Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

The stealth candidate stays unobtrusive

  • by Nicolas Kemper
  • August 9, 2010
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

COVENTRY – While his rivals were blitzing the state, making campaign stops from Coventry to Norwalk, Rob Simmons began the last weekend before the Republican Senate primary here, talking about spies.

After delivering introductory remarks for the Nathan Hale Symposium, Simmons spent two hours listening to the remarks of three other panelists, and offered a comment during the question and answer session at the end.

“It’s not really your normal campaign event,” Simmons said afterward.

simmons 8-9-10

Rob Simmons at the Nathan Hale Symposium (Nicolas Kemper)

Then again, neither has it been a normal campaign.

It’s been dubbed the “stealth campaign” by some commentators, and Simmons himself likes to use military jargon like “guerrilla operation” and “outgunned” when referring to his off-again, on-again quest for the Senate nomination. His last weekend played into the metaphor.

Unlike the front-runner, Linda McMahon, the third GOP Senate hopeful, Peter Schiff, and most of the other candidates in Tuesday’s primaries, Simmons kept a low profile.

While other politicians, including Democratic Senate nominee Richard Blumenthal, walked in Sunday’s VJ Day parade in Moosup surrounded by banner-holding, sign-waving supporters, Simmons donned his uniform and marched inconspicuously with State of Connecticut American Legion Honor Guard.

The politicking had been done earlier, Simmons said, when he and his wife walked the parade route handing out Rob Simmons potholders. He’s passed out campaign potholders since 1991, Simmons said, when he adopted the idea from Horace Seely-Brown Jr., a Republican who represented the 2nd District for six terms from the late 1940s to the early 1960s.

“They have some value – people don’t just throw them away like stickers,” Simmons said.

In his remarks in Coventry Saturday, Simmons used the Nathan Hale story and more recent U.S. intelligence operations to draw comparisons to his own campaign. He described Hale as “a failure” – the Coventry native was caught and hanged on his first and only mission. But he said Hale’s service to his country was more important than the outcome of his mission.

Service is also central to the two TV ads Simmons has run since re-booting his dormant campaign three weeks ago, and dovetails with Simmons’ own extensive public service, especially his 10 years in the CIA.

“Nathan Hale gave his life, and in my way I’ve given my own life,” Simmons said.

Simmons went on to critique the American intelligence community’s emphasis on “SIGINT” and “VISINT” – intelligence based on signal intercepts and pictures–as opposed to “HUMINT” – intelligence gathered by humans. Said Simmons, “A photograph tells you what something looks like, and an intercepted message can tell you what someone is saying, but humans know what other humans are thinking, feeling, planning and doing.”

The critique resonated with his belief that – since winning the GOP’s endorsement – front-runner McMahon has inundated Connecticut’s media markets with her message and image and has rebuffed requests to debate Simmons or Schiff.

Even remarks by the first speaker, Dr. Walter Woodward, who complained about a “media-saturated world fixated on image as opposed to substance,” where he said “heroes have given away to celebrities” could just as easily been about the frustrations of the Simmons’ campaign as the dearth of modern day Nathan Hales.

“I want people to run for something instead of against something” said Simmons.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicolas Kemper

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
‘It’s a nightmare:’ A growing number of seniors are unable to book vaccine appointments as problems mount
by Dave Altimari and Jenna Carlesso

The state acknowledged Friday in an email to local health workers that some residents are waiting days for a callback.

Panel recommends small, inflationary pay hike for state officials
by Keith M. Phaneuf

Connecticut's part-time legislature hasn't received a pay hike since 2001. The annual base-pay for senators and representatives is $28,000.

Police task force seeks wider applicant pool for watchdog role
by Kelan Lyons

The task force sent four recommendations — and two that didn't get unanimous approval— to lawmakers for the 2021 session.

Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Opinion Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Opinion Connecticut’s $100 million college shell game
by Stephen Adair

The plan to consolidate the 12 community colleges in Connecticut into one college with 12 campuses is called “Students First,” which is ironic because it does not fund students first.  It funds a new administration in a new, statewide bureaucracy. The Board of Regents (BOR) and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system office […]

Opinion Inconsistent television captioning is a barrier to equal access
by Jeffrey Bravin and Barbara Cassin

Our world long ago entered the age of the 24-hour news cycle, and a full understanding of the “who, what, when, where and why” of the news is critical for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing citizens. Yet, Connecticut’s inconsistent quality of television captioning locks our community out of the complete sense of what is happening.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO