1st report and backup site info

Today, I will be doing the same posts on ConnecticutBLOG and Hat City BLOG.

In case blogger goes down today (I wouldn't be surprised), please bookmark my backup site.

http://connecticutblog.wordpress.com/

Again, hello to those viewing this site from The Danbury News-Times. I'll be bringing my first election report from Danbury soon.

Until then, here's some news on whats happeneing so far in Connecticut.

Seems like Joe Lieberman has a new field team and it' called FOXNews.

Just heard this story that came from one of our volunteers in Milford... apparently, he was the only person from any campaign pollstanding at a polling place in Milford earlier this morning. All of a sudden, two or three out-of-state Fox News vans pull up and unload a bunch of Lieberman lawn signs, placed right in front of the Lamont signs that had already been planted. And, what do you know, after a few more minutes, who shows up but Joe himself, ready for the cameras.

Report from a man in Windsor who voted for change (via AP)

That's just what 60-year-old Ron Bowman, a Democrat from Windsor, Conn., had on his mind when he went out to vote first thing Tuesday. "It was a chance for a change," he said, after casting his ballot for Democratic senatorial candidate Ned Lamont over incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman, running as an independent.

Another voter who echoed Bowman's sentiment, Shirley Swanson of Windsor, said that she, too, voted for Lamont. "He's not Lieberman. Joe isn't listening to us,'" she said.

Here's a field report from a Lamont staffer:

Just got back from my poll-standing shift in the Valley. Yes, everybody is doing it. It’s all hands on deck today and it feels good ...

So, I was in the Valley. That's a part of CT not necessarily expected to be a treasure trove of votes for change. Anyway, I admittedly arrived a little bit late (was sending out a mass email for volunteers) with my Lamont gear and assumed my place about 80 feet away from the front door.

There was a nice middle-aged lady there wearing a Joe sandwich board that indicates his crossword puzzle-like positioning on the ballot. Maybe it's just me, but I reminded of the fact that he LOST everytime I see his voter education tools.

I struck up a conversation with the Joe supporter and asked what time she arrived. She said, "I got here at 5:30. People in this part of Connecticut are early risers." "Oh," I responded, "Where are you from?"

Her answer ... "D.C." It was pretty funny. I chuckled. She is one of Joe's staffers on the Homeland Security Committee.

Anyway, here's one thing I did notice. A handful of voters came out of the polls, looked at the two of us and said, "I voted for Ned," or some variation. In about two hours, not a single person said the same thing about Joe.

That's not to say we will even carry that polling location. We probably won't. It's just to say Ned voters and Joe voters are a different beast. For all the talk about "voting against someone," there are a ton of people quite proud to actually cast a U.S. Senate ballot for someone they actually believe in.

I want to here from you so email me your voting story.

Danbury: hatcityblog@yahoo.com
The rest of CT: ctblogger@yahoo.com

The next post will be the election day thread. Each update will be timestamped so come back often.