September 9, 2005
Senator Chafee's first response to the Challenger
In the Pawtucket Times, Jim Baron has Senator Chafee’s early response to Mayor Laffey’s announcement. The article displays the Senator's lack of political instinct which has culminated in his facing a primary challenge. Here is an example, in the Senator's own words…
"He [Laffey] bashed Republicans as much as he bashed Democrats. He is distancing himself from the party."This doesn’t work to advance the Senator’s interests on any level. In terms of the Republican base, it is a lost cause for Senator Chafee to claim that he is more Republican than anyone, especially Steve Laffey. And pointing out that Mayor Laffey is as willing to bash Republicans as well as Democrats can only increase Laffey’s appeal to the independents who will largely decide the outcome of the primary.
Also, conventional wisdom holds that Senator Chafee possesses the temperate persona compatible with the political culture of Rhode Island, as Edward Achorn phrased it, the “personal qualities of moderation, restraint and noblesse oblige that Rhode Islanders often associate with a senator.” Yet noblesse oblige is nowhere to be found in a quote like this…
So having had a hand in starting Laffey's political career, Chafee said, "I will take great satisfaction in ending it."Once again, the Sentor undercuts what is supposed to be his strength, his moderation and restraint having vanished in the face of a challenger.
Chafee's response was, well, as you might expect, quite weak. One thing he does benefit from however, are low expectations.
His quote, "He [Laffey] bashed Republicans as much as he bashed Democrats. He is distancing himself from the party." is downright laughable coming from Chafee, who virtually never agrees with the GOP on anything! If Chafee think's he's going to "out Republican" Laffey, he's even denser than most people assume!
Laffey is playing this right, by being "bipartisan" in his attacks, he avoids the label of being a partisan robot -- which frankly, most "average" people like!
As for this dandy of a quote: So having had a hand in starting Laffey's political career, Chafee said, "I will take great satisfaction in ending it." Doesn't this sound exactly like what the big union bosses said when they put up their prop Reilly, to depose of Laffey in the Cranston GOP primary? As I recall, Laffey crushed the union stooge with 75% of the vote! Do they never learn? Oh, this is going to be one fun year ahead!