Horowitz: It’s Time for Chafee to Get Serious or Get Out

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Rob Horowitz, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

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Rob Horowitz

Lincoln Chafee’s dismal performance in last week’s Democratic Presidential candidates’ debate—the first of six scheduled--was so telling because it was not mainly a result of his not up to the standards of a Presidential candidate debating chops. It was, unfortunately, an all too accurate reflection of a candidacy that has yet to display any discernible depth or seriousness.

Although he declared his candidacy for President more than 6 months ago, Chafee has still not developed a compelling rationale—one that goes beyond his 2002 vote against authorizing military action in Iraq. Comparing his judgment as the only Republican to oppose military action in Iraq to Hillary Clinton’s vote for the use of force could be a powerful entry point for Chafee, if he backs it up with a vision, fleshed-out by specific proposals, presenting a cogent case for the different way he would conduct American foreign policy.

This is work he is either incapable of or simply hasn’t done. Instead, since the Iraq vote is the only arrow in his quiver, he greatly overplays his hand, arguing that this one vote by itself should disqualify Hillary Clinton from being President. (By that standard Vice-President Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry should also be disqualified from the Oval Office.) At last week's debate, this left Chafee wide open to Hillary Clinton’s powerful rejoinder that despite her vote, President Obama trusted her judgment sufficiently to appoint her as Secretary of State.

Even more problematic for Chafee, if you are going to say that one vote--- no matter how important by itself--- should disqualify someone from the Presidency, then you better be prepared to defend all of your votes. Chafee’s ‘my dog ate my homework’ answer to why he voted to repeal Glass-Steagal, which removed the wall between commercial and investment banking, showed how woefully unprepared he was to do just that. I, along with many other commentators, believe that it was one of the worst answers in Presidential debate history.

Chafee also sounds silly when he speculates as he did to Tom Mooney in Sunday’s Providence Journal that he isn’t getting his fair share of debate time or media coverage because the ‘established media’ doesn’t want to hear from an anti-war candidate. Bernie Sanders was just as opposed to the Iraq War as Chafee and has similar, but much more articulately expressed, foreign policy views. That sure hasn’t stopped Sanders from gaining media attention.. The fact that Chafee is at less than one percent in the polls and has little or nothing of substance about today’s challenges to say are the primary reasons he is struggling to get any media attention.

It is fine to critique your opponents. That is certainly a key part of any campaign. But Presidential candidates, who win or at least inject their ideas into the national conversation, provide a road map of what they plan to do as President. This often includes substantive and detailed proposals. So far, Chafee has failed to do so. Don’t take my word for it, go to his web site and click on the paper thin policy section.

It is time for Chafee to get serious or get out. Right now, he is accomplishing little more than providing material for late night comedians. There is a well-marked path to emerging as a plausible Presidential candidate, and even in today’s world of media sound bites and Donald Trump, for someone like Chafee, it ironically lies in doing the homework and thinking it takes to outline compelling plans for your Presidency. If after the jarring wake-up call he received in last week’s debate, Lincoln Chafee continues to fail this basic test; he will continue to be a punch line and not much else. And I am sorry to say he will be getting just what he deserves.