Lincoln Chafee: 'I'm running' and here's why

[PoliticAverse]

Source: CNN

(CNN)Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee said Thursday on CNN that he's running for the Democratic nomination for president, just a week after announcing he formed an exploratory committee, his most definitive statement he's made toward formalizing a 2016 campaign.

"Yes, that's why I'm running. Because I feel strong about where we're going as a country," Chafee told CNN's "New Day" on Thursday, when asked why he's been so critical of Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Chafee was asked by CNN's John Berman in the context of having not formally declared his presidential campaign.

Chafee spokeswoman Debbie Rich said Chafee did not declare himself as a candidate for president Thursday, despite saying "that's why I'm running."

"We are still in the exploratory committee phase," she told CNN in a phone interview, adding, "We will file the proper papers to be an official candidate, but that has not happened yet."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/16/politics/lincoln-chafee-running-for-president/

[leftofcool]

1. Another former Republican running as Democrat?

Okay, Lincoln, I get it about the IWR. Now, could you please explain your stance on privatization of social security?

[KittyWampus]

9. Hey, if Elizabeth Warren runs we can have a trifecta!

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Notice the crickets.

[Blue_Tires]

31. He's the last of the old-school New England Republicans

Newt Gingrich started systematically purging them out of the GOP in the mid-90s...
In other words, he's a fiscal conservative but very liberal on social and environmental issues...The GOP moved so far right they left him out in the cold...

[freshwest]

33. He wanted that? Wow. n/t

[KPN]

2. Maybe I'm Just Paranoid but ...

Chafee's entry strikes me as an excellent way for the GOP to smear Hillary, especially since no real Ds seem willing to play that role in a primary against her. Okay, maybe cynical is a better word.

[brooklynite]

3. I haven't seen him say anything against Hillary that I haven't read here.....

[PoliticAverse]

4. Chaffee hasn't been a fan of Clinton, he voted against the Iraq War Resolution while she

voted for it.

Lincoln Chafee accuses Hillary Clinton of diplomatic clumsiness, says ‘America loves an underdog’:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/04/16/lincoln-chafee-accuses-hillary-clinton-of-diplomatic-clumsiness-says-america-loves-an-underdog/

[OKNancy]

11. he also vote to repeal Glass-Steagall

[Hell Hath No Fury]

15. So did almost every single Democrat at the time --

so that argument is kind of a wash. Oh yeah, almost forgot it was a Democrat who signed the repeal it into law.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. Voted for CAFTA while Hillary voted against it. He's got a 92% pro free trade ranking from CATO

Hillary has a 17%. He was ranked very poorly by organized labor in the Senate, she ranked well, his record on Civil Rights is very mixed, hers is very strong. The Christian Coalition gave Senator Chafee a 50% on family values, they gave Hillary a 0%. I also get a 0 from them.

He did cast that one good vote. I'm Union, so he can go fuck himself.

[Jim Lane]

28. Did Hillary take a position on the repeal at the time? Has she taken a position on reinstating it?

I won't assume that she automatically supported every policy of the Clinton Administration, just because she was FLOTUS. I also won't assume that her current campaign will be based on exactly the position she held in the 1990s; I recognize that some "evolving" may have occurred.

But I would like to know her position.

[okaawhatever]

6. Absolutely and he'll get a lot of money from right wingers to run for that very reason. The GOP is

afriad of Hillary and they'll try & take her out any way possible. This is just one. With the anonymous 503c4 funds he can be well funded by GOP heavyweights.

[totodeinhere]

7. I think that Governor Chafee is a sincere and genuine proponent of progressive principles.

And I would put his progressivism up against Hillary Clinton any day. He never was a conservative but he originally ran for the Senate as a Republican in order to fill his dad's shoes and his family was a longtime liberal Republican family. Yes in those days there really were liberal Republicans.

[Historic NY]

16. His approval rate as Gov. was 26%

he couldn't get re-elected so he dropped out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/02/28/r-i-gov-lincoln-chafee-has-big-problems/

[Purveyor]

21. I see it more as 'hillary needs a primary opponent' and this one hasn't a chance to take hold so

he is the 'safe bet' for her.

Run, Bernie, run!

[DFW]

5. If he runs, things are going to get REALLY confusing

Just imagine all the posters claiming to be the "Party of Lincoln"

[MADem]

8. He's stinking rich, too. I mean, old-money-stinking-rich. Not country club rich--old school tie

rich. His daddy was rich, his granddaddy was rich. Will he self-fund his campaign (he's donated to himself in the past)? I don't know if he's got the stomach for that...! National politics get expensive, quick. It's not like running a campaign in Rhode Island...

Will he release his tax returns?

Be kinda hard for opponents of HRC to keep smearing the candidate who grew up in a three bedroom, one and a half bath joint with that "rich" label if they choose to back this guy, instead...but then again, logic doesn't always count for much around these parts!!!!

[DFW]

12. A presidential campaign these days costs upward of a billion

Not too many families out there with that kind of change to spare.

I never met the guy, but I hear that he's well-liked, not full of himself like so much old money is. Anyone entering the Democratic primaries now knows that the elephant has entered the room, and Hillary hasn't made any stupid mistakes yet (it's early, I know). She has yet to define how well she will walk the fine line every Democratic candidate has to walk, claiming to represent the vast majority of the citizenry without permanently pissing off the big money that employs them. But any Democratic candidate will have to do that, whichever side of the fence they have to approach it from (i.e. populace, à la Sanders, or elite, à la Chafee).

[MADem]

13. He doesn't have that kind of cash, I don't think. He is a nice guy. He was always regarded as a

lightweight until he piped up about some of Bush's overreaches and left the GOP. That was a big deal for him, because his family name is synonymous with "New England" style republicanism.

He was an honest governor for the state of RI, though his record there could be subject to some unhappy scrutiny (he took a lot of heat following the Curt Schilling debacle--which wasn't his idea, he inherited it--and his state had a really BAD unemployment rate during his watch). He chose to not run for reelection because he couldn't win.

Is he a good guy? Sure. Honest? I'd say so. Presidential timber? I don't think so.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

14. Wow, I am looking forward to --

what Chafee will, bring to this primary if he runs, especially now that he is fully free of the constraints of his former Party. Things just got interested for this race. Good.

[Corey_Baker08]

19. Wow The Democratic Nominee A Former Elected Republican? No Thanks...

He's a political opportunist fuck that shit...

[BlueMTexpat]

20. I don't think that he is the one to pull

Hillary to the left.

Chafee's a decent guy, but not too well-known outside Rhode Island. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Chafee I can't see him pulling enough weight to be a real challenger, if indeed he is actually in the race. The article doesn't sound as if that is the case.

I see candidates like Martin O'Malley as much more serious, if O'Malley decides to run. Even then, it would be an uphill battle.

[McKim]

22. Challenge Her Iraq War Vote

I hope he challenges her on foreign policy and war issues. She used to represent the Upper West Side of NY and so she voted for her war.
But the rest of the country doesn't want more war. Senator Chafee could bring up this point and I hope the Iraq War and other war debates come up in this election for Hilary.

I will not vote for her in the primary. But I will probably vote for her in the main election just because if she isn't elected, poor people are going to suffer even more than they are now. 40% of children in Portland, Oregon's excellent public schools are getting free lunch.

[McKim]

23. Correction: Upper East Side Supported her War Vote

Pardon me, I meant to say that the Upper East Side of NY was well represented by Hilary's pro Iraq War vote, or they thought they were at the time.

[Ken Burch]

24. OK, we now have the wildest of wild-cards in the race.

Had anybody even heard rumors that Chafee was considering this?

[PoliticAverse]

26. Last week he did announce he was forming an 'exploratory committee'. n/t

See: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/09/politics/lincoln-chafee-2016-presidential-plans/

[blkmusclmachine]

27. http://tbo.com/storyimage/TB/20131210/ARTICLE/131219923/AR/0/AR-131219923.jpg

[Orsino]

29. Is he really promising to run?

Or still an exploratory maybe?

[coffeenap]

30. Supports the TPP strongly-

just said so on Jeff Santos's radio show.

[dembotoz]

32. shouldn't he. get his own group here on du

Hil has one
Fair is fair

[struggle4progress]

34. He was one of the last liberal Republicans

[AngryAmish]

35. He is 62, way too old.