Windham Democrats Eating Crow

Dawn and Blumenthal

November 5, 2013, election day. 11 AM, I received a phone call on my way  out to vote.  It was a pleasant young lady calling from Democratic headquarters. She reminded me that I hadn't voted and hoped that I would.

Walking  to the VFW. my assigned voting place, I thought of that call.  I was impressed, the Democratic machine was well oiled . They were not only calling registered party members  but unaffiliated voters and possibly Republicans ...a Herculean task.

Cookie cutter mailings, radio and social media,  photo opportunities with the big guns from Hartford and Washington, knocking on 4000 doors and the backing of influential local party members.With no Jean DeSmet  playing spoiler and James Flores getting out the Latino vote for Dawn, Ernie's days were numbered.

November 5. 2013 about 8:45 PM,  The regular old farts get together at Corleone's Cafe. Someone walked in and announced, "So do you know who will be our next mayor?" The room erupted in cheers, Ernie Eldridge would be coming back for a second term.

Thanks to her efforts to get out and meet the voters Niles crushed Eldridge in the absentee ballot count gathering 122 more votes then the mayor,  It wasn't enough.  Eldridge prevailed by 224 votes overall. He took the Windham's by 493 votes and lost Willimantic by 47. Final count: Eldridge 1,343, Niles 1,119.

 In Willimantic, James Flores who campaigned door to door with Dawn Niles, received 233  more votes then Niles. While the Latino's came out, they didn't come out for Niles who had pinned her future to Flores' coattails. If Niles mirrored Flores' vote count she would be the incoming mayor today.

The Mayor and wife, Anita Sebestyen

Eldridge picked up support from the Republican's who chose not to field a mayoral candidate. In the 2009 mayoral race, Eric Crowley received 358 votes running as a Republican.

Jean DeSmet's backers, the Jeanetts , either stayed home or voted for Eldridge.  Niles garnered less then 25% of DeSmet's 2009 mayoral vote.

The election came down to style, likability and trust. It was not an issue oriented campaign. Niles glossed over Windham's issues, Eldridge ignored them. Both candidates were probably politically astute avoiding Windham's  education and economic problems though in so doing, they shortchanged  the voters.

Niles comes off as a pushy professional politician while Eldridge  ran as the hometown boy. It's apparent that the well oiled Democratic "machine" never bothered to check Dawn's likability factor.

Dawn Niles hitched her trailer to the big guns in Hartford and Washington, not the wisest move, especially in these times. Ernie Eldridge stood by Windham's voters.

While the Democrats reflect on the party's future they should consider:

• Cutting the caucus crap, put the citizens first, the party second. 
• Give back citizen speaking rights at all town government meetings.
•  Re institute the mayor's council sub committee vote.
•  Send controversial spending votes to referendum  

And congratulations to Ernie Eldridge.  Consensus is good but we need leadership too. Don't let them (Democrats) kick you when your down, when they kick you, Mr Mayor, they  kick us. Twenty five years and what have the Democrats accomplished? A school system run by the state and a town government dependent on hand outs 

You , Mr Eldridge,and your party have given us a chance.....WE'RE ON THE ROLL or are we?