Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?

Friday, January 06, 2012

Dan McGowan, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

Who's Hot

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Governor Chafee -> The Governor should stay off of YouTube forever, but he deserves credit for continuing to go to bat for cities and towns. The most important topic of the General Assembly session will not be a popular political vote for many General Assembly members, but with pressure from Chafee and virtually every mayor in the state, municipal pension reform might be a possibility.

Gordon Fox -> Kudos to Speaker Fox for pushing for a more efficient General Assembly session as opposed to the traditional habit of jamming every major vote into the final days of the session. Cynics will say leadership just wants to ensure a short session so office holders can focus on their campaigns, but if lawmakers are actually given the time to read the bills they are voting on, the state will be a better place.

David Cicilline & Brendan Doherty -> Two more impressive fundraising quarters for the incumbent and the top challenger in the 1st Congressional District. It's still early and both the Democrats and Republicans are waiting for other credible candidates to throw their hats into the ring, but Cicilline and Doherty are clearly the frontrunners.

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Hugh Clements -> Nobody had a bad thing to say this week about the new Providence Police Chief, who has been with the department for his entire career. It will be interesting to see how Chief Clements, who has the overwhelming support of rank-and-file members, handles community policing efforts moving forward. He's also forced to deal with a handful of recent unsolved murders that will undoubtedly be the topic of discussion in the first six months of the year.

Angel Taveras & Michael Solomon -> Both the Providence Mayor and Council President voiced their support for the Achievement First Mayoral Academy again this week. While no one is saying that one school (or even several schools) will turn around the city's failing education system, it's worth giving AF an opportunity to produce results.

Joe Kennedy III -> Sounds like another Kennedy plans to make a run for office. As RIPR first reported, Joe Kennedy III is planning to run for Barney Frank's Congressional seat in Massachusetts. Anytime a Kennedy enters a race, they instantly become a favorite and that will likely be the case here as well. This adds yet another layer of interest to the Bay State in a year where it already is likely to have the hottest Senate race in the country.

Rick Santorum -> The former Pennsylvania Senator is surging after coming from out of nowhere to finish second in Iowa. The question is, after putting everything into that caucus, will he have anything left for New Hampshire or South Carolina? One has to wonder what the end game is for Santorum. Is he lining himself up for a cabinet position or does he think he can actually win this thing?

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Who's Not

Patrick Lynch -> More than a few Democrats were unhappy to hear the former Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate put an end to rumors that he was planning to challenge Congressman David Cicilline this year. Lynch, who would have had to move more than $300,000 from his state campaign account to a federal account, would have been instantly viable if he decided to run.

Gina Raimondo -> The Treasurer has rightfully been praised for all she accomplished in her first year in office, but she still continues to make political mistakes that could come back to haunt her down the road. First it was the fist pumping at the EngageRI rally and this week, it was accepting an award from a conservative think tank in New York. Decisions like this only give her opponents more campaign flier material.

Point Judith Capital -> Speaking of Raimondo, it's a shame to see her former company leaving the state. Point Judith is often referred to as the first venture capital company in Rhode Island. Now it's just the latest business in the state to head for the hills.

Occupy Providence -> It seemed as thought the Occupiers were going to get their way, but now Mayor Angel Taveras is saying he doesn't expect to open a homeless shelter in exchange for the protesters leaving Burnside Park. It is unclear exactly why Providence won't open the shelter (god knows, the city needs it), but it certainly could cause the generally cordial relationship between both sides to sour.

Robert Pelletier -> No one wants to beat a man when he's down, but one of the cardinal rules in local politics is that you have to actually live in the community you represent. A story like this pops up all over the country every year and it never ends well for the politician. This Cranston City Councilman should probably step aside for the time being.

Michele Bachmann -> The Minnesota Congresswoman finally bowed out of the Presidential race after a poor finish in Iowa. Bachmann made a strong effort (and actually won a few of those early debates) but she fell out of sight as folks started to pay more attention to the race. It will be interesting to see who she throws her support behind.

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