Rich Suburbs Move to Democrats

[babylonsister]

Rich Suburbs Move to Democrats
By Froma Harrop

GREENWICH, Conn. -- You know you're in a different kind of town when the signs against drunk driving show a line drawn through a Martini glass to which the artist thoughtfully added a stirrer. Greenwich, Conn., is one such town.

Greenwich is home to billionaire hedge-fund managers, private-equity kings and corporate chieftains, as well as ordinary multi-multimillionaires. Interviewing people here requires leaving phone messages with au pairs and catching folks between board meetings.

You'd think that Greenwich would be solid Bush-loving turf -- what with all those tax cuts for the rich. It is not. The voters are roughly 40 percent Republican, 40 percent unaffiliated and only 20 percent Democratic, but Bush won the town by only a sliver in 2004, even though his father grew up here.

The political shift toward Democrats has been noted in wealthy suburbs from Seattle to Philadelphia. In 2006, an amazing 63 percent of voters making from $150,000 to $200,000 chose Democratic candidates. Even those making over $200,000 favored Democrats, albeit by a small margin.

Greenwich has also become an incubator for liberal candidates. Local businessman Ned Lamont became the bloggers' hero last year for nearly unseating Iraq-war cheerleader Joe Lieberman in a Senate race.

The chairman of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee is Jim Himes, a Goldman Sachs alumnus who is running against Chris Shays, New England's sole surviving Republican House member. Himes has already raised nearly $350,000, more than any other congressional challenger in the country, according to his campaign.

more...

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/08/rich_suburbs_move_to_democrats.html

[rodeodance]

1. Shays sat in a Committee hearing on AG and asked why are we here!!

[babylonsister]

2. I hope he gets trounced; could happen. nt