Sources: Lincoln Chafee to switch parties

Politico ^ | 5/29/13 12:25 PM EDT | By ALEXANDER BURNS

[unixfox]

He NEVER was a Republican much less a conservative.

We don’t want need him or his ilk anyway. Join the party of traitors you P.O.S.!

[nickcarraway]

John Cornyn should be kicked out of the GOP for this.

[nickcarraway]

No one should forget. This is the Senator George W. Bush decided should get the most help during the 2006 election cycle. That tells you what kind of man Bush is.

[RginTN]

This is the result of Bob Dole compromise.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Next he’ll change sex to garner the LGT/BLT vote. He has always been a nut and each day proves it.

[Lancey Howard]

...has struggled with low approval ratings and faces a difficult reelection fight in 2014

Odd... I figured he was the perfect wimpy faggot for Rhode Island.

[Lancey Howard]

That was the Rove machinery in action, the same Rove who gave California Gerry Parsky to finish off the GOP there.
He’s still the same Rove.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Red Badger.

[hummingbird]

"He’ll probably get taken down in a primary by Democrats who feel he’s not authentically liberal enough."

And the people will laugh and find joy.

*snicker*

[hummingbird]

Is he on that committee investigating IRS?

[hummingbird]

I was wrong.

I was thinking Chavetz (sic?).

[Impy]

The rats will probably be loathe to nominate an extremely unpopular former Republican.

[Impy]

Which will help them win the office, our best chance was a 3-way election with Chaffee taking rat votes.

[Brad from Tennessee]

A lesser version of Arlen Specter.

[BillyBoy]

>> Don’t tell that to George W. Bush; his Administration pressured the Republican Senatorial Campaign committee to fund Chafee’s campaign for the Senate during the primary against the conservative mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, a real Republican who actually had innovative ideas. <<

We should able to dig up some old videos of his Senate GOP primary where he's shaking hands with Bush, or ideally, hugging him, and forward all the Chaffee-Bush material to Chafee's opponent in the RAT primary. Even footage of being on the same stage with Bush is toxic in a RAT primary, as LIEberman and Specter discovered.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Actually, the worst thing would be Chafee being defeated in a Dem primary. His disapprovals are sky-high (I believe he is the most unpopular Governor in the country). If he loses in the primary, said Dem would have the upper hand in the general election. Even if he does manage to win the nomination, in a one-on-one race or even in a three-way race, I think the race will be GOP Mayor Allan Fung’s to lose.

[campaignPete R-CT]

Fung it is.
http://walshforri.wordpress.com/
I was at a RI picnic SAT. Bob Walsh, former candidate, Casey Cole, daughter of Nat King Cole, Ferraro’s daughter was there but I didn’t see her. Cicilline sent staff people to sell tickets to his $500 fundraiser later in the day.

Fortunately, a few normal Americans showed up, too.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Sick of a Guv with a thumb up his bung ?

It’s time to vote for Allan Fung.

[BillyBoy]

I think Chafee has increased his odds of winning the general election by running as a RAT instead of a "Independent". RI is very heavily RAT and having an official party organization behind him will help him in a general election. Of course, I think it's going to be hard for him to win the RAT nomination since I doubt they're keen on running a former Republican who's hugely unpopular. I'd give Chafee about a 30% chance of winning the RAT nomination. If he does win it, it will be better for our side. The GOP has a much better shot at winning the Governor's office by running against Chafee than a non-Chafee RAT.

Best case scenario at this point: Chafee spends a TON of time and money in the RAT primary, goes through an extremely negative and brutal primary battle, and squeaks his way to the nomination by the narrowest of margins, leaving him with no money for the general election and even WORSE approval ratings than he has now.

If Allan Fung can get started now and have a unified RI GOP behind him, I'm optimistic.