Laffey Takes Commanding Lead in Republican U. S. Senate Primary

RHode Island College ^ | Date Posted: August 31, 2006 | Rhode Island College

[NeoCaveman]

Among unaffiliated voters, Chafee’s support has slipped from 49 percent in June to 43 percent now, while Laffey’s strength has gone up 10 percentage points (31 percent to 41 percent).

If Laffey can continue to get his message out, he might just pull the mother of all upsets in November.

[Rockitz]

That closet is missing quite a few spines.

[rintense]

Still can not believe the GOP is funding anti-Laffey commercials.

[Defiant]

Yeh baby! Go Laffey.

[AuH2ORepublican]

According to this, the sample included 63% Republicans and 37% Independents, so it did not undersample Independents like some of the prior polls that showed Chafee in trouble in the primary. I think Chafee is dead meat, and all the NRSC attack ads and hired guns from other states won't be able to save him.

[kabar]

Chafee will pull a Lieberman, and run as an independant just to screw the party.

In this case, he will help the party.

[Gritty]

That closet is missing quite a few spines

I think this is only a shot of the left side of the closet. If the camera panned to the right, there would be an additional sixty or so.

[staytrue]

If there are 30 red states capable of producing 60 GOP senators

Because there are not 30 red states. There are maybe 20 with the rest like Ohio, Florida Missouri, Iowa, New Mexico, Nevada are swing states where GWB won by less than 3 percent.

[Spiff]

Yes, but the President and the left-leaning National Republican Senatorial Committee is throwing untold support behind RINO Lincoln Chaffee. This lead may change due to that interference in the race.

[California Patriot]

No. I'm not really a litmus-test guy. Yes, there are many principled conservative career politicians. Sooner or later, many do sell out, given enough time. Not in the sense of corruption, so much as in the sense of politics.

However, many do forget where they come from. Not in the silly sense of congressional pay raises or not spending enough time with the home folks or not holding their hands enough. But in the sense of forgetting our deep, painful outrage at the liberal dictatorship. Many conservative politicians come to identify psychologically more with their fellow politicians, including the liberal ones, more than with the tyrannized people. It's a subtle change, and it's not a sellout and it's not really intentional. But it does make them less articulate and effective.

Bottom line: We need to seem more eloquence and anger from these people.

[California Patriot]

Good point. Many of our simplistic brethren forget how close the 2004 election was -- what a long night it was.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Because there are not 30 red states. There are maybe 20

You're skipping the point that there are just as many (if not more) swing 'Rat states, such as PA, MN, NM, WI, etc. You battle those out as available.

In doing so, you passed right by my point of stopping spending precious resources trying to defend obvious Blue states when there are obvious Red state seats just waiting to be captured.

Keeping the national GOP the hell out of primaries altogether would be another postive step - which they also will not do.

[goldfinch]

Yes. I remember Jeffords. He made one of the all time bad choices about when to switch parties and got exactly what he deserved.

However, given the options of Chaffee or a Democrat occupying this seat, I think the odds of Chaffee caucusing with Republicans is far greater than that his Democratic opponent would do so.

Laffey has ZERO chance of getting elected. So what people are cheering for here is the loss of a Senate seat. Forgive me for not being impressed.

[staytrue]

Keeping the national GOP the hell out of primaries altogether would be another postive step

You meant to say "Keeping the national GOP the hell out of primaries THAT I WANT THEM TO STAY OUT OF would be another postive step "

Frankly more than a few freepers are saying "stay out of the primaries" and also saying "why the hell did the national gop not intervene in florida and get Harris out and another credible candidate in.

HYPOCRISY REIGNS EVEN FOR FR.

[.cnI redruM]

They have less than 2 weeks to successfully interfere. It's not working. Chaffage is toast.

[seanmerc]

What's the point of "winning" the general election if the guy is going to oppose the President on all the key issues?

[staytrue]

Laffey has ZERO chance of getting elected. So what people are cheering for here is the loss of a Senate seat. Forgive me for not being impressed.

Forgive me for saying that not only am I not impressed, I think they are idiots.

[.cnI redruM]

Chaffee seems right in line with Ho Chi Dean on that one.

[seanmerc]

Chaffee voted against Alito's confirmation, so how can you say that a "loss" to the Dims even makes a difference? Chaffee opposes the President on many of the key issues, so I don't see how removing him from the Senate will make a significant difference when it counts.

[.cnI redruM]

It's a question of having at least some party discipline. There comes a point where someone is so opposed to your agenda that they actually hurt you by remaining nominally in your column. When a Senator votes against a sitting President of his own political party on all issues of relevance and even during that president's reelection, that's the point where you are better off cutting him loose.