AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Abbott
![Blumenthal](https://static-asset.amac.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/28063309/Senator-Richard-Blumenthal.jpg)
The Republican Party hasn’t won a U.S. Senate election in Connecticut since 1982, and hasn’t won a U.S. House seat there since 2004. But this year, the combined factors of both a promising national environment for Republicans and an incumbent Senator who appears to have lost touch with his voters has the GOP hopeful that a strong candidate just might flip the state’s Senate seat for the first time in decades.
According to a recent poll, the Republican Party is within striking distance of Connecticut’s two-term Senator Richard Blumenthal. In the midst of a hotly-contested three-way Republican primary, Blumenthal’s closest challenger is only ten points behind the career politician. While this may seem like a large lead on paper, considering Blumenthal’s name recognition in the state, his lack of a primary challenge, and the fact that Republicans have not yet selected their nominee, these numbers should be concerning indeed for Blumenthal’s camp.
Even before the campaign has begun, Blumenthal is just barely reaching 50% in head-to-head match-ups—and the attacks on him haven’t yet started.
Once the Republican nominee is selected in the August 9th primary, Blumenthal’s lead could shrink, quickly posing a threat to the Democrat incumbent this November.
In another sign that Election Day could be tougher than expected for Blumenthal, as of May 26th, Blumenthal is polling lower than any point in his decade-long Senate career. Currently, only 45% of Connecticut voters approve of his job performance, while 43% disapprove. If historical trends are any indication, this is squarely in the danger zone for an incumbent—and these numbers are likely to get worse for Blumenthal throughout the summer and fall.
Many Democratic strategists dismiss Blumenthal’s low approval ratings as simply reflective of the overall discontent voters feel toward President Biden and the Democrat-controlled Congress. But this analysis misses the fact that Blumenthal is a member of that Congress and, with Joe Biden not on the ballot until 2024, voters are looking for an opportunity to punish anyone associated with him. That’s particularly worrying for a Senator like Blumenthal who has voted in lockstep with the President’s priorities throughout this Congress, and who has been a visible face of his party in regular appearances on cable news for years.
For Blumenthal, these latest polling woes in a typically blue state must come as a shock. The second-term Senator originally rose to prominence while serving as Connecticut Attorney General, carefully cultivating a reputation for taking on tough battles and acting as more of an independent actor rather than in-house counsel for the state government—although this was always more self-made myth than reality. As a Wall Street Journal profile noted back in 2010, Blumenthal “became the prototype for hyperactive attorneys general across the country following his first election to the post in 1990” and “used the office to advance by litigation what the left could not achieve through legislation.”
Yet the personal narrative Blumenthal cultivated about himself as A.G. quickly began to unravel when he ran for U.S. Senate in 2010, and in the 12 years since, his image has devolved from that of a tough prosecutor into that of a partisan left-wing hack eager to spout the party’s daily talking points on CNN just as often as they’re willing to have him.
As a sign of things to come, Blumenthal during his 2010 campaign falsely implied to a group of veterans that he served in Vietnam. In reality, he made multiple deferments before finally becoming Marine Reservist based in Washington D.C., a position that guaranteed he would never see combat. The scandal later earned him the diminutive nickname “Da Nang Dick” from President Donald Trump.
In 2016, Senator Blumenthal took a permanent turn toward the far left when he became one of the most full-throated and aggressive promoters of the debunked conspiracy theory that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “stolen” the election for Donald Trump. Blumenthal asserted in 2017 that the Trump administration’s refusal to address the Trump-Russia Collusion Hoax was “a rejection of reality” and “rotten to the core.” Even after the Steele Dossier was discredited, the Senator continued this line of attack, as one of the most public faces of the Russia Collusion hoax. In late 2017, Blumenthal even went so far as to sue President Trump for, he claimed, violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. The suit was later thrown out for “lack of standing,” although it also obviously lacked genuine legal merit.
In the leadup to the 2020 election, Blumenthal theorized that Russia was planning to steal another election, and that Trump was attempting to cover it up by failing to disclose Top Secret documents to the general public. Then, after the election, Blumenthal performed a 180 and joined his fellow Democrats claiming it was the “most secure election in history.”
As if that weren’t enough to inspire a crisis of confidence in Blumenthal’s judgement among Connecticut voters, just last year the Senator ignited a media firestorm after speaking at an event associated with the Communist Party. Only after intense public backlash did he publicly affirm his commitment to capitalism.
While many in the media have been quick to move on from each of Blumenthal’s humiliating missteps and contrivances, voters have shown that they have a better memory. To be sure, Blumenthal still has time to make up ground, and Connecticut remains a heavily Democratic state. Ousting an incumbent like Blumenthal will take the right combination of an exceptional Republican candidate, a rock-solid campaign, continued voter frustrations toward Democratic governance, and perhaps one or two more major blunders on Blumenthal’s part before November. But given recent history and in a year like 2022, that possibility seems far from impossible.
Andrew Abbott is the pen name of a writer and public affairs consultant with over a decade of experience in DC at the intersection of politics and culture.
That fraud has been a disgrace to our country for years. Time he is sent packing, for good.
To answer the question posed in the title of the article, the answer is a NO. At least not in the sense of Blumenthal losing to any Republican nominee that might realistically be on the ballot. Senator Blumenthal has been lying for decades about many things and the voters of Connecticut, which is another northeast state overwhelmingly Democrat controlled, have given him a pass all that time. The biggest risk to Blumenthal is not from his right, by a Republican challenger, but rather from his left in the form of an even more “progressive” (socialist) Democrat challenger.
While there exists some potential to shift some Democrat votes to the Republican side of the ballot, it is extremely difficult to shift large numbers of Democrat votes over to give any Republican the win in the northeast Democrat-controlled states. The type of Republicans that tend to run in most northeast states are what would best be described as RINOs, who promise some very minor changes in the hopes of attracting a few dissatisfied, older Democrat voters. The younger Democrat voters just want pure socialism enacted now by any means necessary, so they are NOT, under any circumstances, going to vote for any Republician. Even a RINO one.
The contest then boils down to a Democrat on one side, someone like Blumenthal, and a Republican, who is essentially running as a Democrat-lite or Socialist-lite alternative. Looking at how these past elections in the state have gone over the last few decades, the Democrat always comes out on top. The sad fact is that while many Democrat voters may indeed be fed up with the results of what I consider a long string of incredibly bad Democrat policies, their perceived solution, from having spoken with a lot of younger and older Democrat voters this year to assess their real views on where we are right now, is to vote for the same Democrat or another more “progressive” (socialist) Democrat who they think can make all these horrendus sociialist policies (my view of what has been enacted, NOT theirs) have a better outcome.
It would be extremely beneficial for a number of these D.C. authors to travel outside the Washington, D.C. beltway and actually speak with the people of the states that they are writing about. To gather real on the ground feedback from the average voters to get an accurate assessment of where potential wins really stand. You know, do some actual investigative journalism to provide some real assessment of the various races around the country, instead of just banging out another fantasy story based on wishful thinking.
This liar and repugnant clown represents everything that Connecticut is !
It’s the people of that state that vote him in !
So the blame is on the democrats of Connecticut !
This dumb ass rode a two seater bus to school. He’s never met a lie he won’t tell or blame he won’t place on others.
to me, he’s the face of corrupt government.
Mr. Stolen Valor ! He and John Kerry are a pair
I sure hope so! He’s as lowlife of a person as there is in this country! However Pelosi and Schumer are running neck and neck! The Democrat party used to be beneficial to their constituents but has degraded significantly mostly lying, lying, and lying to the world!!
Didn’t he get some kind of a “Good Communist” award at the event?
He lied about being a Vietnam Vet and that alone shows he’s a fake and being a avowed Democratic Marxist, he is a weak representative of even that dismal crowed. His persona does not give off a good vibe in fact if he’s the best they can come up with can’t wait for the election and 2024.
As one who lived in CT for 63 years, just recently moving out, I agree with PaulE that Blumenthal isn’t very likely to lose. CT has become a wealthy suburb of NYC, the perfect enclave for leftist politicians because too many voters don’t suffer from the Dems’ economic policies. Blumenthal wasn’t “the prototype for hyperactive attorneys general across the country following his first election to the post in 1990” as suggested by the WSJ. The prototype was his predecessor, Democrat Joe Lieberman, who parlayed the AG office into a Senate seat in the 1980s. We can hope, but CT is not close to being there yet.
Didn’t he embrace Communism during his Vietnam tour. He certainly didn’t support the USA in that conflict because he is a lying scumbag, a valor stealing fraud. They don’t come much lower than that!
Just take the Dems down for MidtermsOK
I looked up the term STOLEN VALOR and there was Senator Richard Blumenthal’s picture, never let the slime-ball forget that the people who elected him must be really stupid!
I hate to be negative but having lived in Connecticut for most of my life, I feel I can safely say that Blumenthal will win another Senatorial term. Connecticut is the most progressive state in the nation, according to the NYT, and they have proven that, election cycle after election cycle. Besides, if the election is close at all, he can count on Bridgeport finding a trunk load of ballots somewhere that, surprisingly, are all votes for Blumenthal. You can also pretty much count on the useless Connecticut Republican party putting up very little if any fight. I moved out of Connecticut 3 years ago and many of my fellow Connecticutans have done the same. Politics in Connecticut never changes and never will.
Da Nang Dick, as he’s referred to by Vets and decent people of the state. All his wife’s money hopefully won’t help anymore. BUT be aware his son is working to take his job as CT Senator in the future as Da Nang Dick planning to pass it on. Let’s get him out Riki-Tik
For Democrats it doesn’t matter if you lie other Democrats will vote for you anyway. That’s why I will no longer associate with my Democrat friends, if they are fine with lying, cheating, and ruining the country that tells me all I need to know about their character too.
He will never live down being “Stolen Valor Dick.”
Everything always seems so good until election day. The demo/globalist party knows more ways to cheat, lie, & steal than fleas on a mangy dog. Even if the vote turns out to be more people than the population of Connecticut the demorats will still win and there will be no consequences afterward. The demos have zero honor, integrity, honesty, or morals. They are simply Godless globalists bent on destroying America and building back globalist.
Blumy’s successor as AG, also a Dem, tossed a substantial number of his cases because they were over the top, even for another Dem. According to Ballotpedia, Nicholas Connors, John Flynn, Robert Hyde, Themis Klarides, Leora Levy and Peter Lumaj are on the CT Rep primary ballot. I hope Peter wins; he would be a great AG.
Blumenthal is another useful idiot and a liar. What has he done for the American taxpayer?
Hmm can’t find anything good; he’ll win he is a YES man. A real do nothing………………
This war will be won one battle at a time.
Hackery, GREAT word! He represents the worst of New England where much of the fight for American freedom started
Is it just me, or is anyone else sick to death of drowning in the every day non-stop “talk, talk, talk”l alarm” about what’s happening to our nation? Don’t misunderstand; I HOPE WE CAN COME BACK FROM THE DESTRUCTION & DIVISION CAUSED BY THE GODLESS ENEMIES OF FREEDOM. But as I read, observe and listen, I’m just not at all sure we are going to come back from the evil being done. The enemy IS GOING TO CHEAT! They got away with it in 2020 … NO CONSEQUENCES. Why wouldn’t they do it again? They Will!
He insulted everyone who served. In Vietnam. He should have been thrown out of office.
He’s right up there with Hanoi Jane, Never Forget, nothing but a empty suited woke liberal, should have been impeached years ago !
For a Senator to lie to the public that he served in Vietnam is just asinine . What an ass~~~~ ! That statement alone should be enough for Bugs Bunny to win the Senator seat. Wake up Connecticut! I must admit . . . MAGA .
I use to respect this guy but when ever he lied about Vietnam he is at the bottom of the barrel. Look for his net worth before he went to DC and look at it now. Surprise surprise !
LIAR Blumenidiot, freakin’ anti-Republic traitor Commie Demoncrap, is as dumb as he’s fugly.
I hope so!! He is totally screwed up for the people to keep him!
Yes I hope he loses, but how can we stop the election fraud we’ve witnessed in the 2020 election? No one seems to care that we were cheated out of our rightful President. Who can we go to for help?
A jerk and an insult to real veterans. Vets that SERVED AND PUT IT ON THE LINE. HE NEEDS TO BE REMOVED AND VOTED OUT
This is Senator “Stolen Valor” Blumenthal. ‘Nuff said.
he’s a political hack
One could argue the good people of Connecticut got what they deserved in reelecting this lying snake over several decades now.. “Da Nang Dick” was the appropriate new name given him by President Trump some years later, but still appropriate imo… It brings to mind some other beauties number 45 has brought forth over the years, e.g. Crooked Hillary, Pencil Neck, Pocahontas, MSDNC, FAKE NEWS, I’m drawing a blank, somebody else please continue on with this, LOL!
MAGA, America First…
Bill… :~)