‘Mr. Fizz’ Needleman for governor

I will confess that I’ve enjoyed The Day’s series of election debate videos so much that I’ve watched some of them more than once.

I know. I know. It is, as Donald Trump would say, sad, very sad.

Honestly, though, they are an invaluable tool to assess the candidates you may be voting for. You hear not just their answers to important policy questions, but, over the course of an hour, you also get some sense of the intellect, temperament and general demeanor of each candidate.

Based on all those things, especially the policy answers, my favorite candidate around here this election season is by far Norm Needleman, once dubbed by his kids, according to one newspaper profile, as “Mr. Fizz” for his presiding over a company in Essex that is the largest national producer of effervescent products, like Bromo-Seltzer.

In addition to his job as CEO of Tower Laboratories, a 250-employee company he co-founded in 1979, he is also the first selectman of Essex.

He is a busy volunteer, too — a community service contributor on steroids.

The son of a Brooklyn grocer, Needleman got his start in the medical manufacturing business with a job offer from a fare in the New York cab he was driving, after he complained he wasn’t doing anything with his mathematics degree.

Based on my second watching of his debate with Sen. Art Linares, R-Westbrook, I hope the 65-yearold first selectman — I am tempted to use another Trumpism here — soundly defeats the 27-year-old Republican incumbent.

In fact, I hate to sound ageist here, but I was especially offended by the snarky treatment the young senator sometimes gave his gracious challenger, sniping at one point: “You should probably study that,” when Needleman clearly knew what he was talking about.

Indeed, the senator from Westbrook seemed at times to be almost as rude, dismissive and bombastic as the presidential candidate at the head of his ticket, whom he heartily endorsed.

I think I most enjoyed the Needleman debate performance because it was a relief from the Trump test box I’ve put myself in this election season.

I would like to see Connecticut Republicans do well because I believe Democrats, in control of both the House and Senate, have become way too cozy with unions to get on with the hard business of spending cuts in Hartford.

At the same time, I can’t imagine voting for any Republican candidate who won’t renounce the racist, misogynist, thin-skinned egoist at the head of their ticket. Some have. Not enough.

Then along comes Mr. Fizz, who