Submitted by Carl Higbie, Greenwich
Since the election I have pondered writing about what actually happened within the Republican party but refrained from “airing our laundry”. Reflecting to 2014, I had just declared I was running for Congress in the 4th . I distinctly recall sitting across the table at Indian Harbor Yacht Club from Ed Dadakis, where he quoted Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment to not speak ill of other Republicans.
After reading his cowardly piece in the Sentinel, It’s the Worst of Times for Greenwich RTC, submitted from his residence in FL (where too many Republicans moved in the last 2 years), the gloves are off. Ed, who spent the last year decrying us actual Republicans as “extreme MAGA”… Rich, coming from the guy who hosted Eric Trump at the clambake not long ago. You see, Ed and former chair Quiggles, who was so bad that he failed to hold onto his own RTC seat. For years they told people like me and many others; “I know you may not like the candidate, but it’s your duty as a Republican to help them win”, and we did. But when Ed and his cronies weren’t in power, they didn’t heed their own advice.
In fact, Ed has been waiting almost a year to publish that piece, not because they hoped it would NOT happen, but because they CAUSED it to happen. A play to take power back… Now do you see why we voted them out? Because Ed and friends never cared about principal, only power. Republicans turned out more than 70% of registered voters to the Democrats mid 60’s percent. Kim, Dadakis’ proclaimed “only incumbent who lost”, lost by less than 100 votes, winning Greenwich still! Let’s talk numbers. In D9, the total number of votes were almost the same for Fazio (state senate) and Arora (treasurer), the RINO’s favored. There was only a 3 vote differential, yet 58 people less for Fiorello. Why did 58 people leave Fiorello blank in D9? This happened almost all 5 of her Greenwich districts, totaling way beyond her margin of loss. This was only unique to Greenwich, she tracked almost identical to Fazio in her Stamford districts.
Happened to Lopez too. In D4, the total number of votes were exactly the same for Fazio and Arora (717), yet 60 less for the State Rep column. Why did 60 people circle Fazio, leave state rep blank and then vote Arora? Remember the order of the ballot is Fazio, “State Rep”, Rapini, Arora. These “blank” numbers almost directly line up with the number of votes the old guard Republicans got in their losing caucus… coincidence, you be the judge.
Don’t take my word for it: Ed Dadakis, 2019 “I get to meet the voters, spend time with my fellow Republicans and have always enjoyed the bon mots with the Democrats. They are great people.” Republicans like Ed Dadakis like Liz Cheney are the problem, willing to stay home or worse, vote Democrat because they’re not in power. It’s well documented:
“Behind the scenes, some prominent Republicans are quietly advising Democrats…”
According to the Greenwich Free Press, one local Republican who joined the Democratic crowd was happy, but requested to be excluded from the photos.
You want us to stop calling you RINO’s… Start acting like Republicans. Remember, it was Ed’s
favored Republicans, that voted to turns tens of thousands of Lawful CT gun owners into felons overnight with the 1160 gun bill. And don’t give me the “ohh we stopped it from being much worse” line. You washy RINO’s gave CT a barely constitutionally palatable bill that would not have even stopped the tragedy at Sandy Hook, giving lawful gun own owners LESS ground to challenge in court.
And you want power back? Greenwich might have been electing Republicans, but those Republicans were mostly voting with Democrats.
Republicans like Ed gave us the state income tax because they were more interested in “getting along” than standing on principal. Ed’s “Getting along” policy garnered the historic loss of Chris Shays’ congressional seat to Jim Himes that even the RINO’s chosen boy Dan Debicella after three attempts couldn’t take back. They lost the 150th to Meskers. It was Ed’s “leadership” that lost the BET for the only time ever, Fun Fact; It was taken back BECAUSE our actual Republican movement got involved. Only after Ed and so many others moved to Florida, where they enjoy actual Republican policies, only coming back to attend Yacht club dinners in the summer and to write pieces against those of us still actually living here.
These same “Republicans” think my message isn’t the winning one… Really? Then why did I win more votes as a new candidate that many others, Republican and Democrat who also won seats on the RTM in D8? Ed and many others ran a whisper campaign against me. The Democrats put up paid ads against ONLY me and I still won my seat, because Greenwich is tired of people like Ed. My message works. You just don’t like it because we don’t bend the knee to you. That’s why you and your ilk worked to make Republicans lose last month. Dispute my claim? How many doors did you knock on for Fiorello? What fundraiser did you attend or hold for her or Lopez as you have for so many other “Republicans”? ZERO. One thing is for sure, the Republican party is divided, and it cannot win this way but the new party is not the problem… we are the solution, RINO’s are the problem.