Tom Foley”™s misfortune was not so much in trailing Ann Romney to the podium ”“ after all, nobody could have topped her graceful and downright great address in Stamford on the eve of the Republican primary.
The former gubernatorial nominee”™s mistake might have been just taking the podium at all that evening.
If Foley keeps his new Prescott Bush Award in a prominent place, we have a feeling the DVD of his acceptance speech will be consigned to a dusty drawer ”“ if not the dustbin.
From his opening comments appearing to mock Michelle Obama as first lady (imagine the GOP”™s reaction to any ridicule of Laura Bush), to a Rod Stewart joke that elicited a wince and headshake from Chris Shays on the dais just behind ”“ this was not Foley”™s finest night.
And it came as a surprise. In the 2010 campaign, Foley came across as one might expect given his pedigree as former ambassador to Ireland and President George W. Bush”™s handpicked director of private sector development in Iraq ”“ measured, quick-witted, sturdy.
If Gov. Dannel P. Malloy”™s debate style is the strident equivalent of jabbing a finger at his opponent, Foley proved the master of the arched eyebrow and even-toned rejoinder.
Nobody could blame Foley if he were still feeling a bit bitter about the 2010 election, after the balloting fiasco in Bridgeport whose votes put Malloy over the top. That, by happenstance, provided fodder for Foley”™s one amusing line of the night.
“In 1952 in Bridgeport, there were more registered Republicans than registered Democrats, believe it or not ”“ and back then in Bridgeport, Democrats could only vote once,” Foley said. “Dead Democrats couldn”™t vote at all.”
That was as good as it got from Foley on this go around. If his party hopes not to be dead on arrival the next time it gets a crack at the governor”™s mansion, it better elevate the rhetoric.
