Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee surprised many with the announcement of his candidacy for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday. But it was his platform, including a push for the U.S. to convert to the metric system, which really raised eyebrows.
With his candidacy announcement at George Mason University in northern Virginia, Chafee became among the biggest long shots of Hilary Clinton's 2016 rivals -- something that's unlikely to be helped by his advocacy of metric measurement.
Lincoln Chafee I̶n̶c̶h̶e̶s̶ Centimeters Toward Relevancy.— Alex Brown (@AlexBrownNJ) June 3, 2015
The United States has a history dating back to Thomas Jefferson of fighting conversion to the metric system. Included in attempts to push the scheme on Americans was the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 and the United States Metric Board, which was later disbanded under President Reagan.
For all the fighting over measurement, the metric system has managed to gain some traction in the American business and science community, even if the education system and popular culture still resist.
Lincoln Chafee in Q&A says the U.S. doesn't have to go metric right away, but "something we should aspire to in this new American century"— Chris Donovan (@chrisdonovan) June 3, 2015
Chafee's candidacy announcement was met with snarky online derision, and the attention paid to the metric issue will likely obscure his other controversial platforms.
Besides being a staunch anti-war candidate -- he was the lone GOP senator to vote against the invasion of Iraq in 2002 -- he also called Wednesday for an end to capital punishment, said National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden should be let back into the U.S. without punishment, proposed repairing relations with Venezuela and said he favored an "open-minded approach" to drug trafficking.
Not surprisingly, there's some confusion in political circles surrounding his campaign announcement. Longtime Chafee strategists and donors said they knew little about his intentions -- or even his rationale for running.
"He's not done anything other than posture on some issues," said Mike Trainor, a former Chafee aide. "The question he's going to have to answer is what credible indications can he give that he is at all ready to run a national campaign."
Campaign funding may also be an issue for Chafee. Clinton has set a goal of raising $100 million for her primary bid. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who entered the race last week, has said he's already raised at least $4 million. And allies of former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley have established a Super PAC to support his efforts.
All three have begun building robust campaign operations with staff across the country -- a step Chafee has yet to take.
In previous campaigns, Chafee has spent significant sums from his family fortune to further his political ambitious. He dropped $1.8 million on his 2010 governor's race, for example. Running for president is significantly more expensive than seeking statewide office, however, with some pegging the estimated cost of a successful 2016 campaign at more than $1 billion.
In 1972, Lincoln Chafee’s father accused Sen. Pell of wasting time on “low priority items” like “the metric system." pic.twitter.com/gbiNOqdBaZ— Yoni Appelbaum (@YAppelbaum) June 3, 2015
Chafee left the Republican Party in 2007 to become an independent candidate and supported President Barack Obama in both his campaigns. After winning election as governor, Chafee became a Democrat in 2013 but opted against seeking re-election.
For now, though, maybe it's a good idea for voters to get reacquainted with the metric system, just in case it comes up in the numerous primary debates to follow.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.