RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.wsj.com/articles/making-connecticut-grow-again-1534374994
Making Connecticut Grow AgainThe GOP nominates a businessman reformer to rescue failing Hartford.

Democrats again showed their eagerness to send a message against President Trump in Tuesday’s primaries, which threatens GOP control of statehouses. But perhaps the most intriguing result came in Connecticut, where businessman Bob Stefanowski won the GOP nomination for Governor on a bold reform platform to save the sinking state after years of failed public-union governance.

In Wisconsin, Democrats nominated state schools Superintendent Tony Evers to take on GOP Gov. Scott Walker. Unions are hoping to deny Mr. Walker a third term and take the statehouse so they can overturn his famous collective-bargaining reforms. Early polls give Mr. Evers a small lead, but Mr. Walker’s reforms have reduced property taxes, and unemployment is 2.9%.

Mr. Trump narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton in the state, but he remains a polarizing force. This was evident by state Sen. Leah Vukmir’s seven-point victory over former Marine Kevin Nicholson in the Senate primary. Mr. Nicholson tied himself to the President, but Ms. Vukmir cleaned up in the Milwaukee and Madison suburbs with endorsements from Gov. Walker and Paul Ryan. Ms. Vukmir is a long shot against Sen. Tammy Baldwin, but Senate Republicans shouldn’t leave her hanging like they did Senator Ron Johnson in 2016 if polls tighten.

Republicans are angling to pick up the governorship in Minnesota, which has been trending right in recent elections. Mr. Trump lost the state by fewer than 50,000 votes, and Republicans control the state House. Tim Pawlenty stood a good shot. He was a rare blue-state GOP Governor to survive the Democratic wave in 2006 and compiled a strong economic record during eight years in office.

Ned Lamont who defeated Incumbent Democrat Senator Lieberman in 2006 went on to defeat when Lieberman ran as an Independent is back running for Governor.Lamont is a millionaire Socialist who wants National Obamacare and Addressing Climate Change and Expanding Renewable Energy and all those lefty feel-good issues. However, he could not be worse than the Present Democrat Governor Dannel Malloy who has ruined the economy and infrastructure of Connecticut. rsk

Trump Twitter Support Is a Boon in GOP Primarieshttps://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/08/15/trump_twitter_support_is_a_boon_in_gop_primaries.html By Sally Persons

Donald Trump has taken a lot of grief for his tweeting habit from critics who view his use of the social media platform as decidedly unpresidential. He’s receiving only gratitude, however, from Republican candidates he’s endorsed on Twitter – candidates who’ve ridden Trump’s endorsement to decisive primary victories.

With over 50 million followers on Twitter, the president’s outreach spans a far greater cross-section of voters than the standard political database — though not all of his followers are Republicans or even politically engaged. He has endorsed 44 campaigns so far and many say they’ve seen a tangible difference after a getting that seal of approval on Twitter. His input elevates the candidates’ national profile, increases donations, and can even help change the outcome of some races.

In last month’s Republican gubernatorial primary runoff in Georgia, Trump’s surprise endorsement may have been the key to tipping the tight contest in the favor of Secretary of State Brian Kemp. He entered the July runoff as the underdog and ended up winning by a double-digit margin.

“The president’s endorsement was like pouring gasoline on a fire,” Kemp told RCP. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle had been widely considered the favorite throughout the race and had the support of Georgia’s GOP establishment, including term-limited Gov. Nathan Deal. Cagle won the first round of voting in May by 13 points but did not top 50 percent, forcing the runoff; he ended up losing to Kemp in July in a landslide after the president weighed in.