Travis Rowley: Caprio’s Reckoning
Saturday, November 06, 2010
First, let’s just get something obvious out of the way: Third-party experiments have no place in a state such as Rhode Island, where serious reformers are so outmatched that the division of their forces will always prove to be counter-productive. No doubt about it, Ken Block’s Moderate Party was the game-winning shot for the status quo.
Block took 6 percent of the overall vote in the gubernatorial race, a majority of which was likely ripped from Republican John Robitaille, who only lost to Lincoln Chafee by just over 2 percent. Congratulations, Mr. Block. But what was the point again?
The primary lesson for Rhode Islanders to take away from the governor’s race, however, is that the RI Democrat Party deliberately uplifted far-left independent candidate Lincoln Chafee, and purposely betrayed lifelong Democrat Frank Caprio.
During the race, as expected, independent voters were rejecting the independent candidate, and flocking toward their historically preferred candidate – the Republican. Chafee needed the Democrats to secure his victory by abandoning their own endorsed candidate. Bob Walsh, Executive Director of the NEA-RI, confirmed these election dynamics as he attended the Chafee victory celebration: “This was one big Democrat primary [race].”
Yup. And the progressive coalition delivered the Democrats for Chafee.
The simple reality of the RI Democrat Party is that it is not run by Democrats. It’s under the control of pubic union interests and far-left community organizers – radicals with no patience for economic reality. And Frank Caprio, like many other Democrats finally awakening to the horrors their party has caused, dared to suddenly defy the big-government agenda. Simultaneously, Lincoln Chafee began to pander to it.
Game, Set, Match. Lincoln Chafee became a wet dream for the Rhode Island Left. He had them at “I will tax the hell out of this state.”
Within Democratic circles, Caprio was toast from the get-go. And he knew it. So he considered running for governor as a Republican. Ultimately rejecting that route, but still understanding the political composition of his party, Caprio tried like hell to portray himself as a low-tax, business-friendly candidate. He attempted to court as many conservative voters as possible, an effort that included asking John Robitaille to drop out of the race, and that culminated in telling the progressive President of the United States to “shove it.”
Most of the state’s Republicans and conservative independents weren’t biting. Caprio finished the race with only 23 percent of the vote.
It was actually sort of sweet for Republicans this election season, watching Democrats come under the knife of their progressive party members. For decades, conservatives have warned of the radical socialists that Democrats were welcoming into their party. The day of reckoning was always on its way. Every Democrat would ultimately have to decide whether they would abide the progressives by completing their big-government project, or save the state from bankruptcy by pulling back on the socialist schedule - and then suffer a defeat in the next Democratic primary election.
Just ask Democratic representatives Doug Gablinske, David Caprio, Al Gemma, and Mary Ann Shallcross-Smith what happens when elected Democrats resist the progressive program. As GoLocalProv.com reported several weeks ago, “Unions were the big winner in Tuesday’s primary, taking most of the races for state rep that they targeted and potentially extending their control over the General Assembly.”
Frank Caprio’s run for governor was, in fact, just another personal showdown with the Rhode Island Left. And another one bit the dust.
Progressives will kick any friend to the curb if it is in the interest of stifling economic growth. Nothing is sacred but the tools of the utopian revolution – taxes, spending, and debt. Any Democrat even flirting with fiscal responsibility is doomed for the type of liberal wrath typically reserved for Republicans.
Which is precisely why the RI Republican Party remains the only hope for the State of Rhode Island.
Travis Rowley (www.TravisRowley.com) is chairman of the RI Young Republicans.
Related Articles
- Travis Rowley: An Indictment of the Rhode Island Left
- Excerpts from Travis Rowley’s “The Rhode Island Republican: An Indictment of the Rhode Island Left”
Comments:
Matthew White
9:52am on Saturday, November 06, 2010
I really enjoy reading GoLocalProv. But please, don't get sucked into publishing nonsensical political diatribes. Especially since that election season is over, there's no need for it.
I am all for sensible political essays, but this is clearly conservative craziness:
"Progressives will kick any friend to the curb if it is in the interest of stifling economic growth. Nothing is sacred but the tools of the utopian revolution – taxes, spending, and debt. Any Democrat even flirting with fiscal responsibility is doomed for the type of liberal wrath typically reserved for Republicans."
Hmmm, this follows the long-standing practice of portraying progressives as people who actually DO NOT want the country to succeed. This is how you can smell conservative crazy. It's a common practice for Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly and the other wackjobs on Fox: actually question the intentions of liberals.
Can you not find ways to criticize liberal policies without questioning the intent of those advocating them? Seriously, this is a pathetic attempt at political discourse. Seriously, GoLocal, you're better than this.
Joseph Agresti
11:23am on Saturday, November 06, 2010
I enjoy reading other people's opinions. Thank you for taking the time to write the article.
Nick Gelfuso
2:49pm on Saturday, November 06, 2010
Mr. White, perhaps in your circles political discourse ceases on election day, but for those of us who pay attention to how and by whom we are governed it is something of a perennial activity.
In any case, while your statement that it is "crazy" to question the intentions of politicians is at best foolish, I would suspect it is also hypocritical. For instance, I would suspect that your rule of thumb ceases to operate when applied to anything George Bush or Don Carcieri have ever done in their entire lives.
Always question motives, even in the off-season.
Lynn I
10:57pm on Saturday, November 06, 2010
The proper name is the Democratic Party, not the Democrat party. That is so Newt Gingrich.
ralph difanti
6:43am on Sunday, November 07, 2010
The progressives are only Democrats when it favors them. I say we don't call them progressives we call them crack pots.
guy smily
11:14am on Monday, November 08, 2010
Travis you are dead on! The winners here are the unions and the Moderate Party who got the precentage they needed to move forward as a party. The losers are the taxpayers of RI. Mr. Block will also pay the higher taxes and is now $500,000 poorer. In the end he had good intentions but hurt the people of RI. Was it worth it Mr. Block? I think not!
Jim Hackett
1:29pm on Monday, November 08, 2010
A proper analysis of the dynamics in the governors race, would include the hilarious, and sad, fact that a few short years ago, Carcieri and the "establishment Republicans" had their arms wrapped firmly around Chafee, in a warm embrace of the leftwinger. Eshewing the real Republican, Steve Laffey, these "Republicans", in one big bad bet of political calulation, abandoned their principles like prostitutes, and supported the liberal Chafee. Instead of eliminating him when they had the chance, they allowed him to hang around, opening the door for a Moderate Party - an alternative for fiscal conservatives. So spare me the crocodile tears of what could have been - you reap what you sow.
The irony that the guy the Carcieri Republicans supported a few years ago, is now the Governor due to massive union support, while promising to raise taxes, should not be lost.
Pathetically, the Rhode Island Republican party was one big enabler for Chafee. Hopefully, they've learned their lesson.
Brian Bishop
2:16pm on Monday, November 08, 2010
Travis,
Your observation that progressive Democrat[ic]s deserted Caprio is more solid than your thoughts on where Block got his votes. I’ve always looked at Block as little Chafee. His views are along those “we do communism right” government rather than market selection of businesses to occupy the land freed up by highway reloc. My recollection from his early contact with the right of center movement is that his environmental and community vision squared with that on the elite left.
So, his efforts to seek good government cred or something like that in terms of giving some institutional heft to the process oriented good government agenda and its party cynical faithful through fighting to establish a 3rd party no doubt drew some adherence from folks who would otherwise lean right. But I suspect he cut equally into the Chafee ‘center’.
It will take serious number crunching on turnout and historic vote distribution to try to make these arguments from other than gut instinct, and those numbers aren’t going to be available for a week or two.
If you see specific indicators in late or exit polling you think support that argument I’m open to integrating that into my thinking. But just the fact that independents were trending right doesn’t mean you can suggest that independents who voted for Block would have been amongst those moving right. So just pointing out that Block’s votes were three times the margin even if exit polls suggest a significant portion came from independents doesn’t clinch the argument for me.
As I said, my gut instinct is that Block took votes equally from Chafee and Robataille. If I thought otherwise, I’d be quite happy to say so.
The real lesson of this election is the same as many other contests, if you have two people running from the right against one from the left, those from the right are going to split the vote and lose. I’m not getting into the argument of how right-leaning Caprio really was, but it was quite well telegraphed to Democrats that Chafee was the candidate of the left. Thus they did view the election as the primary for governor. Only folks who weren’t paying attention and/or didn’t receive instruction on how to vote for Chafee would have innocently voted for Caprio because he was the Democrat. Now there are folks like that, maybe even 10 or 15%., and there are Reagan Democrat types who could pull the lever for Caprio and satisfy both their political heritage and ideological outlook in one shot.
The 3-way phenomen is just what it is. Look at Bush 41 and Ross Perot (neither of them really conservatives but both appealing to the right side of the ledge). Look at Rubio in Florida where the forces were the other way round – same deal because Crist was running as a candidate of the left. Alaska, once that is decided, is kind of up in the air. Murkowski won’t be caucusing with the Dems to my knowledge although she is moving the Susan Collins direction. Staunch right business thinker when elected (appointed in the first instance for Murkowski), hopeless squish once in the body for any length of time. To be fair, even though they just ‘righted’ their state house, Mainers are fickle in this area and it isn’t surprising to see their Washington representatives are politically androgenous.
I’ve heard this problem with 3rd party theme sounded in regards to the General Assembly races as well, and I just don’t buy it. I can’t think of a race where the independent actually cost the Republican the election, and you can point to races where right-leaning independents were successful in districts where no Republican was running. I haven’t looked at each and every race and here or offline, I’m glad to have people point me to specific examples, but they still don’t prove the general point.
I accept the background wisdom that the party label can be a help and the party can be a coalition that embraces tea party and independent sentiments. If you look at Senate 28, I think that is a good example of the party bump in a 3-way dynamic but again illustrates that you have to run district appropriate campaigns. Put together the two right-leaning candidates wouldn’t have beet the communist.
I’m glad that your stuff is here and I don’t understand what anybody has against Go Local running it as commentary. I assume, although I admit I’m not a frequent reader, that they can get, and do, similar stuff from partisans of the left.
Brian
And, PS while I was away writing this magnum opus a very astute comment about Chafee being the Osama Bin Laden of the Republican party (i.e., we created him and sustained him only to have him come back to harm us) was posted. This got left out of your thinking. Steve Laffey was the tea party before there was one, and the Republican’s rejected him. His run was a virtual independent challenge and demonstrated that the Republican’s were not able to open their tent that far (not because Chafee won, but by the nature of the conduct of the campaign as a natural conclusion to decidedly Rockefeller Republican flavor that had the party marginalizing its more conservative constituencies for years before that.
This is the kind of history that one ought to consider before joining the Republicans for gruesome green subsides train as some of my ‘friends’ did. Albeit, one must concede that argument was more fairly aired in a party divided between loyalty to the Governor (who arguably bears some of the blame for the gubernatorial outcome given the subtext of his, at minim, subconscious support for Caprio all along) and loyalty to our economic principles. I take that debate as a sign of growth. The party has a bigger tent regardless of outcome on specific issues and it has to stay that way. Poorly strategized races that counterproductively pit two right-leaning candidates against each other are unfortunate, but those problems aren’t settled by a No Independents Need Apply attitude. Obviously the progressive dems were more than willing to go independent to get the job done in the governor’s race and it can work for us too on occasion although I have no problem making my home with the elephants even if I occasionally go moose hunting.
Kyle Rowley
3:38pm on Monday, November 08, 2010
As someone who identified himself as independent a few years ago and thought it important to think about each issue and candidate independently as they presented themselves, let me now say this. That thinking is fine in good times. But if you believe our country is in imminent danger or that it is flirting dangerously close to the slippery slope of socialism, then it is important to PICK A TEAM and fight for it. We must NAME ourselves.
Labels are important. If you don't have a name, it is almost impossible to get people behind your cause. Everyone and everything that has ever had an impact, had a name. And right now the Republican name is the most logical to use. Now is not the time to be fickle. The REPUBLICAN TEAM stands for more than small government and low taxes RIGHT NOW. It stands AGAINST those that are FOR SOCIALISM in America. To stand with the Republicans now is not to choose them for the duration of your life, but to be on the right side of history at a critical juncture.
The threat of "Fundamentally Changing America" has been stated and pursued by the head of the "Democratic" party, who unfortunately is now our country's current President. And he got their by using the Democratic name. This means that the "Democratic' Party is no longer democratic. And I urge those that used that label in the past to not only strip yourself of it but rebuke those that have hijacked it by fighting for the Republicans for the time being. Because this new Democrat Socialist Party has captured much of the control of our country and because that name has been hijacked and used as a guise to dismantle our countries founding principles, We must NOW name ourselves as those that stand against it in order to WIN back our country before it's too late. The most logical name to use id REPUBLICAN. Since it is fairly clear what that name stands for, it is logical to know what it also stands against. If you are an American who believes that there is a true ENEMY AMONG US then fight under this name until that enemy is defeated.
We have never been a country that bows down to world leaders, so when our President, an elected Democrat, does so he insults everything we believe in as The United STATES of Americans. The name REPUBLICAN is our best bet. And all who oppose this Socialist agenda should fight under or for this name until these ENEMIES of American Principles have been defeated or taken out of power. At this point it is more important to defeat socialism and elect many conservatives than it is to elect all the correct conservatives. As long as they are not progressive socialists fighting under the Democratic name they will do. Because just as names are important, so are numbers in the end.
-Kyle Rowley