# Lincoln Chaffee Presidential campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 3, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584 "2015-06-03T23:17:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/21 "2015-06-10T13:05:54Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I watched his speech. He’s a very poor public speaker. And he doesn’t seem to have a very good head for national politics. Pro tip: mentioning your experience living in Canada by way of supporting the metric system in your presidential candidacy declaration speech is bad politics. > > That doesn’t have anything to do with his positions on substance, which are a grab-bag. But it means that they won’t matter much, because he doesn’t have the charisma to make people care. > > He’s basically running on having opposed the Iraq War. Which is, obviously, a tried and true strategy. But I don’t see that it changes the dynamics of the primary much. Hopefully he’ll talk more about ending the Drug War. His demeanor seems to me a lot Like Jimmy Stewart in _Harvey_, probably delusional but _so_ sincere. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/22 "2015-06-10T14:32:29Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I don’t know why Democrats would vote for a guy who was a Republican just three years ago, but good luck to him. > > I do love that his campaign positions include switching the US to the metric system. Late night comics have assured us he won’t get within a kilometer of the White House. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/23 "2015-08-20T19:25:54Z")
Interesting article from [_The Nation:_](http://www.thenation.com/article/lincoln-chafee-keeps-ripping-delusional-neo-cons-and-democrats-who-compromise-with-them/) “Lincoln Chafee Keeps Ripping ‘Delusional’ Neocons and Democrats Who Compromise With Them.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/24 "2015-08-20T21:08:28Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I don’t know why Democrats would vote for a guy who was a Republican just three years ago, but good luck to him. > > I do love that his campaign positions include switching the US to the metric system. Lincoln Chafee and his father John were both very liberal Republicans, a breed that used to be far more common than it is now. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/25 "2015-08-20T22:01:24Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Your statement is a bit contradictory. If the Dems are a better fit for him, then why was he ever a Republican? Because he wasn’t smart enough to realize he was a better fit for the Democrats. I found this at **BrainGlutton** ’s link: > [@](#): > > In 2001 and 2003, while in the U.S. Senate, Chafee voted against the Bush tax cuts arguing he was concerned about unchecked growth in the federal deficit. Chafee said that “cutting taxes is easy for politicians, we love to cut taxes. It takes responsibility to make sure our revenues match our expenditures and we’re not doing that right now.” Maybe it just took him a while to realize that all the Republican talk of fiscal responsibility was complete bollocks. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/26 "2015-08-20T22:22:23Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I found this at **BrainGlutton** ’s link:Maybe it just took him a while to realize that all the Republican talk of fiscal responsibility was complete bollocks. He knew it. He was a Republican legacy but he wasn’t particularly conservative, and that reflected in his voting record in the Senate. He tried to remain as one of those near extinct animals, a liberal Republican, but once he was out of office it was no use to him. If he had switched sides while still in the Senate he might have served another term. George and Laura must have hated him because they endorsed him in his last senate run. His heart and mind are in the right place, but he is not much of a politician, his career was based on his father’s long successful political career. He doesn’t even register in the polls now. That’s because everybody that they call just says “Who?” when they ask about him. ---
**Author:** ![Donald\_Rump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/27 "2015-10-15T00:28:55Z")
Is Lincoln Chafee mentally ill? If not, can anyone offer a better explanation for his candidacy? ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/28 "2015-10-15T00:51:09Z")
> [@Donald\_Rump](#): > > Is Lincoln Chafee mentally ill? If not, can anyone offer a better explanation for his candidacy? I would imagine he thinks he has a unique perspective on the problems facing this country and the base of the party would rally around him if they hear what he has to say. Honestly, I don’t understand why most of these folks are running, R or D. The majority poll in the 1 - 3% range and have no chance of catching the attention of the public. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/29 "2015-10-15T00:55:08Z")
> [@Donald\_Rump](#): > > Is Lincoln Chafee mentally ill? We say ‘special’ now. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/30 "2015-10-15T01:29:40Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Honestly, I don’t understand why most of these folks are running, R or D. The majority poll in the 1 - 3% range and have no chance of catching the attention of the public. Eh, the GOP race is topsy-turvy enough that even some of the people at the bottom of the stack can hold up a rational, if not likely hope, that things will turn their way before the end. And the others are either running for a Cabinet or VP post (Jindal), to up their public profile to help their private sector venture (Huckabee), because they want a platform for a particular issue (Lindsey Graham) or because they think God wants them to run (Santorum). But Chafee isn’t going to be anyones VP, its hard to his current non-campaign as really helping his public profile, he doesn’t really have any pet issue to promote and I don’t think he’s on a religious mission. By most reports, he hasn’t even really done much in the way of campaigning or organizing a staff. Honestly, I think he must have had “run for President” on some sort of bucket list, and now that his political career is basically over he basically decided it was now or never. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/31 "2015-10-15T01:38:33Z")
> [@Donald\_Rump](#): > > Is Lincoln Chafee mentally ill? > [@TriPolar](#): > > We say ‘special’ now. OK. Is Special Chafee mentally ill? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/32 "2015-10-15T01:53:51Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Eh, the GOP race is topsy-turvy enough that even some of the people at the bottom of the stack can hold up a rational, if not likely hope, that things will turn their way before the end. And the others are either running for a Cabinet or VP post (Jindal), to up their public profile to help their private sector venture (Huckabee), because they want a platform for a particular issue (Lindsey Graham) or because they think God wants them to run (Santorum). > > But Chafee isn’t going to be anyones VP, its hard to his current non-campaign as really helping his public profile, he doesn’t really have any pet issue to promote and I don’t think he’s on a religious mission. By most reports, he hasn’t even really done much in the way of campaigning or organizing a staff. > > Honestly, I think he must have had “run for President” on some sort of bucket list, and now that his political career is basically over he basically decided it was now or never. I do think he wants the VP slot. I also think that he figured he could run as maybe the one person who could cross the aisle and get some work done with the GOP. Anyone who knows anything about the current crop of Republicans knows that they abhor disloyalty above all things and would burn this country to the ground rather than work with Chafee. Not that I think they will work with any of the others either, but that’s more for policy reasons than personal ones. ---
**Author:** ![Donald\_Rump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/33 "2015-10-15T02:39:08Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Honestly, I think he must have had “run for President” on some sort of bucket list, and now that his political career is basically over he basically decided it was now or never. That strikes me as the most likely explanation. It’s also consistent with his almost total absence of an actual, you know, campaign. Plus, if “become a national laughingstock” happened also to be on his bucket list… well, he gets to check that off too. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/34 "2015-10-15T14:05:24Z")
I saw the title of this thread, and I was like “Chafee, Chafee, Chafee NOOOOOOO” and “bahahahahahahahh” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/35 "2015-10-15T14:47:18Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > But Chafee isn’t going to be anyones VP, its hard to his current non-campaign as really helping his public profile, he doesn’t really have any pet issue to promote … What about instituting National Quahog Day? (Sold by the kilo, of course!) That’s a Rhode Island joke, folks! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/36 "2015-10-15T15:19:33Z")
> [@Donald\_Rump](#): > > Is Lincoln Chafee mentally ill? > [@TriPolar](#): > > We say ‘special’ now. > [@running\_coach](#): > > OK. Is Special Chafee mentally ill? “I’m Lincoln Chafee, and I have DirecTV.” “I’m Special Chafee, and I have cable.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/37 "2015-10-15T15:21:32Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > “I’m Lincoln Chafee, and I have DirecTV.” > “I’m Special Chafee, and I have cable.” I think you got the characters the wrong way 'round. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/38 "2015-10-15T15:30:59Z")
“Why did you vote for that bill?” “Cut me some slack, my dad had just died!” “You mean like your campaign?” ---
**Author:** ![WreckingCrew](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wreckingcrew/32/4080_2.png) [@WreckingCrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WreckingCrew)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/39 "2015-10-15T23:52:35Z")
Having lived under his reign as Governor, and enjoyed the special privilege of being his constituent when he was a Senator - I think he would make a swell Ambassador to a small island nation. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584/40 "2015-10-15T23:56:14Z")
> [@WreckingCrew](#): > > Having lived under his reign as Governor, and enjoyed the special privilege of being his constituent when he was a Senator - I think he would make a swell Ambassador to a small island nation. I didn’t know we had an embassy in the Antarctic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lincoln-chaffee-presidential-campaign/721584.md?page=3)