Will this matter?
Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who briefly sought the 2016 Democratic nomination for president, on Sunday filed to run for the White House under the banner of the Libertarian Party, according to CNN.
Chafee filed paperwork over the weekend with the Federal Election Commission for the Wyoming-based campaign, with a website linked to the filing touting the slogans “Lincoln Leads with TRUTH” and “Thirty Years, Zero Scandals.”
“Protect Our Freedoms. Tell The Truth. No More Wars. No More Reckless Spending,” the site reads.
Chafee initially served in public office as a Republican, appointed to fill his late father John’s Senate seat by Gov. Lincoln Almond (R) in 1999 and elected to serve a full term in 2000 before his 2006 defeat by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D).
After his Senate defeat, Chafee endorsed then-Sen. Barack Obama for president in 2008 and was elected governor of Rhode Island as an independent in 2010….
image…marionwest.com
Will this matter?
No.
I still contend there will be no significant independent or third party vote this year.
Chaffee as the Libertarian nominee would get a fraction of Gary Johnson’s 3.5% from 2016.
Chafee won’t be the Libertarian nominee.
I agree. What is the point in nominating someone who doesn’t share Libertarian values and won’t get 3% of the vote?
Justin Mash would have much more support among Libertarian Party members than Chaffee.
Johnson too ,while considered a “ soft” Libertarian by hardcore libertarians, was at least one.Even as a Republican he espoused libertarian positions.
Chaffee?
I never remember him as a “ libertarian .”
As a Republican Senator , he was generally considered a “ moderate.”Then for a short while he was a Democrat ,or at least a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.
I’ve always thought he was sort of flaky myself.
The eventual Libertarian nominee will probably be some heavily baggaged yahoo,
Why should they be any different than the major parties this cycle?
Have you announced your pending vote for Bloomberg over at HHR yet?
Well he won’t be able to vote for Joe Walsh. Didn’t qualify for the IL GOP prinary.
He didn’t attempt to file. Weld did not either. (IL has pretty strident petition signature laws which I might be in danger of here for even mentioning…) I would have actually considered running for delegate although that would have been quixotic beyond belief.
Walsh is just focusing on IA and NH mostly and sending out emails with the subject heading “Stop the Bullshit” , etc. etc.
I still think Walsh is positioning himself for a media gig,likely with MSNBC or CNN.
He’s much better known that the usual “NeverTrumper” Republicans they have on and the moniker “former Republican presidential candidate would help.
Good work if you can get it
Possibly but he had a high-paying job he gave up to do it.
No, I have said in the past I was maybe going to take a Democrat ballot to vote against the incumbent States’ Attorney. I have also said that if he is nominated, I would be inclined to begrudgingly vote for Bloomberg against Trump. They will tell me I am a “socialist” whatever I do, as long as I don’t vote for Trump.
After having voted in every Republican primary going back to 1998, I am opening myself to a whole new world of direct mail pieces and robo-calls from a party I will not want to get them from.
Yeah but actually announcing that you are going to do it ?
“Socialist “ might be the nicest thing they will call you!
You might be full Commie!
I mean to most Republicans today, a Democrat is by definition,a “Socialist “(with apologies to DSD the only genuine Socialist here!)
It’s just a primary vote (I would be surprised if Bloomberg gets nominated). I might even vote for Biden or Buttigieg in the primary if I think I have to. My main rationale for voting in the primary is I want to vote against an incumbent in an local race.
To me, it’s different than a general election vote when you are actually saying “this is the person who should be President”. Voting in a primary for a candidate would be a small way for me to try to prevent Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren from being President (or being an easier foil for Trump.)
Of course, to many Democrats anyone who identifies or supports the formerly Grand Old Party is ipso facto and per se a “Fascist”.
As for all Democrats being Socialists, those who identify with the heritage of Gene Debs, Norman Thomas, Michael Harrington, Bayard Rustin and Dave McReynolds can only say “We wish; if only that were the case…. !!”
People ain’t just one thing….
How on earth, James, does that make sense in relation to what we were discussing ?
FYI, all Democrats (to your relief and to my possible disappointment) Socialists, nor are all Republicans Fascists.
I’m both a socialist and a Democrat, but I don’t think the two are incompatible.
Oh he just throws that around with abandon.
You better be careful DSD ,you may be
joining me in that rarefied status of seeing everything in “black and white.”
Vital missing negative in my post above:
“FYI, not all Democrats are (to your relief and to my possible disappointment) Socialists, nor are all Republicans Fascists.
They aren’t DSD…
AS I say….And U say….
People ain’t just one thing…..
I wasn’t referring to fascists…
They don’t count…
Well, if you believe your own mantra about being more than one thing, why do you ,keep insisting that Bernie Sanders is not “even” a Democrat?
It’s like saying that John Lindsay wasn’t a Republican in 1969 because (having lost the GOP primary to John Marchi) he sought re-election as Mayor of New York as a Liberal and an independent.
Sanders is NOT a Democrat….
Establishment Democrats hold THAT against him…
So do some of other Democrats….
On Big Apple GOPer’s?
They have NOTHING to do with the word Republican these days….
Heck, Bloomberg is running AS a Democrat!
AND?
Donald J. Trump WAS a Democrat SEVERAL times!
People ain’t just one thing….
I readily admit my angst against Bernie as a Democratic Presidential nominee as does other Democrats….(Including one Barack Obama)
If Sanders were “officially” a Democrat, he would strike just as much fear within many of the establishment of the party. This is a cop-out.
The establishment Democrats in Vermont long ago accepted him as one of their own.
The issue is you have a Sanders ally like AOC who say that certain people being allowed in the party is unacceptable and that it needs to be a small tent.
AOC’s Party now?
The numbers are pretty striking
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/07/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-joe-biden/index.html
No it isn’t….
But I’m sure GOPer’s would be ALL for a lefty nominee…
Dave, This is one of the rare times where I think you overstated your case. I don’t think that many Democrats believe ALL Republicans are fascists.
I believe Trump is a fascist, but I don’t believe for a second that Bush I or II, McCain or Romney were.
Trump would clearly be a dictator if he could be. he has surrounded himself with people who largely enable Trump to be a dictator to the extent that he can be one. His rhetoric is that of a strong nationalist and his racism was well documented even before he ran for President. His economic policy is clearly designed for short term results.
Most of his supporters do not recognize that massive deficit spending will help the economy in the short term, but has devastating long term consequences. Trump’s supporters are not necessarily racists, but they are not troubled by anti-immigrant talk as it is not viewed as a treat to them. They don’t necessarily want a dictatorship, but they dislike liberal judges even more. in conclusion, I don’t think most Republicans are fascist, they just want a government that works for them and are willing to look the other way on issues that do not directly impact them. I personally consider that evil, but not necessarily fascist.
I, of course, don’t believe that all Republicans are Fascists, certainly not CG. In fact one of my friends who was kind enough to attend my last birthday party happens to be co-Chairman of the Providence Republican City Committee.
I think that our difference comes from different understandings of “many Democrats”. Having hung around Berkeley for 25 years, I know that some Democrats do believe that Republicans are Fascists. On the other hand, I don’t think that most Democrats believe that, or anything close to that.
Per contra, Does a larger proportion of Republicans believe that most Democrats are (almost by definition) Socialists?
Dave, The only reason I believe that some Democrats believe that all Republicans are fascist is because you said you know some Democrats who believe this.
Of course far more Republicans believe (or say the believe) that all Democrats are Socialist. That is unless we are to believe that Republicans don’t believe what they say when they engage in such name calling.
I do not believe all Democrats are socialists (although it has to be pointed out that lines are getting more blurred ideologically and Democrats are far more open to embracing the term and the concept then they were historically), while you all “know” Keith who said many times that anyone who supported Mitt Romney was a “Nazi sympathizer.”
But does he believe his own name-calling?
Yes. I heard you accuse Keith of that on multiple occasions before. Rather than you telling us what Keith believes, I am hoping that Keith can respond himself – and I am confident he will if he sees this post.
It was brought up earlier that Trump would be a “dictator” if he could. I find it hard to disagree.
However, it was said that the people surround him enable him to attempt to be a dictator. I actually think the people around him prevent him from attempting to be a dictator.