in big trouble because his term in office has basically been a failure. He promised no new taxes and then put through an enormous tax increase once in office to "permanently" close the state budget gap. Three years later, because of the complete lack of spending control, Connecticut once again has an enormous budget deficit which needs-- you guessed it -- another massive tax increase. On top of the budget mess, Malloy has been unable to get the Connecticut economy to keep pace with the neighboring states. Things are so bad here that in a recent poll, Connecticut topped all 50 states in having the highest number of residents who would prefer to live somewhere else. When all this is put together, it means that even in very blue Connecticut, Malloy is in trouble.
For most of this year, polls have shown either a tie or a Foley lead. Lately, however, Malloy has shifted tactics. The governor has gone all negative and only attacks Foley. No solutions to state problems are offered. No programs for the future are mentioned. Every ad that I see on TV and every bit of mail that I receive from the Malloy campaign is focused on the fact that Foley is rich. In the Malloy literature and ads, Foley is not only rich, but he clearly does not care about others. According to Malloy, Foley wants guns in all homes, he wants to close schools and clinics, and he wants everyone in need to be abandoned. The attack is clearly phony, but it is going on non-stop, seven days a week.
So will the Malloy tactic work? Certainly the pro-Democrat media is supporting it. Just this morning, I read a hit piece by the local Hearst newspaper on Foley's "wealth" as a campaign issue. The reporter ginned up issues about Foley's tax returns that were laughable to someone who understands what this law professor "expert" was saying. For example, Foley suffered a loss in a business that he owns and used the loss to reduce the income from other sources. That is exactly how one is supposed to handle such a loss on what is called a "subchapter S" corporation. Nevertheless, the reporter asked the "expert" if the loss was proper and was told that without seeing the tax return of the corporation, the "expert" could not tell. Suddenly, there was a question about the validity of the loss. To understand how silly this, you need to think of it this way. If you report your wages on your tax return because you get a w-2 from your employer that shows those wages, the "expert" in the article would say that maybe those wages as reported are not proper because he hasn't seen the books of your employer.
My guess is that Malloy's tactic may work. It ought not do so, but in Connecticut the loyalty to the Democrats runs deep. If Foley can keep the attention focused on Malloy, then Foley will win since Malloy has been such a clearly incompetent governor. If the electorate allows itself to be distracted by attacks on the "evil rich", then Malloy may pull it out. The latest polls still show a tie.
For most of this year, polls have shown either a tie or a Foley lead. Lately, however, Malloy has shifted tactics. The governor has gone all negative and only attacks Foley. No solutions to state problems are offered. No programs for the future are mentioned. Every ad that I see on TV and every bit of mail that I receive from the Malloy campaign is focused on the fact that Foley is rich. In the Malloy literature and ads, Foley is not only rich, but he clearly does not care about others. According to Malloy, Foley wants guns in all homes, he wants to close schools and clinics, and he wants everyone in need to be abandoned. The attack is clearly phony, but it is going on non-stop, seven days a week.
So will the Malloy tactic work? Certainly the pro-Democrat media is supporting it. Just this morning, I read a hit piece by the local Hearst newspaper on Foley's "wealth" as a campaign issue. The reporter ginned up issues about Foley's tax returns that were laughable to someone who understands what this law professor "expert" was saying. For example, Foley suffered a loss in a business that he owns and used the loss to reduce the income from other sources. That is exactly how one is supposed to handle such a loss on what is called a "subchapter S" corporation. Nevertheless, the reporter asked the "expert" if the loss was proper and was told that without seeing the tax return of the corporation, the "expert" could not tell. Suddenly, there was a question about the validity of the loss. To understand how silly this, you need to think of it this way. If you report your wages on your tax return because you get a w-2 from your employer that shows those wages, the "expert" in the article would say that maybe those wages as reported are not proper because he hasn't seen the books of your employer.
My guess is that Malloy's tactic may work. It ought not do so, but in Connecticut the loyalty to the Democrats runs deep. If Foley can keep the attention focused on Malloy, then Foley will win since Malloy has been such a clearly incompetent governor. If the electorate allows itself to be distracted by attacks on the "evil rich", then Malloy may pull it out. The latest polls still show a tie.
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