Dan Lawlor: Too Much Party Politics in RI
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Labor Unions and the local Democratic Party were having some tensions. After decades of post-New Deal close coordination, there were disagreements and frustrations beginning under Democratic Governor Notte (who Notte Park in North Providence is named after). According to a gem of a book by Dr. Jay Goodman, back in the 1950s, the AFL-CIO’s 1956 legislative report declared that "reactionary elements ...were placing the interests of race tracks, insurance companies, medical lobbies, liquor dealers and self-seeking political hacks ahead of the general welfare.” In the election of 1962, the AFL-CIO declined to endorse the Democratic candidate for governor. Who won that election? John Chafee.
According to Goodman, the AFL-CIO was concerned with raising the minimum wage, ensuring unemployment insurance, promoting new industries for the state’s workers, eliminating the sales tax, and creating a graduated income tax. Between 1932 and 1962, the Democrats held the Governor’s office for all but four years. In 1956, truth be told, the Democrats, under former Providence Mayor Dennis Roberts, probably should have lost to Republican Christopher Del Sesto (who an underfunded middle school in Providence - built on a formerly toxic site- is now named after). Instead of admitting defeat, Roberts went to court to have mail-in ballots invalidated. He won that election, but effectively ended his political career in the process. People don’t like to be played with. By end of the 1950s, Roberts was seen as a good coordinator, but damaged goods. Republican Del Sesto, then Democrat Notte, were more unfriendly to labor.
Between 1962 and 1992, the Democrats held the Governor’s office for 20 years. Between 1992 and today, the Democrats held the office four years. Christopher Del Sesto (1958), John Chafee (1962, 1964, 1966), Edward Diprete (1984, 1986, 1988), Lincoln Almond (1994, 1998), Donald Carcieri (2002, 2006), and Lincoln Chafee (2012) have all been elected Republican or Independent Governors. That said, the RI House of Representatives has consistently been ruled by Democrats since 1932 (and the Senate since the 1960s). That rule, of course, began after about 70 years of Republican rule in the Legislature, often just as corrupt, but far less friendly to the concerns of factory workers for a 48 hour work week. The Rhode Island Democratic Party today is a lot like the New Hampshire Republican Party– home to liberals, moderates, and conservatives, united by some sense of heritage and party loyalty, but little else.GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
Working people in the state do well when either party focuses on growth, attracting jobs, and building strong research centers and schools. I bring up the early 1960s split between Labor and the Democratic Party because it points out a few things: 1.) The division between Labor and the Democrats (alongside his magnetism) allowed Chafee to be elected Governor 2.) Internal corruption and back-fighting (putting the party before the people, taking voter groups for granted) will cause a party to be disorganized, and lose 3.) The division between Labor and the Democrats showed that the decision of voters to become involved or not significantly can impact an election.
By knocking on doors, hosting house parties, putting up signs, calling friends and neighbors, especially in local races for state rep and town councils, one can make a real difference in its turnout (occasional corrupt court decisions, nationally and locally, excepted). More often than not, a decision of large groups to be involved in an election can have a real impact in its final decision. Labor did not support Governor Notte in 1962 – people did not knock on doors, make phone calls, and get out the vote. Notte lost. Chafee won. In that instance, Labor worked better with a different candidate. There are many, many unknowns. Given the size of this state, and its uncanny ability to hold people in its tiny borders, the person who you elect today might have a daughter who will grow up to be Governor in forty years. Who are we putting into office? Are they worthy of it?
If you valued this article, please LIKE GoLocalProv.com on Facebook by clicking HERE.
Related Articles
- Dan Lawlor: Providence Needs More Murals
- Dan Lawlor: Stop Blaming Immigrants for Your Problems
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Dan Lawlor: 2012 Should be a Year of Growth for RI
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Dan Lawlor: Casinos are a Bad Bet for Rhode Island
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Dan Lawlor: Don’t Let Providence Become a One-Factory Town
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Dan Lawlor: Providence Schools are Broken. Literally.
- Dan Lawlor: A Hole in the Mall
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Dan Lawlor: Providence Streetcars a Questionable Public Investment
- Dan Lawlor: Political Corruption is Nothing New to Rhode Island
