Furture for Democrats in Danbury=bleak

Without cash, you can't get your message out to the people and with Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton outfundraising Dean Esposito by a margin of 10 to 1, it seems like the challenger has a big problem on his hands.

From the News-Times

Dean Esposito is finding that it is tough to be the challenger.

First, you need a message you believe in. You have to be willing to work hard to meet lots of people. And you need money.

Esposito is losing the money vote.

With the election 20 days away, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton has $40,249 on hand, compared with Esposito's $3,604.

That 10-to-1 ratio has held true throughout the campaign.

[...]

In the period from July 1 through Sept. 30, Boughton raised $20,269 and spent about the same amount.

Esposito took in $4,850 and spent $3,313.

Most of the money pays for advertising, printing, postage and similar expenses. Both Boughton and Esposito said what they have on hand and what they can raise from now on must carry their message through to the voters.

n total, Boughton has raised $74,064 as of Sept. 30, the end of this filing period. Esposito raised $7,610.

Money is central to politics, said Chris Kukk, an assistant professor at Western Connecticut State University who teaches social studies and worked on a political campaign in Massachusetts.

"It sounds superficial, but this is crunch time. People remember who they saw on TV. People remember who they heard on the radio. People remember what they saw in their mailbox," Kukk said. "If you spend more money than your opponent, you are more likely to win the seat."

Let me add my two cents in being that I live in Hat City.

Money is one thing but when you don't lay out your vision for Danbury, peole don't notice you and that is exactly what happened here.

Esposito's constant attacks on Boughton's record is one thing but when you don't explain how you would address Danbury's problems mayor, then why would anyone take you seriously let alone give money to your campaign? Most people never knew where Esposito stood on the issues because simply, he never explained himself. Being negative in one thing not expressing your vision and explaining how you would run the city differently, you're never going to raise enough money to properly challenge a two time mayor who people are familiar with. This is the thing that will come back to haunt Esposito and the Democratic party in the end.

Simply but, the Democrats were not really serious about this election or else they would of tried harder to get their message out to a public that was upset with the preformance of Boughton. They had their best chance to gain seats on the Common Council and make a real run at the top-job but with three weeks to go, it seems like the Democrats are going down in flames.

Ask yourself this. How many Boughton ads have you seen in the NewsTimes (check their webpage). How many ads have you received from Boughton and the Republicans versus Esposito and the Democrats (for the exception of Lew Wallace)?

No vision, no message, no cash=no winning in November. I take no pleasure in saying this but I said in the past, the Democrats have no one to blame but themselves when they lose again.