PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- You might think the Rhode Island GOP would be tickled pink at the prospect of a new recruit.
But that was not the reaction of some party activists to the news that Moderate Party founder Ken Block had commissioned a poll to find out if he would have a better chance of winning the 2014 governor's race as a Republican.
As the Moderate Party's 2010 candidate for governor, Block garnered 6.5 percent of the vote. In the years since, the number of registered "Moderate Party'' voters has quadrupled. But that only means there were 369 in November 2010; a total of 1,520 now.
Earlier this week, a candid Block said he wanted a poll to tell him: "If I were to become Republican, what does it look like? What does it earn me for votes? What does it lose me for votes? ... We are going to try and be as scientific about this as we can."
"I am not running...to keep a party alive on principle," he said. "I am running to win this race."
"Chafee and Block: Two Peas in a Pod. Two political opportunists. One wants to keep his job, the other wants a job,'' said a joint statement by the chairmen of the East Greenwich and Pawtucket Republican Committees (Chuck Newton and Scott Rotondo), Rhody Young Republicans board member (Danny Hall) and the state chairman of the College Republicans (Justin Braga of Brown University).
State GOP Chairman Mark Smiley verified that: "These people are who they say they are.''
A sampling of their comments: "A poll doesn't tell you if you are Republican or Democrat; your record does, your values do, your principles do,'' said Newton.
"Block has no future in Rhode Island as a Moderate, so now he is going to flip a coin and decide whether it serves himself better to be a Republican or Democrat,'' said Hall. "You have to remember, this is the same guy who cost John Robitaille the election in 2010, so I don't see many Republicans getting behind him.''
Added Rotondo: "We as Republicans are a Party of principles. We believe in smaller government, fewer taxes and individual responsibility. You just can't just apply these principles when it is politically expedient," he said.
This was Smiley's own response: "As far as welcoming him, I'll say that neither party actually gets to pick and choose its candidates. If Mr. Block wants to come into the Republican Party and compete for the nomination, he has the right to...Whatever candidate emerges with the Republican nomination will get the support of the Party.''
There was no immediate response from Block, or from Chafee who was elected as an independent, but recently switched his party affiliation to Democrat.