Making the most of a motto

'Nobody's man but yours," was the slogan Lowell P. Weicker Jr. used in 1990 when, running as a third-party candidate, he won the governor's race and stunned the Democratic and Republican party establishment.

In campaigns would-be leaders become commodities, selling themselves to voters. And any good product needs a catchy slogan - Maxwell House Coffee will always be, "Good to the last drop" and when we hear "Just Do It" we think of Nike - whatever it is.

Weicker's was among the best. Having left the Republican party and formed his own, A Connecticut Party, Weicker made the case he would answer to no one but the voters in addressing a serious budget crisis. The slogan said he was ready to make the tough and unpopular decisions.

Of course, the tough and unpopular decision he made was pushing through a state income tax, an action that solved the budget crisis, but for which many Connecticut citizens never forgave him.

Recently Ned Lamont, who Weicker has endorsed for governor, resurrected the slogan in a commercial. Political commentators quickly noted it was a retread from the Weicker run. It has not reappeared in Lamont's political advertising since.

For every slogan that catches on and plays a part in political history - "Yes we can" - there are hundreds that voters quickly forget. With primary day Tuesday in Connecticut, this campaign season has already seen plenty of slogans featured in political commercials or arriving in snail mail and e-mail.

Here are a few. See if you can match up the candidate. The answers are at the end of the column.

1. "She's always delivered."

2. "Let's get Connecticut working again."

3. "The Democrat who will get Connecticut winning again"

4. "Families Come First"

5. "Lest we forget, service defines us."

6. "A lifetime of determined leadership."

7. "The Democratic endorsed candidate for comptroller."

8. "Start earning cash back this summer." (Oops, wrong mailer, that was from my credit card company.)

A good slogan fundamentally sums up the strategy of the candidate. Yet, strangely, candidates who have dramatically different policies can end up with alarmingly similar mottos. This suggests that these bite-size sayings don't really mean anything substantive.

For example, Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon is, "A different kind of senator," while Democrat Lamont is "A governor who will challenge the status quo, not a career politician." Those two politicians are fairly far apart on the political spectrum, but the product they are selling is the same: Successful businessperson and political outsider who will shake things up.

McMahon's advisers are putting together one slick package, among the reasons she is steadily closing the gap with Senate opponent Democrat Richard Blumenthal, the current attorney general.

"Fighting for people. First. Last. Always." That's the slogan found on the Blumenthal website. It's about as lame as his campaign so far. Blumenthal is betting his consumer advocate, corporate warrior reputation will carry him to the Senate. Don't be so sure. He needs a clear message about what he will do as senator. Right now, his backward-looking slogan suggests Blumenthal doesn't have one.

Now it is on to our quiz answers.

1. Mary Glassman, Democratic contender for lieutenant governor, is the candidate who "always delivered."

2. Tom Foley is the Republican gubernatorial candidate who can "get Connecticut working again."

3. Conversely, Lamont, a Democrat, "will get Connecticut winning again." I'm not sure if that means job creation or improving the odds of winning when buying a state lottery ticket.

4. Mike Jarjura, a Democratic candidate for comptroller says, "families come first." What does that have to do with being comptroller? I don't have a clue.

5. Republican Senate candidate Rob Simmons, decorated Vietnam veteran, former congressman, former state business advocate, is saying, "Lest we forget, service defines us." Unfortunately for him, his fellow Republicans quickly forgot that when endorsing McMahon at the party convention in May.

6. Former prosecutor, former mayor of Stamford, and current Democratic candidate for governor, Dan Malloy, is pointing to his "lifetime of determined leadership" as a selling point.

7. Come on, you should have got this. Kevin Lembo is the only Democratic endorsed candidate for comptroller. He also takes the prize for the lamest slogan.

8. Chase Mastercard.

None correct - you don't care about any of this, do you? One to three right - mildly interested. Four to six right - a political junkie. Seven right - you need a life. Eight right: Have you been checking my mail?

Paul Choiniere is editorial page editor.