Former Governor of Rhode Island Lincoln Chafee had one of his only opportunities of the 2016 campaign to make a name for himself at last week’s Democratic Debate on CNN. In the shadow of the Clinton-Sanders battle, and with poll numbers hovering around one percent, Chafee had nothing to lose and everything to gain. At the debate’s conclusion he may have garnered some name recognition, but for all the wrong reasons.
It’s tough enough trying to persuade the electorate that governing the nation’s smallest state, Rhode Island, is sufficient experience to become President of the United States. In fact, his appearance in the debate, along with that of former senator Jim Webb, was satirized by the New Yorker. However, throughout the debate Chafee managed to slowly derail a campaign already on life support, in the few moments he spoke. The first to give an opening statement, Chafee delivered a lackluster, blatantly scripted opening that attempted to tar Hillary Clinton. “I’m very proud that over my almost 30 years of public service, I have had no scandals. I’ve always been honest,” the former governor said. Later attacks against Clinton would also not do Chafee any good.
Chafee had a chance to tell a compelling story. As a former mayor, senator, and governor, his resume is extensive and spans local, state and federal government. The only Republican senator to vote against the Iraq War, Chafee is also the first Rhode Islander to run for the presidency. This unique position as both a Washington “insider” and “outsider” could have made for a few poignant attacks against Clinton or Sanders.
Moreover, Chafee could have told a convincing story of party betrayal. When asked about his switch from Republican to Independent in 2007, and subsequently, Independent to Democrat in 2013, Chafee responded, “The party left me. There’s no doubt about that. There was no room for a liberal moderate Republican in that party.” Had Chafee expounded upon his loss of confidence in the Republican Party, he may have been able to pick up support from other moderate Democrats, disillusioned with the GOP but not progressive enough for a Sanders or Clinton. However, when confronted by host Anderson Cooper about the trustworthiness of a label change, Chafee simply likened himself to “a block of granite when it comes to the issues.”
Chafee’s performance did not improve as the evening progressed. When discussing Clinton’s email scandal, Chafee watched as the former First Lady turned his attack into a powerful statement of defiance. After Sanders got the loudest applause of the night by saying, “The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails,” Chafee went on the attack against Clinton. “We have repair work to be done,” Chafee said. “I think we need someone that has the best in ethical standards as our next president.” When asked if she wanted to respond to Chafee’s comments, Clinton simply responded, “No,” to more cheers from the crowd.
However, Chafee’s biggest blunder of the evening may have been his comments about the Glass-Steagall Act. Cooper reminded of Chafee of his Republican past when he mentioned his vote for the removal of the Glass-Steagall Act. It was obvious that Chafee had not prepared for such a question. “The Glass-Steagall was my very first vote. I’d just arrived,” he said. “My dad had died in office, I was appointed to the office, it was my very first vote.” Cooper continued to press Chafee, asking, “What does that say about you that you’re casting a vote for something you weren’t really sure about?” Chafee claimed Cooper was “being a little rough” and insisted, “My dad had died. I’d been appointed by the governor.”
It was clear that Chafee was out of his league in such a debate. While Webb, a candidate in a similar position, received compliments from Sanders, Chafee was ignored by the other four candidates. And, if possible, he may have left the debate worse off than he when entered. It remains to be seen if his campaign will continue into the next Democratic debate on November 14.