My knowledge of Rhode Island politics doesn’t extend much beyond headlines about the high unemployment, state pension reform, and of course former Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci. So I am likely not the best person to wonder about this, but there’s an interesting intersection with Vermont’s gov …
As head of the Democratic Governors Association Governor, Peter Shumlin followed the lead of Rhode Island’s Democratic congressional delegation and former US rep. Patrick Kennedy in urging Independent Governor (and former Republican Senator) Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island to join the Democratic Party.
DGA Chairman Gov. Peter Shumlin, of Vermont, this week described Chafee as "a very thoughtful person" with strong ties to Democratic governors and President Barack Obama. Shumlin told The Associated Press, "We would welcome him to the Democratic Party."
This effort at conversion seems a simple and expected conclusion to Chafee’s long slow slide away from the National Republican Party. Way back in 2004 Chafee was a VIP at Bush’s 2004 RNC Convention. Yet just few years later he supported Obama for president and eventually bolted the party to become the Independent governor of Rhode Island in 2010. By 2012 he spent “a couple of nights” as a welcomed guest at the Democratic National Convention. At present there are 19 Democratic governors, 30 Republicans, and one independent. So bringing Chafee on board means maybe Dems can pick up a state house, right?
Well maybe not. Independent Chafee’s 2014 hopes for reelection currently look pretty grim with recent polls showing an approval rating of just 26 percent. Other polling in late 2012 showed that
Overall 57% of voters don't want Chafee to seek reelection next year. 20% want him to run as an independent and 18% think he should run for election again as a Democrat
Two Democrats Chafee might face – either in a reelection battle or perhaps as opponents in a three-way Democratic primary race – both poll much better approval ratings by a substantial margin: Mayor Angel Taveras of Providence polled at 64 percent approval rating, and State Treasurer Gina Raimondo showed a 56 percent approval. (Of course, approval ratings in the current office have limited application to judging future face-offs for the next job up the ladder.)
As a U.S. senator, Chafee did occasionally side with Democrats, and he supported Obama, so the welcoming solicitation from the DGA may be a nice big thank you note of sorts. Early positioning and general pre-election subterfuge are perhaps a larger factor.
But I gotta wonder: isn’t courting a centrist Republican with a 26 percent approval rating outside the job description of the DGA – to support Democratic governors and candidates across the nation?
Or is Shumlin just looking for more like-minded govs in supporting some social issues (marriage equality) and protecting himself and other one percenters from pitching a fair share into the budget pool?
This is the kind of thing the national Dems have done before — wooing a “big name” from the opposition. Remember the John McCain trial balloon for Vice President in 2004? For that matter, remember the Dems’ craen efforts to stay in Joe Lieberman’s good graces (ugh)?
Or, going the other way, the Republicans’ trumpeting of Zell Miller, a onetime political prominence who brought nothing to the GOP except one more angry white guy?
It’s partly an infatuation with established politicos, no matter what their actual power (ironic that Patches Kennedy is leading this particular charge), and partly a chance to stick it to the other guys. It’s short-sighted, and not in the best interest of the Rhode Island Dems, but it’s hard to resist.
It’s the Republican party that’s been sliding away from Chaffee (and reality).
The Republicans have dragged the country so far to the right that it’s the far-right extremists that are demanding the legalization of Hemp and it’s the Democrats (who now occupy the slot of mainstream Republicans) who are blocking it.
I speak about the national level, BTW. Here in semi-rational Vermont, it’s Democrat Kristen Michelsen who is an outspoken proponent for Vermont’s growing hemp.