[JayCT]

Connecticut's Republican Party is facing a serious challenge right now. After losing badly in this past election despite coming off of 8 years of the most unpopular Governor in the country, they have to decide if they continue on their losing path in our state or face reality and change to reflect a more moderate platform. I nearly choked when I saw that former State Senator and Lt Governor candidate Joe Markley wants to be considered to run the party. As a Republican, I will seriously consider dropping out of the party if he is selected. I find him to be the most ignorant politician in the state. I was glad the he and Stefanowski lost because they seemed too limited in their platform which was nothing more than lowering taxes and ignored many important issues.

So does the party have the ability to change to become a serious consideration in future state elections? If so, who should lead the party? Jay

https://www.courant.com/politics/hc-...kyq-story.html

[kidyankee764]

I think both parties need change. What’s going on in CT, politically, is just a microcosm of what’s happening on the national level. Gone are the days of CT being a moderate state. Both parties have gone off the deep end socially, and the Democratic stance on crime, as well as the push to redefine crime leading to manipulated statistics, is sneaky. Republicans need to enter into the year 2019 and recognize that the social norms of 1965 are no longer in line with the majority of Americans’ beliefs.

I only see CT getting more liberal. A lot of tax and spend. A lot of redistribution. A lot of unaccountability when it comes to crime. A lot of people are fine with that - but that’s just not how the old school Democrats, like my grandparents, voted. On the other hand, you see in very conservative states like AL and TX pushing for ridiculous things like arming teachers.

There has got to be a balance but unfortunately, I think it will get worse before it gets better, both in CT and nationally. Plainly put, all politicians are untrustworthy regardless of party affiliation.

[SAE72]

I tend to agree, but in my opinion, the Repubs in this state are just lazy. The message isn't getting out there. The main issue with Politics today, here, and especially nationally is the lack of term limits. We need more flexibility for people to move in and out of Government that make the decisions and spend taxpayer money to be closer to the people, and not Lobbyists and Activist Groups.


You have an entrenched group of people that have been serving themselves for much too long. Congress is full of them. Decades of control , " absolute power corrupts " . All the Democrats have is Social Justice and a hatred for the President. Not much to run on the surface, but they are masters of emotional based reactionary response. And currently it is working , much to the detriment of many.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I think both parties need change.

Agreed...both parties on all levels (local, state and federal) need more people to the center.

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I only see CT getting more liberal.

There has got to be a balance but unfortunately, I think it will get worse before it gets better, both in CT and nationally. Plainly put, all politicians are untrustworthy regardless of party affiliation.

Agree again but I see a way out in CT. I am friends with a lot of people in Trumbull that are involved in politics. I even know and am friends on Facebook with some of the Republican politicians that represent me in Hartford.

Every election cycle I make posts and plead with the Republican party here in CT to put up candidates more to the center and certainly not ones aligned with Trump but it falls on deaf ears. The CT Republican party needs to change and put up more centered candidates and then they will own this state.

It's not like they got blown away in the Governors race. They lost by a small margin which means they really don't need to make such a large tack to the center......just enough to get them elected. I don't understand why the Republicans in CT don't get it.

[HumpDay]

The Republican Party in Connecticut has the same issues that the Democratic Party has in Washington DC. They’re anti-everything the Democratic Party does without any resolution or message. The Democratic Party is as anti-Trump as the Republican Party here is as anti-Malloy. Every commercial or ad is directed towards Malloy without any concrete solutions or compromise. You’re not going to perform well if you just bash the other side consistently. It’s all about emotional manipulation tactics to get people outraged enough to vote the other side without having any clue what their true message is. That’s great if they say we’re cutting taxes and cutting regulations, but I haven’t heard any additional details about “how” and the specifics beyond that.

[SAE72]

Originally Posted by HumpDay

The Republican Party in Connecticut has the same issues that the Democratic Party has in Washington DC. They’re anti-everything the Democratic Party does without any resolution or message. The Democratic Party is as anti-Trump as the Republican Party here is as anti-Malloy. Every commercial or ad is directed towards Malloy without any concrete solutions or compromise. You’re not going to perform well if you just bash the other side consistently. It’s all about emotional manipulation tactics to get people outraged enough to vote the other side without having any clue what their true message is. That’s great if they say we’re cutting taxes and cutting regulations, but I haven’t heard any additional details about “how” and the specifics beyond that.

No resolution or message ? Isn't that why Trump got elected ? Lower taxes vs higher taxes ? Less regulation vs more regulation ? An Immigration Policy that considers American Citizens vs Illegals ? CT Democrats rolling out the Red Carpet for illegals , that's all based on emotion. The economics of it all sail right over the heads of Democrat supporters.


The Republican Party is anti Democrat because of the policies of the Democrats. The Democrats are anti Republican because they have a personal vendetta against Trump. It is as clear as day. Many of the issues that they are howling about they supported in the past. They are on the record, it can't be denied.


Yes, The Repubs are weak and lazy in this state. They could turn more people their way if they worked harder.


The difference is that the Repubs are concentrated more on substance, and the Democrats on emotion. There is a population of ignorance that clings to the emotional rhetoric of Democrats without ever looking down the road to consider the consequences. Just read some of the Letters to the Editor published in the Courant. The MSM media treats everyday as the last Day of civilization because of a tweet. It has moved beyond pathetic toward unwatchable.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by SAE72

Yes, The Repubs are weak and lazy in this state. They could turn more people their way if they worked harder.

The Republicans I know are not lazy at all. They work hard to promoting their message but IMO it is the wrong message for CT. They need to work SMARTER not harder.

The most important thing right now I am trying to impress to the CT "R's" is in no way shape or form should ANY CT Republican align themselves with Trump. I see a lot of them doing that and it is CT Republican suicide.

[SAE72]

Originally Posted by CTartist

The Republicans I know are not lazy at all. They work hard to promoting their message but IMO it is the wrong message for CT. They need to work SMARTER not harder.

The most important thing right now I am trying to impress to the CT "R's" is in no way shape or form should ANY CT Republican align themselves with Trump. I see a lot of them doing that and it is CT Republican suicide.

Really ? Have you checked the town by town results from the 2016 election ? If so, what do you say to those towns that went Trump? What do you say to Repubs, to ignore what the people wanted, indicated ?


Granted, we may never see Ct as a Blue State. That doesn't mean the Rupubs should give up and ignore the message . 8 years of complete control by Democrats in this state. And what are the results?


They are lazy. Stefanowski wasn't even their pick, and he almost won.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by SAE72

Really ? Have you checked the town by town results from the 2016 election ? If so, what do you say to those towns that went Trump? What do you say to Repubs, to ignore what the people wanted, indicated ?


Granted, we may never see Ct as a Blue State. That doesn't mean the Rupubs should give up and ignore the message . 8 years of complete control by Democrats in this state. And what are the results?


They are lazy. Stefanowski wasn't even their pick, and he almost won.

Boy oh boy are you guys thick headed.....that is the attitude that keeps the Democrats in control in this state.

Clinton: 54.57%
Trump: 40.93%

She was a lousy candidate and she blew him out in this state.

No do you understand my friend?

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by SAE72

Really ? Have you checked the town by town results from the 2016 election ? If so, what do you say to those towns that went Trump? What do you say to Repubs, to ignore what the people wanted, indicated ?


Granted, we may never see Ct as a Blue State. That doesn't mean the Rupubs should give up and ignore the message . 8 years of complete control by Democrats in this state. And what are the results?


They are lazy. Stefanowski wasn't even their pick, and he almost won.

Almost is the key word there. He was going against a candidate that was very close to the lowest rated Governor in the country. It should have been a slam dunk for the Republicans. Instead of selecting candidates that would have won, they went with Stefanowski and Markley. Two of the most extreme candidates out there. Did they learn nothing from Tom Foley's candidacies the previous two elections? Obviously not. Stefanowski did nothing but cry "reduce taxes" for everything but ignored other issues. Markley is so ill-informed its almost laughable. Now he wants to be head of the party? That will be the nail in the coffin of the party in our state. Jay