Old-School Moderate Connecticut Republican Shays Goes Down in Defeat

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Connecticut replaced an independent representative with the partisan, fiscally profligate Himes. After two years of that expensive decision, Connecticut looks to switch back to another independent representative, Dan Debicella (http://www.debicella.com/ ).

ccdemuth of CT 2:05PM June 22, 2010

SHAYS was more of a liberal than a Republican but what is at the center of the political climate is the wearisome statement about the media telling us what to think. Consider: how African American is Obama? Did he grow up in the south, Detroit, LA, Chicago, etc.? Obama is half white, adopted in Indonesia, having two Muslim fathers, leaving Indonesia at about age 10 to multi-cultural Hawaii, going to a private white high school -- ultimately, Columbia and Harvard (without personal funds) -- I would like to offer that he is not culturally an African American, or a typical black, which I believe the media would not really accept. To be witty, isn't he a "white-washed" candidate, albeit proposing no new military development, a new standing army in the U.S. (for what, very perplexing, to replace gun ownership?), raised money for the Muslim Odinga candidacy in Kenya (C. Rice had to get involved in that country's Muslim terrorism allowing for the non-elected Odinga to get a position), communist party mentor Mr. Davis and former radical Ayers, Rezko helping him get his property, a voting record considered to be on the left, etc. The 70% African Americans who wanted marriage defined traditionally, when voting for Obama, did they know his web site and speeches have touted abortion, and he was the only one to vote against the "Born Alive Protection Act?" The media ran this election and the Republicans did not stand up for their base, to summarize.

Vicki Kess of NY 3:26PM November 06, 2008

Shays served this state well for over 30yrs and this is how the voters of Connecticut repay him!? Change for "change sake" is a a bad thing! Just when we need him most he has lost to a "coat tail" Democrat, Jim Himes, a banker and now our novice in congress. Great! Just what we need in these hard times is "the new guy" in Washington who hasn't a clue of where to begin to help our state. Thanks to all you ignorant voters who "threw the baby out with the bath water"!!!

Andrea Alexander of CT 11:32AM November 06, 2008

With his passing, Shays leaves the RINO herd even further decimated. His rotting political corpse now dries in the sun beside Linc Chafee's. The only bright spot? The western RINO of the great Arizona desert is not long for our politics either. Somewhere UberLib Republicans Jacob Javits and Nelson Rockefeller must be smiling that others followed them into political irrelevancy.
Oh well, the Senator from Countrywide Home Loans, Chris Dodd, still has his job!

brad of TX 10:06AM November 06, 2008

To Shays the New World Order was about economics only. That is what he told me in a letter. I knew he was a liar or out-of-touch with reality. Still I voted for him because I believe he was the lesser of the evils.

Joseph Keeney of CT 2:03PM November 05, 2008

Shays was an excellent Congressman. In the name of change the man who always acted independently by a candidate who voted speaks strictly along party lines. He was also out in front of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while the Democrats were "roll[ing] the dice in the words of Barnie Frank, and then loses because of the "Bush" economy.
Why his endorsement of Sarah Palin would swing your vote on Shays is beyond my comprehension. That has absolutely nothing to do with his performance as a Congressman.

of NH 1:35PM November 05, 2008

Talk about the fox watching the hen house. Wall street needs an enema with the fleet tip going right up Pearl Street. But, people don't care they just wanted change but I see more of the same. IMHO

AF of CT 10:47AM November 05, 2008

....don't call Shays a "moderate". Call him what he is, an ultra-liberal RINO.

ABC of FL 4:09AM November 05, 2008

On every ticket, I have voted Democrat for President, Shays for Congress.
This time, however, Shays' support of Sarah Palin lost my vote. It wasn't McCain, or the political climate, it was Chris Shays' own decision to put the vastly unfit Palin too close to the presidency.

Mark of CT 1:45AM November 05, 2008

It was a very common one: Himes won by an even larger margin against Shays than Chris Murphy did against Nancy Johnson two years ago.
In fact, Shays almost dropped the race two years ago; Diane Farrell would probably have won if she hadn't moved too far to the right herself.

STI of CT 1:42AM November 05, 2008