RI-Gov: Chafee will not run for reelection

[Landslide Lyndon]

http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20130904-governor-chafee-will-not-seek-re-election.ece

In a move that dramatically shakes up Rhode Island's political world, Gov. Lincoln Chafee announced Tuesday outside the state Department of Motor Vehicles that he will not seek re-election next year.

The announcement, at a hastily called 2 p.m. news conference, opens the door for a number of prominent politicians who have been eyeing the governor's office.

Two popular and well-funded Democrats -- state General Treasurer Gina Raimondo and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras -- have said they are considering a run. So too has Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, a Republican.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Hopefully Snyder will be next.

[Miles]

I like him, but it's a shame things turned out the way they did for him.

[RogueBeaver]

I'll be equally happy with either a Pub or Raimondo. Good riddance to Chafee.

[Maxwell]

Not entirely surprising. Independent Governors have to be pretty great Governors to have any sort of base on their own and win re-election. Chafee was so unpopular though, so he abandoned it completely like Lowell Weicker or Jesse Ventura.

[Indy Texas 🇺🇦🇵🇸]

I think this says more about how much harder it is for liberal Republicans to rebuild their career after leaving their party than it is for conservative Democrats.

The success rate for conservative Democrats who became Republicans is a lot higher in terms of staying in office and/or moving on to higher offices. Louisiana is basically run by former conservative Democrats; so is Georgia. Mississippi, Alabama and Oklahoma have plenty of them in their state houses too.

But if you go to New England or the West Coast or other places where liberal and moderate Republicans were a dime a dozen 50 years ago, they're not still around existing as Democrats. They usually stay with their party and retire or get defeated for reelection. If they do leave, it's to become an independent (Lowell Weicker, Jim Jeffords) and usually they can manage to win one election that way.

But the liberal Republicans who become Democrats have always fallen flat. John Lindsay's spectacularly bad tenure as the Liberal/Democratic Mayor of New York is the worst case I can think of. Ogden Reid's career basically ended after he left the GOP. Add Lincoln Chafee to the list.

[Maxwell]

I think this says more about how much harder it is for liberal Republicans to rebuild their career after leaving their party than it is for conservative Democrats.

The success rate for conservative Democrats who became Republicans is a lot higher in terms of staying in office and/or moving on to higher offices. Louisiana is basically run by former conservative Democrats; so is Georgia. Mississippi, Alabama and Oklahoma have plenty of them in their state houses too.

But if you go to New England or the West Coast or other places where liberal and moderate Republicans were a dime a dozen 50 years ago, they're not still around existing as Democrats. They usually stay with their party and retire or get defeated for reelection. If they do leave, it's to become an independent (Lowell Weicker, Jim Jeffords) and usually they can manage to win one election that way.

But the liberal Republicans who become Democrats have always fallen flat. John Lindsay's spectacularly bad tenure as the Liberal/Democratic Mayor of New York is the worst case I can think of. Ogden Reid's career basically ended after he left the GOP. Add Lincoln Chafee to the list.

Chafee might have had better luck if he had joined Democrats the first time around instead of when he realized, oh sh**t, my approvals are in the toliet.

[PolitiJunkie]

This race just went from Toss-Up/Lean D to Likely D/Safe D. Taveras and Raimondo are crushing Fung in the polls.

[Maxwell]

This race just went from Toss-Up/Lean D to Likely D/Safe D. Taveras and Raimondo are crushing Fung in the polls.

Saw the poll you were referencing. yes, Raimondo was crushing Fung. However, Taveras could just as easily be the nominee, and he would only lead Fung by 6, both under 40 and Block is at 15.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

This race just went from Toss-Up/Lean D to Likely D/Safe D. Taveras and Raimondo are crushing Fung in the polls.

Saw the poll you were referencing. yes, Raimondo was crushing Fung. However, Taveras could just as easily be the nominee, and he would only lead Fung by 6, both under 40 and Block is at 15.

Not to mention, the election is still 14 months away, and things will almost certainly change before then.

[publicunofficial]

Hoping Angel Taveras gets in. I like Raimondo, but I'd prefer a more economically liberal candidate.

[Indy Texas 🇺🇦🇵🇸]

Chafee might have had better luck if he had joined Democrats the first time around instead of when he realized, oh sh**t, my approvals are in the toliet.

Has Chafee himself actually done anything wrong or are Rhode Islanders just generally irritated with their horrible economy and blaming the incumbent?

[NerdyBohemian]

Despite Rhode Island being very faithful to the Democratic Party in federal elections, Rhode Island is far from a liberal state. Chafee tried to run the state as a liberal and was crucified for it.

[Blue3]

Despite Rhode Island being very faithful to the Democratic Party in federal elections, Rhode Island is far from a liberal state. Chafee tried to run the state as a liberal and was crucified for it.

Exactly.

Though I do think he could have managed the economy better.

[smoltchanov]

Well, i like him. Let's see what will be next. Whether Republicans will find a good candidate (i doubt), what will happen in Democratic primary, and so on..

[publicunofficial]

The main problem Chafee had and all future Governors will have is that Rhode Island's economy is f**cked, and there's really not much anyone can do about it short of annexation by Massachusetts or Connecticut.

[Bacon King]

Gov. Lincoln Chafee announced Tuesday outside the state Department of Motor Vehicles

Is it just me, or is that a really weird location for a press conference?

[Maxwell]

Well, i like him. Let's see what will be next. Whether Republicans will find a good candidate (i doubt), what will happen in Democratic primary, and so on..

Allan Fung would probably be a fine candidate.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Still, there's always the smithy, eh?

[Badger]

Still, there's always the smithy, eh?

That's inscrutable even for you, Al.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

This is one of those "Ding Dong, the witch is dead" moments.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Gov. Lincoln Chafee announced Tuesday outside the state Department of Motor Vehicles

Is it just me, or is that a really weird location for a press conference?

I thought that too.  It's too bad he's not running again.  I always liked him; he was a bit moderate for me, but still a decent guy, and we need more moderate/liberal Republicans.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Gov. Lincoln Chafee announced Tuesday outside the state Department of Motor Vehicles

Is it just me, or is that a really weird location for a press conference?

I thought that too.  It's too bad he's not running again.  I always liked him; he was a bit moderate for me, but still a decent guy, and we need more moderate/liberal Republicans.

My feelings exactly.  He became an Independent a few years ago, though, and recently he actually formally became a Democrat.

Despite Rhode Island being very faithful to the Democratic Party in federal elections, Rhode Island is far from a liberal state. Chafee tried to run the state as a liberal and was crucified for it.

They had 16 straight years of GOP governors from 1994-2010, after all.

[smoltchanov]

I think this says more about how much harder it is for liberal Republicans to rebuild their career after leaving their party than it is for conservative Democrats.

The success rate for conservative Democrats who became Republicans is a lot higher in terms of staying in office and/or moving on to higher offices. Louisiana is basically run by former conservative Democrats; so is Georgia. Mississippi, Alabama and Oklahoma have plenty of them in their state houses too.

But if you go to New England or the West Coast or other places where liberal and moderate Republicans were a dime a dozen 50 years ago, they're not still around existing as Democrats. They usually stay with their party and retire or get defeated for reelection. If they do leave, it's to become an independent (Lowell Weicker, Jim Jeffords) and usually they can manage to win one election that way.

But the liberal Republicans who become Democrats have always fallen flat. John Lindsay's spectacularly bad tenure as the Liberal/Democratic Mayor of New York is the worst case I can think of. Ogden Reid's career basically ended after he left the GOP. Add Lincoln Chafee to the list.

Not too surprising. In many Southern states (especially - in DEEP South) there was virtually no Republican party before an exodus of conservative Democrats from their "new", more liberal, Democratic party. So, there was, virtually, almost no intraparty competition for influence and power (there were some exceptions, like Holshouser-Gardner governor primary in 1972 in North Carolina, but that's an exception caused by existence of "old Mountain Republicanism" in Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee). On the contrary, most of the North-Eastern states, where moderate-to-liberal Republicans migrated to Democratic party, had vibrant Democratic party before that, so competition was fierce, and, thus, the transition went much less smoothly.

[politicallefty]

Considering the composition of the Legislature, how strong is the Governor of RI really?