Russell Moore: Is Raimondo Just a Smooth Lincoln Chafee?
Monday, October 06, 2014
Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Gina Raimondo, given her stances on major issues that are eerily similar to the Lincoln Chafee's is in a precarious position.
That's because her opponent, Republican Allan Fung, has a real opportunity to tie Raimondo to Chafee, the unpopular governor who was forced to abandon reelection efforts due to low poll numbers, in the next few weeks leading up to the election.
To her credit, Raimondo has been able to avoid such associations given her talent as a politician. She's a gifted speaker with undeniably high levels of intelligence. But the Fung camp has proven that they shouldn't be underestimated. Don't expect them to allow her to sit back and avoid comparisons to Chafee.
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Dig into the issues and create a grid that compares the two politicians, and it becomes apparent rather fast that the two politicians aren't so far apart on the issues. There's been much made about Raimondo's ties to the financial industry, and for good reason, but that may have given some folks the illusion that the Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate is a centrist. In reality, like Chafee, Raimondo seems most comfortable with the progressive, or put another way, far left.
In fact, Raimondo's affinity for The Hedge Fund Cowboys might be the only thing that differentiates her from Chafee.
For instance, both Raimondo and Chafee are staunch gun control advocates. Both of the two politicians, if they had their way, would ban assault style rifles and other assorted types of weapons. That position, in large part, satisfies the far left side of the political spectrum on that particular issue.
In the same respect, both candidates recognize the importance of courting the Latin American vote. In 2010, then candidate Chafee vowed to rescind the previous Governor's executive order on immigration, created to make it more difficult for undocumented immigrants to locate in Rhode Island. And he made good on that promise.
What's the difference?
Raimondo has tracked a similar course in this year's gubernatorial race. Raimondo has vowed to fight to help make driver's licenses available for illegal aliens--a position that Chafee agrees with wholeheartedly. Both candidates agree that undocumented college students should be allowed in-state tuition rates.
Yet Raimondo and Chafee's agreement on issues doesn't stop at gun control and immigration. The candidates are also perfectly simpatico on the social issues.
Both of the two Democrats are staunchly pro-choice politicians. Chafee has a long history of supporting abortion, which goes back to his days as a US Senate Republican. Raimondo drove her pro-choice advocacy home with a sledgehammer last week when she very publicly received the endorsement of planned parenthood.
Far left of the spectrum
With respect to health care, Chafee has been a staunch advocate of Obama Care. Under Chafee's leadership, Rhode Island created one of the first health care exchanges. Questions remain, however, as to how the taxpayer's will be able to afford it. Raimondo, for her part, has said that she doesn't support dismantling Health Source RI and returning it to the feds. So the two largely agree on the issue of health care.
Further, Governor Lincoln Chafee and General Treasurer Gina Raimondo also agree on the issue of gay marriage. Chafee was the state's most staunch advocate of same sex marriage, and it will likely be known as the biggest hallmark of his administration. Raimondo, for her part, was fighting right alongside the Governor to bring same sex marriage to fruition.
They're Simpatico
Similarly, there's this notion that the two politicians have different economic ideologies. But the proof of that assertion is difficult to ascertain. Both Chafee and Raimondo support raising the minimum wage.
And during Chafee's gubernatorial campaign, he always spoke of his vague plans to develop the land in downtown Providence opened up by moving the highway. The fact that nothing has been accomplished is perhaps the single biggest failure of his administration.
Raimondo, for her part, has made vague assertions of bringing manufacturing back by locating it on the 195 land a hallmark of her economic plan in this year's race. Whether or not she can make that dream any more of a reality than her Democratic counterpart has remains an open question. But nobody can fault voters for being skeptical after the last four years.
A real contrast
Voters will be presented a question this November as to whether or not the state should elect and convene a Constitutional Convention that could literally reform the government in the state of Rhode Island. Raimondo has come out in opposition to the convention. Chafee, who was a delegate the last time the state convened a convention, has been notably silent on the issue, which is akin to opposition.
On most of those issues, Republican Fung gives voters a contrast in Raimondo, unlike in the Democratic Primary where all three candidates seemed to agree on everything.
Don't be surprised in November if Raimondo is wishing she did more to differentiate herself from Chafee.
A native Rhode Islander, Russell J. Moore is a graduate of Providence College and St. Raphael Academy. He worked as a news reporter for 7 years (2004-2010), 5 of which with The Warwick Beacon, focusing on government. He continues to keep a close eye on the inner workings of Rhode Islands state and local governments. Find Russell J. Moore Twitter @russmoore713.
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