Who Will Tell Them?

State Democrats are in in a right royal twist over Republican Bob Stefanowski appearing serious about his pledge to spend $10 million on his campaign to unseat Governor Ned Lamont. That sure is a lot of money for Stefanowski to “dump” into his campaign, they geschrei in a campaign contribution solicition. An independent expenditure committee with $500,000 has also provided grist for a sky-is-falling appeal.

It is a lot of money for almost everyone on the planet—except Lamont. In a world with seven billion people, Lamont is wealthier than almost all of them. Few have spent nearly $50 million of their fourth generation fortune on political campaigns, going 1 for 3, so far. Should Lamont continue his re-election campaign in the teeth of a growing corruption scandal born of his neglect, the Greenwich Democrat will soon cross the $50 million mark, making Stefanowski look like he may have trouble competing in advertising points if regretful defendants begin appearing in court to enter guilty pleas.

Campaign spending ought to be a no-go zone for state Democrats this year. If they need more than a ruction to understand why, we commend their attention to celebrated historian Ron Chernow’s first book, The House of Morgan. Even the most blinkered partisan mouthpiece shrink from defending Thomas Lamont, founder of the family fortune, and his chilling role, as what Chernow calls, “an accomplice of Benito Mussolini.” It is a dispiriting chronicle of the wealthy free financing the slaughter of innocents as the world entered a dark valley of misery.

Posted February 23, 2023.