University alum, longtime RI politician Chafee enters presidential race - Benjamin Pollard, Brown Daily Herald, Brown University:
January 24, 2020 - "During his four years on College Hill preceding his political career, former governor and senator Lincoln Chafee ... spent his time in a different arena: the wrestling ring.... Today, he is wrestling for a new title: President of the United States. Chafee — Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat — announced his candidacy for president Jan. 5, this time as a libertarian....
"Chafee comes from a long line of Rhode Island politicians. His great-great grandfather was Henry Lippitt, the 33rd governor of Rhode Island; his great-great uncle Charles Warren Lippitt was the 44th governor. His father, John Chafee, served as the 66th governor and served in the U.S. Senate....
"Lincoln Chafee served as mayor of Warwick as a Republican for seven years following his election in 1992. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate — again, as a Republican — following his father’s death in 1999, before being elected to serve a full term in 2000.... 'I left the Republican party back in 2007 because of the changes the Republicans were making,' Chafee said, criticizing the party for aggressive foreign policy, facilitating an increase in the deficit and 'their obsession with social issues.' He was, for example, the only Republican senator to vote against authorizing the Iraq War in 2002....
"Following Chafee’s tenure in the Senate, he joined the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs ... until his successful election to the office of governor in 2010 as an independent. Navigating the political landscape as an independent was challenging.... So in 2013, Chafee made his third party shift to the Democratic Party, then running for the Democratic nomination for president in 2016. He ended his campaign within a few months, after failing to garner significant support. ... characterizing the Democratic nomination process as 'biased against Hillary Clinton’s opponents.'
"Following his Democratic presidential bid, he moved to Wyoming ... and switched his party affiliation a fourth time to libertarian. Stressing the importance of avoiding 'foreign entanglements' and 'endless wars,' the Libertarian Party’s anti-war platform was a big draw for Chafee. He views contemporary public distrust in government as a consequence of the actions of the Bush administration in Iraq.
"Chafee is unlikely to face opposition from libertarians on his anti-war stances, which have remained more or less constant throughout his entire career. But there are other policy areas where members of Chafee’s newly adopted party may push back on his views. One such issue is gun control. 'We are very pro-Second Amendment,' said Pat Ford, Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Rhode Island. Chafee, on the other hand, 'has a history of being very pro-gun control,' Ford added....
"Ford ... is not surprised that the current political climate is prompting people to turn from the two major parties in search of another solution. 'People are looking for answers,' Ford said. 'I welcome Lincoln to the race.' This does not mean that Chafee’s path will be devoid of obstacles, Ford added. 'There is no coronation for our candidates. He will have to travel to every single state convention to convince our delegates that he can give voice to the Libertarian Party.'
"The presidential hopeful is doing just that, said Christopher Thrasher, Chafee’s campaign manager. 'Each weekend, from now until the first weekend in May, Governor Chafee will be traveling to Libertarian Party state conventions (as many as three per weekend),' Thrasher said. Delegates of the U.S. Libertarian Party will choose the party’s nominee at the Libertarian National Convention in Austin, Texas May 21."
Read more: https://www.browndailyherald.com/2020/01/24/university-alum-longtime-ri-politician-chafee-enters-presidential-race/
January 24, 2020 - "During his four years on College Hill preceding his political career, former governor and senator Lincoln Chafee ... spent his time in a different arena: the wrestling ring.... Today, he is wrestling for a new title: President of the United States. Chafee — Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat — announced his candidacy for president Jan. 5, this time as a libertarian....
"Chafee comes from a long line of Rhode Island politicians. His great-great grandfather was Henry Lippitt, the 33rd governor of Rhode Island; his great-great uncle Charles Warren Lippitt was the 44th governor. His father, John Chafee, served as the 66th governor and served in the U.S. Senate....
"Lincoln Chafee served as mayor of Warwick as a Republican for seven years following his election in 1992. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate — again, as a Republican — following his father’s death in 1999, before being elected to serve a full term in 2000.... 'I left the Republican party back in 2007 because of the changes the Republicans were making,' Chafee said, criticizing the party for aggressive foreign policy, facilitating an increase in the deficit and 'their obsession with social issues.' He was, for example, the only Republican senator to vote against authorizing the Iraq War in 2002....
"Following Chafee’s tenure in the Senate, he joined the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs ... until his successful election to the office of governor in 2010 as an independent. Navigating the political landscape as an independent was challenging.... So in 2013, Chafee made his third party shift to the Democratic Party, then running for the Democratic nomination for president in 2016. He ended his campaign within a few months, after failing to garner significant support. ... characterizing the Democratic nomination process as 'biased against Hillary Clinton’s opponents.'
"Following his Democratic presidential bid, he moved to Wyoming ... and switched his party affiliation a fourth time to libertarian. Stressing the importance of avoiding 'foreign entanglements' and 'endless wars,' the Libertarian Party’s anti-war platform was a big draw for Chafee. He views contemporary public distrust in government as a consequence of the actions of the Bush administration in Iraq.
"Chafee is unlikely to face opposition from libertarians on his anti-war stances, which have remained more or less constant throughout his entire career. But there are other policy areas where members of Chafee’s newly adopted party may push back on his views. One such issue is gun control. 'We are very pro-Second Amendment,' said Pat Ford, Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Rhode Island. Chafee, on the other hand, 'has a history of being very pro-gun control,' Ford added....
"Ford ... is not surprised that the current political climate is prompting people to turn from the two major parties in search of another solution. 'People are looking for answers,' Ford said. 'I welcome Lincoln to the race.' This does not mean that Chafee’s path will be devoid of obstacles, Ford added. 'There is no coronation for our candidates. He will have to travel to every single state convention to convince our delegates that he can give voice to the Libertarian Party.'
"The presidential hopeful is doing just that, said Christopher Thrasher, Chafee’s campaign manager. 'Each weekend, from now until the first weekend in May, Governor Chafee will be traveling to Libertarian Party state conventions (as many as three per weekend),' Thrasher said. Delegates of the U.S. Libertarian Party will choose the party’s nominee at the Libertarian National Convention in Austin, Texas May 21."
Read more: https://www.browndailyherald.com/2020/01/24/university-alum-longtime-ri-politician-chafee-enters-presidential-race/
Thank you for this nice summary on Lincoln Chafee. I have followed him for a long time and he is no Libertarian. It's sad that he sees the LP as a catch-all for disgruntled and orphaned political candidates but even sadder that the aqa LP accepts such wayward opportunists into their fold. Tolerance and acceptance are not necessarily virtues.
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