After the bitter Democratic mayoral primary, the loser, Ellen Zoppo, left a congratulatory message on the home answering machine of the winner, Art Ward.
That's the only communication between them since the polls closed more than two weeks ago.
So while the wound within the party may not be bleeding, it's certainly not healed.
Ward said he doesn't know if lingering hard feelings from her supporters could hurt in the Nov. 6 general election.
"I haven't analyzed all of that," he said.
Ward said, though, "I hope all Democrats will come together for a victory on Nov. 6, a victory for the community."
While he hasn't reached out to Zoppo, Ward has extended a hand to the city councilors who were backing Zoppo.
"We need to focus on working as an administration," Ward said, explaining that he intends to work with whoever wins a council seat to try to give them the assignments they most want so they'll be excited and happy to work for the common good.
"Everybody wins" is a better managerial philosophy than trying to cut some people out of the loop, Ward said. He's felt cut off since Mayor William Stortz stripped most of his plumb committee assignments away and left him largely on the sidelines the past 22 months.
Ward said that if responsibility is shared among the entire council, the workload is shared and the achievements greater.
"Everybody's part of everything," Ward said.
He said he expects differences of opinion and disagreement on particular votes. But at the end of the day, Ward said, he wants the entire council -- including any Republicans who might win -- to feel they are part of a team dedicated to boosting Bristol.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
27 comments:
How can Mr. Ward ever trust the Mr. Lydem and Mr. McCauley? Lydem, who is the union guy, sided with Ellen, not Ward who had the Union endorsment. Also do you really think Ellen isn't still telling McCauley what to do? Mr. Ward, watch your back....they will both take you down with them! You won the primary without them. You surely don't need them to win Mayor, they will only hurt you!
Art doesn't need advise from Republicans, thank you very much.
I would believe that Art Ward is astute enough to realize that he cannot win the general election without Zoppo's base support.
Let's be realistic, it was not a landslide win. The % appears to be resounding, but few people voted and only registered Democrats could vote.
I also assume Ken Johnson knows that if he can attract a good portion of the Zoppo base, he has a good chance of winning.
"Divide and Conquer" are not ingredients for a Democratic Party victory against the Republicans. If Ward's base support believes they can beat the Republicans without Zoppo's base, they will be on the outside again, looking in.
Ward is not extending the olive branch just for grins. He gets it.
Considering that Art Ward's people are still out there slamming Ellen and rejoicing that she'll be out of office completely, why should she be more gracious?
There is a term for Ms. Zoppo's behavior, "sore loser".
And yes, while Ward's primary win was not a landslide and voter turnout was low, he won across the board against a party endorsed candidate.
At the very least this should tell the party that it is losing touch with the people. Their endorsement did not convince people to take a few minutes to vote.
Ms. Zoppo received the same message in the last primary and following election when she, a highly visible incumbent was out-polled by a unknown novice, Kevin McCauley. She failed to understand that she needed to shore up her support among her constituents. In her hubris, and I can think of no better word to describe it, she fell to a nice guy but not a very strong candidate in Art Ward.
I am not a fan of Ward, and yes I am glad Zoppo is out. She got what she gave to people all these years. I am glad she is gone!
To Poster 7:27pm,
I doubt very much that you could have or will be able to contribute as much to the City of Bristol as Ellen has. Time will show that her tenure on the council was a major contribution to Bristol's Future. It's been a long time since anyone of either party has tackled as many issues and looked at them with tremendous foresite for the benefit of the citizens of Bristol.
In response to Art's comments that "while the wound within the party may not be bleeding, it's certainly not healed" - it is evident that Art's supporters still insist on bashing Ellen. If he really wants to "heal the party", he would ask his supporters to cease the bashing and embrace everyone. Arts position should be to bring Ellen into the fold and utilize all of the assets of the DTC, as she has conveyed to all of her supporters that "we are all still Democrats and need to work together".
Art is pretending to take the high road, but his pals are clearly still bashing Ellen.
Its pretty funny that Art can't pick up the phone and be "the leader" to mend fences but Ken Johnson takes her out to breakfast last week. And on primary night, I believe the Press quoted her urging her supporters to support Ward, and at his place, the Democrats who came in got "jeered and booed." Sure people who don't like her may think Ellen got what she deserved but I fear the city of bristol got what it deserved.
"If the workload is shared by the entire Council..."
Like how Art pitched in and did his share over the last few years? Hmmm, this is going to be intersting. I think I might pop a big bowl of popcorn and see how well the televised council meetings go now that according to the people on this blog the evil witch of the west end (aka the only one who knew what the hell is going on) is dead.
What a stupid posting to lead off this section - if Art didn't "need" his council, then this would be a monarchy, not a democracy. He needs three friends on the Counsel to get anything done and it doesn't look like he has them at this point. And if his only "friends" are Kilby and Ragani, then God Help US ALL.
I love how people on this blog try to make their own truth. Ellen is NOT a sore loser - she is more than fine with this and is not in any way shape or form bitter. Her supporters, well, that's another story. She was nothing but gracious on Primary Night. It was everyone else that was upset. She's going to her meetings, wrapping up her stuff, and is absolutely fine. A better use of energy is asking Ward to talk on the issues and to call his goons off - some of the people in his circle are downright scary.
A handful of Art's supporters, like the former Democrat Al Chinchetti, only diminish their own reputations by continuing to kick their downed opponent. Al showed what kind of "man" he is by his "I couldn't have SCRIPTED a better finish" crack at the council meeting this month after Ellen lost the primary. Sorry, Republicans, but Ellen's supporters are fully behind Art despite some of his so-called "supporters".
Ellen has proven she cannot be trusted - scripting, FOI issues, don't forget she is the one who didn't want Ward to know about the scripted program - and you want Ward to take her into the fold?
Sure and we should all try and make rattlesnakes pets!
and, as happened during the Primary campaign, the badgering, unconfirmed insinuations continue on from the zoppo supporters about "ward's people are doing this, ward's people are doing that:, it's time to give up those child-like, non-productive actions and move forward.
I'm not sure where the "fact" arose that Democrats who showed up at Ward's victory party drew jeers and boos. I was there and I didn't notice that at all. Now could there have been a few drunken louts in the back who showed disdain for the council candidates who backed Zoppo? Sure. I can easily believe that. But the vast majority of the people at Ward's victory party -- including Ken Johnson and the rest of the GOP ticket -- were pretty gracious.
In response to Art's comments that "while the wound within the party may not be bleeding, it's certainly not healed" - it is evident that Art's supporters still insist on bashing Ellen.
Art didn't make that statement. If you go back to the post you will see that it was the reporters words, not Arts.
No one is continuing to bash Ellen. However, she shouldn't have left a congratulatory message on an answering machine calling him at home where she knew he wouldn't be. She also should have stepped up to the plate and made arrangements to meet with Art by now.
She appears to be pouting.
The way Ellen has handled defeat has been wrong, but the way some of Artie's people have been handling their victory is also wrong, they need to lay off the Ellen bashing.
the fact that people are still bashing ellen zoppo even after defeat is wrong and unfair and does not speak well o fart ward's ability tolead the message ofh is supoorters.
I somehow think that if Art had lost he wouldn't have been hitching a ride up to the Elks Club either, so I think this thread has gone off the path of usefulness. Acknowledging his win and conceding is the point of making contact and Ellen did that. Leave her alone, for God's sake.
The jeering and boos were reported in the Hartford Courant. That reporter clearly heard them from wherever he was standing.
Can we all just get over it? Ellen is gone now lets look toward moving Bristol in the right direction. Enough of the bashing.
If the Courant's reporter heard any jeers and boos, which I don't doubt, they came from a few drunks in the back. To say the candidates were greeted with jeers and boos is simply not true. The vast majority of the people there applauded when the other Democratic candidates showed up. It's misleading to say otherwise.
Steve< i am sure you are correct about boos coming from a few drunks in the back but that is the problem that some people have with the direction this town is taking. I like Arty but in essence, we run the risk of all the boards being filled with his bar cronies. We have to raise the bar in this town!
anon 10:16, you are correct, unfortunately.
Would it be impossible for our registered voters of all parties to stop thumping their breasts and agree to disagree? It is correct that anyone in politics has to watch their back - but that is any town, USA. Still, we have a job to do and that is to watch, listen, learn. The quiet ones that are listening instead of slinging are the ones with Bristol's future true in their hearts. How about we all just listen and vote our conscience come November? Whomever is elected, let's rally up to the sidebar and stand directly behind him. After all, he will be the one person that the majority of our fellow voters elected. Don't cry over spilt milk, stand and walk together. It is the only way to survive.
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