JUNE 4, 2015
Former US Senator and RI governor Lincoln Chafee announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday. Chafee, who was elected to the Senate as a Republican and to the Governor’s House as an Independent, became a Democrat in 2013 after working for Barack Obama’s reelection. His entry marks the fourth Democrat to contest for the nomination.
Chafee’s main claim to fame is that he was the only Republican senator not to vote in favor of US involvement in Iraq, unlike Hillary Clinton. This would have been a more effective argument in 2008, but there are some factions of the Dems who have not forgiven Hillary for that vote, so for them Chafee may be a comfortable place to rest during the primaries.
What caused a few eyebrows to be raised today is that Chafee, who has the calm demeanor of a Presbyterian minister, came out swinging today against Hillary, questioning her ethics and calling her an “opportunist.” This is an area where, as recent polls have shown, Clinton is vulnerable. Chafee has no path to the nomination, but he can make Hillary’s path a little more cumbersome.
