Gov. Chafee (I-RI) open to running as a Democrat in 2014

[greenforest32]

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Read more at http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/providence/gov-chafee-open-to-running-as-democrat

[Maxwell]

Wouldn't be surprised if he ran as a Democrat, though I'm not sure he would win a primary.

Also, at this point, not only does he not agree with Republicans on at least 80% of the issues, but he also hates the way the party is, so no way does he run as a Republican again ever.

[Frodo]

I think he will definitely join the Democratic Party as well as run as one -it's the path of least resistance, and I think he will find himself at home there as well. 

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I wonder how often he and Charlie Crist talk.

[morgieb]

I wonder how often he and Charlie Crist talk.

Chafee is a fair bit left to Crist.

[Marokai Backbeat]

He will almost certainly run as a Democrat.

[Blue3]

It depends on if he'd have a strong primary challenger or not.

Rhode Island hasn't had a Democratic governor in 20 years, so it's still not like he'd be a shoe-in.

[Maxwell]

It depends on if he'd have a strong primary challenger or not.

Rhode Island hasn't had a Democratic governor in 20 years, so it's still not like he'd be a shoe-in.

The elections have all been very close though, kind of like the opposite situation in the state of Washington and Oregon.

[Vosem]

He will almost certainly run as a Democrat.

Considering how very unpopular he is, that would be pretty horrible for the local Democratic Party. If he wins, a sufficiently moderate Republican (like, say, Robitaille) could win by running against Chafee; were he to run as an independent, a Democrat could run as anti-Chafee and thereby keep the seat in leftist hands. The threat of a primary challenge may yet scare him away, though considering how staunchly the Administration supports him for some reason, it also may not...

[Blue3]

Democrats in Rhode Island aren't necessarily leftist... Chafee was more liberal than the Democrat in '10, and probably more liberal than most if not all of the Democratic nominees of the last few decades.

And the General Assembly will stay Democratic no matter what, so we never have to worry about total GOP control, just GOP governors.

[Svensson]

Somewhere, the Republican Party of Rhode Island is singing a hallelujah chord.

[rejectamenta]

"My change in party will enable me to be re-electedddd."

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I could see him running as a Democrat or Independent, but he may not even run at all.  If he does, then I hope he stays an Independent.  If it weren't for the ideological purity hacks in the GOP, he might still be a Republican today.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

It depends on if he'd have a strong primary challenger or not.

Rhode Island hasn't had a Democratic governor in 20 years, so it's still not like he'd be a shoe-in.

Right, it will be 20 years by the end of Chafee's next term.  But even if he runs he will probably lose (at least if his job approval is as low as I hear it is).

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I could see him running as a Democrat or Independent, but he may not even run at all.  If he does, then I hope he stays an Independent.  If it weren't for the ideological purity hacks in the GOP, he might still be a Republican today.

Nah, Chafee had to go. From what I remember, he voted against his party nearly every single time. Sure, you can tolerate moderates. However, the man was clearly well outside the bounds of anything moderate. Hell, if I'm right, he voted against the Iraq War, which would put him to the left of friggin' John Kerry.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I could see him running as a Democrat or Independent, but he may not even run at all.  If he does, then I hope he stays an Independent.  If it weren't for the ideological purity hacks in the GOP, he might still be a Republican today.

Nah, Chafee had to go. From what I remember, he voted against his party nearly every single time. Sure, you can tolerate moderates. However, the man was clearly well outside the bounds of anything moderate. Hell, if I'm right, he voted against the Iraq War, which would put him to the left of friggin' John Kerry.

Yes, a shame the man voted against a war that proved extraordinarily expensive, unusually unpopular, and completely unwarranted given that they never found those "weapons of mass destruction."

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I could see him running as a Democrat or Independent, but he may not even run at all.  If he does, then I hope he stays an Independent.  If it weren't for the ideological purity hacks in the GOP, he might still be a Republican today.

Nah, Chafee had to go. From what I remember, he voted against his party nearly every single time. Sure, you can tolerate moderates. However, the man was clearly well outside the bounds of anything moderate. Hell, if I'm right, he voted against the Iraq War, which would put him to the left of friggin' John Kerry.

Yes, a shame the man voted against a war that proved extraordinarily expensive, unusually unpopular, and completely unwarranted given that they never found those "weapons of mass destruction."

That's not the point I'm trying to make, and I thought you'd know better than that. The point is that the man opposed his party at every turn, to the point of being tot he left of a number of Democrats. Sure, you can have moderates (as your name indicates) however, the man was far outside the bounds of even the most "moderate" of moderates.

[Maxwell]

Lincoln Chaffee only agreed with the Republicans on the Patriot Act and maybe on School Vouchers.

[RogueBeaver]

Dunno what would happen here. Ideally a Pub win, but if not then I'd be quite OK with Raimondo.

[Ember]

Chafee running in the Democratic primary seems like a sure thing to me, but making it out of the primary, only plausible.