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

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

[StoneColdGOP]

I'd rather actually have a DEM in the Senate than Lincoln Chaffage.

You're not drinking enough RNC Kool-Aid.

[Theodore R.]

I once heard a "moderate" Republican say he was reluctantly voting to reelect Jesse Helms for the identical reason that you give here for holding on to the awful Chafee. Maybe JFK was right when he said "sometimes party loyalty asks too much."

[ExSoldier]

Maybe JFK was right when he said "sometimes party loyalty asks too much."

Politics is a contact blood sport. There are ways to handle RINOs in the party! Put 'em on crap committees or cut some of their pork projects when that time rolls around. All kinds of ways to twist arms and smack 'em around. But there must exist the will inside the part to DO that. That's why the bullies are called the "party whip." Spare the rod, spoil the pol.

[George W. Bush]

There's *no* way....no way *whatsoever*...for a *real* Republican to win in RI.

That becomes self-defeating. Following that line of thinking, Reagan could never have become president. Yet, he did. But first, you have to have the courage to run a more conservative candidate.

Laffey has a pretty good chance. Chafee is just plain weird and the voters know it. And the Dims are splitting their supporters in a nasty way. If we are to have a chance in R.I., Laffey is it for the forseeable future.

Sometimes, you have to take a chance on what you actually believe in. And Laffey isn't exactly some right-winger. He's pretty liberal in most ways. But he is solidly against raising taxes and far more loyal to the GOP than Chafee will ever be.

Laffey also has the support of Club For Growth. Chaffee is their biggest target this year. So Laffey will have plenty of money too.

Take a chance on your principles. Especially if you have almost nothing to lose.

[George W. Bush]

But if he wins the primary, he'll have unseated the 'moderate' Republican, and will be decried by the media as an 'extremist' etc.

People say this stuff but can you cite anything he's done as mayor or any speech he's made that gives this impression?

He's more conservative than Chafee but that takes very little. He's no right-winger by any standard. Still, he's miles ahead of Chaffee.

People pretending he's a Coburn don't make sense to me. Look at his record and statements. Very mild stuff, enough liberal policy there that Dims won't be uncomfortable.

I think he'll win.

[seanmerc]

Name calling just indicates the lack of substance in your argument. You think supporters cheering when their candidate wins a primary is idiotic? Then you haven't been observing politics very closely for the past several decades, have you? It happens all the time.

As for Laffey vs. Chaffee, Link has stabbed the President in the back too many times. He is the quintessential RINO and all indications are that he is headed for a big defeat on the 12th. I will shed no tears for him. The ends do not always justify the means. Hopefully the poll numbers we're seeing are accurate and next Tuesday we'll be able to write Chaffee's political obituary. Let that be a lesson to the other RINOs out there.

By the way, I have a hard time believing that Schwarzenegger supporters did no cheering when their candidate defeated Sen. McClintock, who is a good, decent, honorable public servant.

[staytrue]

When you win a primary, the first thing you do is not to celebrate the kicking the other guy to the curb. The first thing you do is to get his supporters to support you.

When bush beat mccain, it was a zero gloat, zero celebration zone because we needed everyone together to beat gore.

Whoever wins the RI primary will need the other guys voters to win.

That is why you don't celebrate, you dont gloat.

Save that for victories in November.

[staytrue]

I saw both chaffee and laffey on "this week with george s."

They both did well, both were intelligent, articulate and honest.

Either one will represent RI well.

[George W. Bush]

Chafee is beyond weird.

From Club For Growth

Today's reason to dump Chafee will astonish you. So far this year, the Senate has had 230 roll call votes. How did Senator Chafee vote? (Source PDF)

Lincoln Chafee voted with Hillary Clinton 71% of the time and with Ted Kennedy almost 72%!

How does that compare to Senator Ben Nelson, who is arguably considered the Senate's most conservative Democrat? Nelson voted with Clinton only 59% of the time and with Kennedy 54%.

BOTTOM LINE: These numbers don't make Chafee a self-described "moderate". They make him a full-blown liberal.

Given how much I want to defeat Nelson, you really can't expect me to want Chafee back in the Senate either. The man is personally weird. Among other things, in 2004, he voted for George Bush Senior.

[Jim Verdolini]

You asked why Primary challengers against RINO's often fare poorly....here is the perfect example:

"GOP group unleashes ads against Laffey

The Republicans Who Care Individual Fund, which counts moderates among its members and backs Sen. Lincoln Chafee, is airing ads attacking the Cranston mayor's record in the private sector.


01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, September 6, 2006

BY KATHERINE GREGG
Journal State House Bureau


PROVIDENCE -- A group supporting moderate Republicans has entered the U.S. Senate fray with a hard-knuckled ad alleging that GOP challenger Stephen P. Laffey's last two jobs as a stockbroker "ended in disgrace" and he was sued by one former employer "for stealing confidential documents that Laffey didn't return until a judge made him."

http://www.projo.com/extra/election/content/projo_20060906_laffey6.33058d4.html

[staytrue]

Ok but what about the club for growth attacking chaffee ?

Goose/Gander.

[seanmerc]

Bye bye, Link!

[Jim Verdolini]

Wish it were so, but todays results are a tribute to what a million in national GOP money coupled with unlimited RINO support can do to election results in a blue state...

[seanmerc]

Right you are. Link has let the President down when he was most needed. There sure are lots of people out there who are so consumed with maintaining control of a congressional chamber that they're willing to trade anything (including their principles) to maintain it. So, in their view, we should now thump our chests and be proud, even if the foundation on which our control of the Senate is built is rotten. Must maintain control of the Senate at all costs, right? Forget about those pesky principles and integrity.