Malloy Crowned; Rogue Delegates Ditch Lamont

Man!! I agree with Chris how ever..this should be a representation of all the people of the city.
http://dl.dlmusic.ru/music/all/n3/3/pink_floyd_-_welcome_to_the_machine.mp3

But in defense of Susie, she is doing her job. Although I do recall her breaking ranks not to long ago with the Paca race. Some times it happens.

Wyman was the clincher for me, when they announced her as the running mate. I of course will still wait for debates to make a final choice. Ned I fear will give the same old one liners with out making promises.

New Haven would be wise to open up the democratic process on their town committee to allow for all voice to be heard and represented at conventions. The days of old political machines are over.

In Manchester, where I serve on the DTC, we took a vote and split our delegates accordingly between Malloy and Lamont. It is the most fair, most open, and simply the right thing to do.

I applaud these two delegates for voting their conscience. That's what it means to be an American.

I also applaud Gary Holder-Winfield, who is quickly establishing himself not only as an authentic voice but the future of the Democratic Party in Connecticut.

voight got it wrong again. the new haven group is quietly supporting Mallory/wyman. A lot more experience and better to represent us in new haven that Lamont. He may have a office in new haven but he represents the burbs.

I respect Chris Randall and his independence, he voted his conscience.

Who is Susie to think she can just fill an 81 delegate slate for one candidate? What kind of democracy is that? Why even have delegates if she has, or thinks she should have that kind of control?

For all of you two party system lovers,Notice how the delegates sold each other out by jumping to the other sides.Were is the true voice of the people. This is why we need a Bull Moose Party. Until then my vote will be as always the Teletubbies.

Wow. Gary is my State Rep. And generally I think he's been doing a good job.

But why be in Mayor DeStefano's face my making that nominating speech?

Totally unnecessary, and it hints that maybe he shares the same hubris that Bill Dyson, his predecessor and mentor, displayed, in backing Lieberman and then Hillary Clinton.

Again, that he chooses to support Malloy over Lamont isn't so much the problem. But that he made that speech as a means of elevating himself?

Ugh...

Anderson,
I respect your opinion but lets look at this again. In most places I would as a state rep be a delegate. Because my opinion on who is best to lead differs I (and anyone in the city who agrees with me like some of the people I represent) are not able to be delegates. It isn't about elevating me, it isn't about being in the Mayors face. I was told I would have to support Malloy to be a delegate and so did not become one. When asked by Malloy to give a seconding speech because I still have openly supported him I agreed. If having a different opinion and being willing to state it in public is "getting in his face" then color me guilty. I however don't think it is.

Gary, I understand that you are supporting Malloy, and I respect you decision and commitment.

But New Haven just bet on Lamont, in a big way, and in the politics of who gets what, I can't believe the city will be rewarded if Malloy prevails.

In any case I hope you'll predicate your Malloy support on Dan not going negative. If we want to win the governorship for the first time in 24 years, we can't afford to be tearing each other apart. (as in the "DeStefano in a dress" ad of last cycle).

Um, don't you have to be a delegate to nominate someone?

I meant I was told I would have to support Lamont not Malloy

First John in a Dress??? Missed that one anyone have a link???
Second REMINDER
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy

And scoop I talk to alot of people over the past month reality is none of them want Ned soooo I understand Ned has the doe ray me to run the ads ect. But all that has really happened there is THE PEOPLE get to pick the candidate they want at primary time. Malloy wins then he wins Lemont wins then he wins....not really understanding what the issue is. Gary declined to be a delegate and made a speech for the guy he did support.... not sure what country we live in but I thought it was the usa. WOW As AN AMERICAN I AM PROUD TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND TO SUPPORT THE PERSON I BELIVE TO BE THE BETTER GUY...but man I must of missed the bus, when was that right changed??? For that fact why should any delegate in the first place even be asked who they will support, and if it is not the guy that the heads of the citys Dem's want then you don't get to go??? I am just not getting it? Agian I thought we lived in a democracy!!
I usually support a most the New Haven Dem's do but there are times that I don't, again the is what makes our county so wonderful.

CHR - Gary is right, he supports Malloy and thus when approached about being a delegate on New Haven's slate - the largest delegate voting block in the state - he declined knowing that he would not vote for Lamont.

When New Haven's democratic town committee voted on who to endorse, a slate was prepared with those delegates who would support that choice at the convention. Additional voters were added to that slate to equal 81 qualified delegates to vote for the endorsed candidate, the slate was then presented for a vote by the DTC. If you agreed to be a delegate to support the endorsed candidates; in this case, Lamont, Garcia and at the time Staples; then that was your promise/commitment to do so. When Cam dropped out (sigh), there was no longer any promise made for AG and each of the 81 delegates could vote for who they wished.

History will show you that from the time that towns sent delegates to vote for the adoption of the Federal Constitution in January 1788 beholding delegates to vote the will of the local electorate at convention was allowed. In fact, Simsbury required their delegates to vote against the Constitution's ratification, and they did. For the record, New Haven's two delegates voted for the Constitution ( can you name them?).

Of course, there were no DTC's in 1787, so voting for delegates was done by the entire electorate, assuming they showed up and there was a quorum. So,fast forward to today.CT election law says you can either choose to have a party caucus, where everyone gets a vote, or you can choose through your parties town committee. We use the town committee option (perhaps this is where the moniker 'machine' comes from). For democratic ward committee members who have been elected, either through vote or by default ( no challengers) or appointed by the Town Chair (as the rules allow)they are, in essence, representing their democratic electorate. And the balance of the slate is really chosen by the DTC Chair, often including other Democratic elected officials and other party faithfuls as she sees fit.

And with that 81 votes in hand, makes New Haven a pretty big player at the convention and the DT Chair very busy trading - note that Jarjura support on the second ballot. BTW, slate delegates on a second ballot are not beholden to the slate, as they were expected to be on the first ballot.

And just for your personal entertainment, how are delegate numbers determined? By registered voters. So when you have a list of democratic voters by ward and you can't understand how come the name and address on the list doesn't match up with the person living in the house? You wonder why the name hasn't been removed?Well, I will leave that conundrum up to you to ponder.

Lastly, I am pretty certain that Gary could have put together a slate of his own 81 delegates who would have supported Malloy, gotten a DTC member to make a motion, get another to second it, and have it voted on at the DTC. As it appears, Chris Randall could have been that DTC member and he could have tried to find a person to second the motion, then the two opposing slates could have been voted on.

: Sabrina on May 23, 2010 7:23am

Of course, there were no DTC's in 1787, so voting for delegates was done by the entire electorate,

And we should go back to the electorate system which gives the people more of a voice on who they want to run. Not who they are force to vote for because of the puppet control delegates who are told who to pick by the puppet Town Committee bosses who have sold there souls to get jobs for friends and family.Again we must get away from the crooked two party system and fight for proportional representation or keep being used by the crooked two party system.

Sabrina ... The number of delegates is not determined by the number of voters REGISTERED, it is determined by the number of voters who VOTED in the last election.

Partial correction noted ( thank you), I forgot about the factor of votes cast in the previous presidential election into the delegate formula. The actual rule (Democratic State Central) is:

Section 3: Delegate Representation
At each congressional, senatorial, assembly, and probate district convention, each town or portion of the town to be represented at that convention shall be entitled to one (1) delegate for each five-hundred
(500) or fraction thereof derived from the average of the following factors: (a) Democratic registration as shown on the last list published by the Office of the Secretary of the State, and (b) votes cast for the Democratic candidate for President in the last preceding presidential election.

Good to know.

As a former member of the N.H. Democratic Town Committee, I can tell you how prior town chairmen handled the selection of delegates. Ward Co=chairs were automatic members of the delegation. If any ward chair could not go to the convention, he/she could choose someone from their ward committee to go in their place, or If not, the chairman asked them to relinquish their seat to him so tht he could fill out the delegation with elected officials, etc. We were free to support whomever we wanted. The Chairman might lobby for a particular candidate, but he would not dictate. Many times, the delegation was split and that was o.k. The process was certainly more democratic. ...

I'm relatively new to CT, so maybe I just don't understand the process, but isn't this much ado about nothing? Both Malloy and Lamont end up on the primary ballot. Doesn't the primary winner get the nomination? I'm pretty sure most voters are not basing their vote on who did better during the convention. Is there something I'm missing here?

Sabrina,

You are correct - I could have done that with the opposing slate. I, however, was not looking for a fight or to be "in their faces" if you will. Again, I think Dan is the better candidate.
As for the stuff about Bill Dyson and Lieberman this is not the same thing at all. I will support Ned should he win the primary and will do all that I can to ensure his election if we get there. I don't even get the issue about Hilary.
I was asked by Malloy and Lembo to second their nominations and because I believe both candidates to be the best I did. By the way, if we were trying to help Gerry (a friend of mine) then giving some delegates the freedom to go with Malloy would have done that. There were delegations that claimed they would have given Gerry delegates if we had released even a few. Hell, you could have given Lamont 70 plus and Malloy the remainder. Now that sounds like a strategy that works for New Haven.

"I'm relatively new to CT, so maybe I just don't understand the process, but isn't this much ado about nothing? Both Malloy and Lamont end up on the primary ballot. Doesn't the primary winner get the nomination? I'm pretty sure most voters are not basing their vote on who did better during the convention. Is there something I'm missing here?"

No, you're not missing anything. This was for bragging rights. People got all excited about it because Malloy told a lot of people that if he got enough votes there wouldn't be a primary. But yes, we're all on to the next stage now.