Corrente: Moderate Party Necessary to Counter Apathetic “Culture of Inevitability”

In the Providence Journal, Edward Fitzpatrick profiles Robert Clark Corrente, who is the new chair of the Moderate Party of Rhode Island:

Corrente, Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney from 2004 to 2009, is taking over as chairman of the Moderate Party of Rhode Island, aiming to turn a new party (which won official recognition in August) into a credible alternative to a Democratic Party that has dominated state politics for decades. So while he won’t be rowing with a rhino aboard, he will be trying to dislodge, or at least disconcert, an enormous Democratic donkey . . .

It needs to get done, Corrente said, because single-party rule is not healthy for Rhode Island. The biggest problem is that single-party dominance creates “an atmosphere of inevitability” in which people figure it’s not worth running for office, getting involved in politics or even voting because the outcome is inevitable, he said. “And as soon as that culture of inevitability sets in it necessarily creates just an enormous amount of apathy.”

Also, Corrente said competition brings out the best in people and political parties. “Knowing that there is somebody else in the running will push you to be better, push you to be your best, push you to be more honest, push you to be more transparent,” he said. “If you know that no matter how you behave, or what kinds of positions you take on things or whether you make backroom deals, you are going to continue to run unopposed, you are not going to be pushed to be your best.”

Democrats hold 102 of the 113 General Assembly seats, and 40 percent of Assembly seats were uncontested in 2008.

Governor Carcieri is a Republican. But Corrente, who has switched his party affiliation from Republican to Moderate, said, “There is no credible opposition. The state Republican Party has been really dysfunctional in terms of candidate recruitment, fund raising, just essentially trying to do anything on a coordinated basis.”