“I’m disappointed he filed an independent thing for November,” Democratic mayoral nominee Ellen Zoppo said a few minutes ago.
“I think that’s two bites of the apple. And for someone who’s spent his life in the Democratic Party, it’s disappointing.”
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
38 comments:
Ms. Zoppo stacked the deck when it came to the DTC it would have been a different outcome, and you know it. They do not make up all of the voters in Bristol.
It (independant) worked out very well for another well known democrat.
Of course she is disappointed. If you throw the rest of the voting population into it (U's and R's) Ellen has less of a chance of winning.
anon: fine, if Zoppo stacked the deck, then you primary. but running as an independent afterward if he loses the primary reeks of being a sore loser and could cost the Democrats victory in November. obviously Ward only cares about himself. Ragani too.
Zoppo isn't as disappointed as I am that she got the endorsement. I gladly supported ward's petition and will follow it up with votes in the primary and the general election when the rest of the city gets a true chance to vote.
Who cares what Zoppo has to say? She has been eating the whole apple for the last 2 years and she is now complaining? Get real!
Hey Ellen do you want some crackers with that whine?
Looks like Ms. Zoppo is getting worried. Good luck Mr. Ward.The good people of Bristol will not be swayed by a stacked D.T.C.We are smarter than that.
So if Democrats reject him (again) in September, Ward hopes Republicans will embrace him in November. This proves what some of us have been saying about him for years: he's a DINO in more ways than one.
"Stacked the deck"?! What an ignorant comment. Town committee members are elected by the Democrats of Bristol, not Ellen Zoppo. They know Artie better than the average Brisol democrat, and they chose Ellen. That says a lot.
It's not about the DTC. Ward is willing to turn his back on regular Democrats if they don't pick him in the primary. It has nothing to do with the DTC.
I think Art Ward's decision to primary as a Democrat, and then run possibly as an Independent, is an excellet idea. It shows the people just how much he really wants the job. It would be alot easier for him to give up than to move forward. It shows how much courage and motivation Mr. Ward has. Nothing personal towards Mrs Zoppo, the job is open to everyone, but it is really the DTC that should be ashamed of itself by pulling the rug out from under such a good person in the 11th hour..
It doesn't show how much he wants the job, it shows how desperate he is to get the job, that he is willing to leave the Democratic party (and don't fall for the hype....that is what he is willing to do to get elected) and abandon any semblance of party loyalty. Party loyalty may not mean a lot to many people, but I think it does to the kind of people Ward wants to appeal to. This will backfire on him. He is no Joe Lieberman.
Let's evaluate this situation - zoppo stacks the DTC and then says that her endorsement is the will of the Democratic party but ward gets the signatures of 800 Democrats who say that ward represents the ideals of bristol democrats and she is right? What is wrong with this picture, except that she is still in it?
Zoppo said "a lot of people are offended" that Ward isn't just taking his chances in the Democratic primary.
Who are alot of people and why do they care if he's running independant or democrat? Is it because Art has a better chance of capturing the overall vote than Ellen is?
I don't think this statement is correct. There are more U's than R's in Bristol. The U's could force a win all by themselves.
Anonymous said...
So if Democrats reject him (again) in September, Ward hopes Republicans will embrace him in November. This proves what some of us have been saying about him for years: he's a DINO in more ways than one.
August 8, 2007 9:49 PM
I think it's better that he is running without party backing. He isn't responsible to anyone except the voters. Mocabee isn't running his campaign (whewww!) and the DTC isn't demanding him to follow a certain line of campaigning. FINALLY a candidate that is only answering to the voters!
The average, educated voter is getting really tired of party loyalists. They are growing tired of the in-fighting and the pressures put on elected reps to act in a certain way. People in this country have been moving towards the middle for years. There is a reason why people are abandoning their Democratic and Republican parties. They want elected "free thinkers" who really have the "peoples" best interests in mind. Why isn't the local DTC being held responsible for not being loyal to a long time Dem such as Mr. Ward? Loyalty works both ways.
Zoppo can be disappointed all she wants - bascially she should be looking at it the way the voters are. Either way the VOTERS will get a chance to vote becaue Ward will be on the ballot no matter what. I don't care about party lines, I am an independent, and I can't vote in the primary. There are many like myself that are registered this way. So what are we to do - change to Dem. just to vote in the primary? I think what Ward did was great. Even if he loses the primary - we indep. UA, and Rep. can vote in the election! Kudos to Ward. Zoppo - grow up and get over it! At least he is looking out FOR ALL VOTERS not just DEMOCRATS!
800 Dem signatures and the DTC is 60 votes for Zoppo - you do the math! Who cares about a party anyway - voters are no that stupid (as Zoppo eludes too) that he did not go with his party - that is becasue Ward works for the VOTERS, something Ms. Zoppo has forgotten over the years. For the last 2 years she has been working with Stortz to make Ward look bad becasue shse knew all along how to play that game from "game Master Bill" Do you think it will come to anyone's surprise if Stortz backs Zoppo? We are not that blind. For the past 2 years Stortz took Ward off the majority of committees & Boards - why? Only his head and Zoppo know why. Sorry Zoppo but the average voter in this town is not going to subjected to another 2 years of "my way or no way" mentality and condescending attitudes towards good hard working people. Maybe if you weren't so much like this people would stop pointing out your nastiness. But there is an old saying; "What goes around comes around."
P.S. Republicans don't even want Bill you think they will support you - think again.
Proud Republican
Bristol
Don't really think that ward has lost any sleep over zoppo's disappointment, nor have I.
"Why isn't the local DTC being held responsible for not being loyal to a long time Dem such as Mr. Ward? Loyalty works both ways."
That's a fair question. But loyalty to an old friend has limits (as Joe Lieberman discovered). Art told the DTC "It's my turn". Ellen told them "I'll make a better Mayor". The DTC members did what they felt was in the best interest of Bristol rather than reward a party stalwart with an undeserved prize. The fact that they did so in such overwhelming numbers (48 to 18 I think) is very significant.
I am a DTC member and I'm telling you that ward NEVER said or implied that "it's my turn"; that's more of ellen's rumor loving strategy versus telling the truth.
I don't think the DTC heard Art say "it's my turn". He never said that, but Ellen's camp is doing a good job at trying to make everyone think he said that. What it came down to was that 18 people said "Art will listen to the public and actually take what they say into consideration." The other 48 were either intimidated into it, given a promise or had a personal issue with Art.
Ellen did stack the DTC over the past 4 years. She had certain people voted out that did not support her and then replaced them with people that do support her. Tom Ragaini was one of them. The only people that vote for DTC members are the people that run with the DTC circle. It isn't the same as an election for City Office where thousands come out to vote.
Maybe its time for the VOTERS all voters, Ind. UA, Rep & Dem. to vote the game, non-truth telling, stacking, den-mother, "script" Zoppo out!
I too am on the DTC and she did get people out of the DTC who did not support her and helped to get those that did support her in. At least she should be honest about it. That is why I did not vote for her. I know her all to well. She loves playing games and lieing to get her way is like you breathing air.
Some of you people are pathetic. Maybe, just maybe, people got on the DTC and voted for Ellen because they actually support her and agree with her positions?
Yes, stacked the deck, this is the way it works the DTC takes out a small legal notice in the paper for election and then what they do is have friends come to vote who they want in, (stacking the deck). It is not all democrats that vote, if it is not stacked why not take out an ad letting the public know.
Here's another good one, two of the members were not going to make the meeting the night that they were going to do the nominations. So they had the two resign and voted in two others that voted for Ms. Zoppo. Supposably these two will then resign and the other two will resign.
Now who is ignorant? Think twice before you open your mouth. Do you think we are that stupid.
Ellen Zoppo thinks we are all stupid! The DTC committee should be ashamed of themselves for stooping this low to play this game. But then again look who the Chairman is, enough said. Let the DTC have a good laugh because come election time we can all stand by and watch Ellen's mouth hit the ground.
I'm on the DTC too and "It's my turn" is absolutely what Ward has been saying for the past six months, because it's the only reason he COULD give to the DTC to get them to vote for him at the endorsement meeting last month. He certainly can't use his record, because he has none. I hope for his sake he'll have a broader message for non-party insiders, because nobody outside of the Democratic Party gives a hoot whose "turn" the good ol' boys think it is. They want the best person for the job.
Ward is a man of the people, and the people will decide the real story at the voting booths when the door closes. There is only one lever that will make them feel righteous by pulling it. Scripts.., politics.., and secrecy will dance sour thoughts in their heads, and even Ellen supporters will pull the other lever at the last moment of their moral conscience. She'll never know their names., so... Why not! Choice is a beautiful thing.
Just out of curiosity, if the DTC could revote, after reading posts to this blog regarding the disappointment comment made by Mrs. Zoppo, would the vote be the same? Are their any DTC members who would now vote differently in favor of Mr. Ward? At a glance, it appears to me that the DTC endorsement process may not carry all that much weight like it once did. Actually. I'm thinking it could be a curse.
I voted for Zoppo at the DTC committee, but once I pull that curtain its a different story. Sorry Ellen, but I know you all to well and you are not the kind of Mayor this city needs at this time. Your tactics leave alot to be desired. When I heard how you made 2 members resign becasue they could not be at the meeting, then you tried to say that members of the DTC could only work for the endorsed canidate - that was the last straw. Who are you to dictate this is a free country with choices and you often take our voices away. One member of the DTC has been saying you are a "strong woman" but that is not a compliment - you are a scary endorsed Dem. member who is out of control with power.
I don't want to give my name because I know I will be black balled. I wish you luck, in your future and maybe you should consider working in Hartford but not in our local govt. You have created this huge wedge for the past 2 years and made it out to be Ward's fault, and that is just wrong. Your days of using me and other members of the DTC are over.
I think it's great that Art Ward will be on the ballot in November no matter what. He deserves to be there if he wants to.
"Scripts.., politics.., and secrecy"
Funny how Ward's supporters don't like to talk about the fact that Ward himself was in on the first of the two (it was only two, you know, over four years) so-called "scripts". That's because when he and Ellen were working together he was quite happy to let her do all the thinking and prep work for the important meetings. So what's he gonna do when he's sitting in the Mayor's office all by himself?
Mr. Collins:
I agree with the last post. I was hoping this would be a forum where intelligent, educated individuls could engage in political discourse without people being allowed to insult and name call one another. I love this blog and I would hate to see it turn into the "other" Bristol blog. I, personally, would not allow any post that calls anyone by anything other than there true name. Keep the hateful opinions and descriptives out of it. Post an intelligent response and lets engage in a discussion. Lets not take things personal and insult one another. Let's inform people not degrade them. Thank you.
"scripts"and outlines are not the problem; "exclusion" and "leaks" are the problem.
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