A Republican on the Edge:Chafee's Defections Loom Large

[cal04]

Chafee's Defections Loom Large in Senate Race

Lincoln Chafee was cleaning a horse stall on his well-manicured farm one recent early morning, describing his latest encounter with hostile home-state Republicans. The GOP senator had appeared the previous night before the Scituate Republican Town Committee to seek the endorsement of the small but influential group. In his halting, soft-spoken way, Chafee defended his opposition to the war in Iraq, domestic wiretapping and the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. as the principled positions of an old-school conservative.

Chafee, 53, once could count on voters in Rhode Island to tolerate his maverick ways, but this time the response was blank stares. "Nobody listened to my reasoning," Chafee recounted as he piled hay into a wheelbarrow. "They support the president on everything."

Few paths to victory are more convoluted than the one Chafee must travel to win election to a second term this year in this strongly Democratic state. Chafee will face Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey, a conservative, in the Sept. 12 GOP primary, and he must convince voters that he is "Republican enough," despite his numerous defections from the party and President Bush. If he survives the primary, Chafee then must hope that he can hold the Republican vote while wooing moderate Democrats and independents to stave off what is sure to be a strong Democratic challenge. "I'm running for opposite constituencies," Chafee said. "It's impossible."

(snip)
A recent Brown University survey showed Chafee narrowly leading both his prospective Democratic opponents -- former state attorney general Sheldon Whitehouse and Secretary of State Matt Brown -- while Laffey trailed both Whitehouse and Brown by significant margins. But the Chafee-Laffey contest is difficult to gauge. That's because there are so few Republicans in the state -- only about 25,000 vote in GOP primaries -- and because unaffiliated voters, who make up about half the electorate, can show up and vote on primary day.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/13/AR2006041301917.html

[saltpoint]

1. Isn't Rhode Island a pretty blue place overall? If Laffey beats Lincoln

Chafee in the primary, aren't Dems' chances encouraging for November?

I'd like to have a blue pick-up seat in Rhode Island, even if I'm not a resident there.

[Doctor_J]

2. Sounds like it.

Dems should be crossing over en masse in the primary to vote for the winger.

[0007]

3. They will for sure.

[saltpoint]

4. Every additional blue Senate seat we can pick up is a good one.

I don't hate Lincoln Chafee for sport; I even think I might appreciate him as a human being, but he just can't keep supporting an idiot president and expect Democrats to tolerate it. If we don't like it when Lieberman backtracks, we definitely aren't going to buy it when Chafee does it. He knows better and voted for Bush's policies and nominees most of the time anyway.

I hope that's a new blue vote for our side in November.

[bdamomma]

5. just asking

but can a democrat take chafee's place, Brown, Whitehouse or Sheeler?

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

6. Chaffee should switch parties

The GOP hasn't got a place for him or any moderate any more.

[Toots]

7. Sounds like he wants it both ways

A Coward in my books. He talks against something then votes for it. He has no real spine or he would have switched when Jeffords did...He needs to go. I don't want him as a Democrat as he adds nothing to the Party and the Republicans don't want him either..America is very polarized and the middle of the road ain't getting it anymore. One must take a stand or move aside..

[Josh]

8. Maybe - but you've got to remember

that he got the seat when his father DIED. Perhaps he sees it as a betrayal of his father's legacy to take his Senate seat and switch parties. Maybe that's why he talks about old fashioned conservatism - probably the kind he was raised to believe in.

[Strawman]

9. see, I have a problem with that

I think it's true and it's flatly elitist and offensive. He wasn't elected to represent or preserve his father's legacy. He was elected to represent the people of Rhode Island. He's made too many compromises just to keep an R alongside his name. That shouldn't even be a factor when it comes to representation.

He should get the boot. He's running for the US Senate, not the House of Lords.

[Josh]

10. I understand that's how *you* feel, I'm just trying to offer an

explanation of how he might feel. I don't know; my father is still alive and in good health, and were he to die I wouldn't be appointed to the US Senate. I'm just hazzarding a guess.

[Strawman]

11. yeah

I think your explanation of how he feels is spot on. I'm just reacting to that. I don't have a problem with what you said. I have a problem with what influences his politics.

[Josh]

13. Fair call

Cheers. :)

[m_welby]

12. how little people outside RI understand

How things work here. RI is a fiercely independant state (hell we have statue called the 'independant man' on top of the state house dome). Tht's why half the votors are listed as independant. Lincoln chafee actually represents this state very well and has since he took his fathers seat, which is why in a very blue state he is likely to beat any democrat running.

If anyone thinks a large number of independant democrats are going to vote in the republican primary in order to defeat lincoln they are sorely mistaken. They may vote as republican in order to defeat a nutcase like laffey, but not the other way around.

Oh, and as for any one of you who seems to think Mr. Chafee is too 'pro-bush' let me remind you that he voted against the patriot act and against the iraq war. When you can tell me all our democratic senators did the same then you have the right to criticize, until then look to your own house.

If by some miracle laffey wins the republican primary then anybody with a pulse will be able to turn the seat dem. Laffey does not have a chance in a general election here.

As for the opposition, 'whitewash' and 'brownstone', I'd rather have chafee, they're both typical democratic party cyphers. On the other hand, if Mr. Sheeler were to be the democratic opponent, I would gladly vote for him, unfortunately the party machine will likely not let that happen.

I would very much like to turn the seat dem; but then, lincoln chafee and RI are not the reason the senate and house are in repub hands, it all the crazies out there in the middle of the country that did that.

[opihimoimoi]

14. Mr Sheeler does not come to the DU with posts on various issues

so that we can get a feel of his persona.feelings/positions/visions...

As a past Pub, he carries baggage. As a ROOKIE, he is not exactly a shoe in...

I suspect Sheeler is a DINO...another Zell.

Instead, Sheeler comes to take our support...look at his threads...all he does is ask for support while giving no solid reason besides funding for a bill board...

He is not forthright in my book....

[madinmaryland]

15. I don't know alot of his background,

but the following link gives a list of some of his views:

http://www.carlsheeler.com/policies_positions.asp

The biggest thing he is running on is "Impeach Bush" as seen on his billboard.

Not much political experience. He is a veteran and makes it known.

[opihimoimoi]

16. I find him lacking to aspire for the US SENATE.....

Thats perhaps why he is being ignored.....