Fecteau: The Myth of Rhode Island’s Progressive Democrat Problem
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
In Rhode Island, progressive or liberal is not synonymous with Democrat. We live in a state dominated by Democrats, but many of them are merely Democrats in name only.
Some members of the Rhode Island Republican Party (also known as the Grand Old Party or GOP) would like us to believe progressive values are at fault. If only there were more conservative candidates holding office, as they argue, we would be in much better shape.
Rhode Island Republican leaders love preaching the evils of the “liberal [progressive] agenda.” At the RI GOP’s Sept. 30th Wine Tasting and Politics event, former Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri’s aide, Gary Sasse, openly declared the far left agenda was holding this state back. The Democrats “give out welfare for votes” he noted (I rebutted, don’t know one Democrat that runs on that).
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMake no mistake, in the Rhode Island general assembly, Republicans are an overwhelming minority. With approximately 750,000 eligible Rhode Island voters, there are around 300,000 registered Democrats, and an estimated 80,000 registered Republicans. (Correction: misstated the figures at the Sept. 30th Rhode Island GOP Wine Tasting and Politics event as 500,000 and 80,000 respectively).
The variable in general elections is typically the unaffiliated voters. Overwhelmingly, Rhode Island has almost 350,000 eligible voters with no party affiliation. These voters are by far the reason Rhode Island has a tendency to elect a Republican governor.
The general assembly also does reflect paucity of Republicans. In the Rhode Island Senate, out of a total of 38 seats, there are 32 Democrats, only five Republicans, and one independent. The Rhode Island House of Representatives doesn’t fare much better. With a total of 75 seats, 63 are Democrats, 11 Republican, and one Independent.
The Rhode Island Democratic Party platform does sound eerily similar to the national platform. They talk a good game about middle-class values, but their empty talk does live up to their actions.
Rhode Island is dominated by conservative Democrats. In fact, Rhode Island House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Rhode Island Senate President M. Teresa Paiva-Weed are both endorsed by Right to Life (a pro-life group, anathema to liberals).
Another break from the Democratic National Platform is the issue of guns. Rhode Island House Speaker Mattiello Senate President M. Teresa Paiva-Weed have an A+ and A rating from the NRA respectively. Even visiting the Rhode Island statehouse, it should be no surprise general assembly members will proudly flaunt their support of the NRA with posters and stickers hanging on their office windows.
Rhode Island Democrats also have center-right economic policies. In 2006, then Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox championed a tax plan that dropped rates for the higher earners. In 2010, Rhode Island House Speaker Mattiello took the more conservative path further lowering the top rate from 9.9 to 5.99 percent.
In June, the budget for Rhode Island’s 2016 fiscal year was met with striking bipartisan success. It unanimously passed the Rhode Island House of Representatives, and overwhelming passed in the Rhode Island Senate 35-3 with little opposition from Rhode Island Republicans. If there was an objection to the Democrats’ so-called liberal agenda, perhaps they should have been raised?
Rhode Island’s current governor, Gina Raimondo, is more of a centrist than a liberal. While Rhode Island General Treasurer, she corrected pointed out that the pension system was facing a crisis. What did she do? She merely took the pension money and invested in costly private sector hedge funds, the more business friendly or conservative approach to the problem.
During her campaign for governor, she did roll out a progressive agenda, but many key tenants of the agenda vanished without a trace. As for the aforementioned tax cuts, Raimondo has not raised a single objection to those implemented in 2006, and 2010.
In other words, from social to economic issues, the Rhode Island Democrats are more akin to the National Republican Party than the National Democratic Party platform. This obviously isn’t about ideology as some Republican detractors would claim.
Though some may ask, why does Rhode Island typically elect a liberal leaning federal delegation? At the statewide level, without the state districts, voters have a tendency to be left leaning on key issues such as reproductive rights, and gun control (also, the same reason gubernatorial candidate Raimondo promoted a progressive agenda). The way the state districts are structured and voter apathy leaves conservative Democrat officeholders unchallenged.
Some Rhode Island Republicans are known to be more liberal in certain aspects. For example, some Rhode Island Republicans have come out vocally in support of marijuana legalization and criminal justice reform. These are issues that may lure Democrats, and independents into their fold, but also, turn some off their ultra-zealot base. This balancing act is difficult, but they need expansive ideas.
The Rhode Island Republican Party needs to have an honest conversation with their constituents. The problem isn’t ideology. It is about one-party – the Rhode Island Democrat Party – monopolizing, and corrupting our political system off the backs of the people they so vehemently claim to represent.
Hopefully, the Rhode Island Republican Party can offer an alternative to our one party system, but until they are ready to present a substantive case, they will be looked at with scorn and ridicule by the voters.
Matt Fecteau ([email protected]), of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, lost to U.S. Rep. David Cicilline in last year’s Democratic primary. He is a former White House national security intern and Iraq war veteran.
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