Laffee seems like an OK individual.
But being a mayor of a small city for two years does not make Senatorial material, just like Chaffee being mayor of a small city for a few years dosen't allow him to live up to the reputation of his father.
Surely, we in RI can come up with a better candidate (but names escape me)
The problem is RI doesn't exactly have a ton of GOP candidates (who have actually won office) to take on a major run for a federal office. Many of our past GOP winners have shunned runs (like popular ex-Atty Gen Jeff Pine). Fmr. Gov. Lincoln Almond is too old (and too liberal, in my opinion), others like ex-Rep. Claudine Schneider (also too liberal), have been out of the public eye too long (and she was crushed by ex-Sen. Pell), and ex-Rep. Ron Machtley (who thought he would cruise to the Governorship before being upended by Almond), is now content to lead a college in the state, and no longer seems interested in politics. Laffey seems to be the only one who is genuinely interested in stepping up to the plate to take on the embarrassing Linc Chafee, and given that he comes to the race bringing exactly the same political experience that Linc did when his dad died, I think we should give him our consideration.