Lincoln Chafee was one of the last Rockefeller Republicans, by today's standards effectively a liberal Democrat with a 'R' behind his name.
From 2000 to 2008 McCain changed from a somewhat genuine centrist to a mostly party-line Republican with the occasional independent streak.
I cited Chafee as an example of a Republican Senator who is closest to McCain on the political spectrum (pre-2008). In 2001, Democrats even contacted McCain and Chafee to convince them to switch Parties (Chafee didn't oblige at the time, but did 12 years later). McCain and Chafee were also the only two Republican Senators to vote "no" to Bush tax cuts. McCain may not have been as liberal, but pre-2008, McCain probably could have been classified as a Rockefeller Republican as well.
Of the Republicans currently running, I would say those who come closest to being Rockefeller Republicans would be Lindsey Graham (who happens to have a strong allegiance to McCain, by the way). He hasn't developed a reputation as a "maverick," but he is willing to buck his Party on climate change, immigration, and Social Security. Pataki, Gilmore, and even Kasich and Trump all have some views that could be considered moderate or liberal relative to other Republicans, but I don't think any of them would qualify as "Rockefeller Republicans." Kasich is a '90's conservative, who just happens to be more moderate than his Tea Party challengers because the GOP has shifted right since the '90s. Trump, however, except for his views on immigration and the minimum wage, is pretty liberal; he just comes off as crazy and inexperienced.
Your thoughts?
