Frankly, the John DePetro v. Union Front Groups, with elected officials pledging to boycott an entire media outlet if one host is not removed from the air has mainly been an indication of how unserious government is, in Rhode Island.  For people in office, as candidates or otherwise, to shirk their responsibility to let their constituents hear from them as part of a political spat is irresponsible posturing.

Still, when Monique asked whether it was appropriate for the sitting governor to join that list, it’s hard not to just shake one’s head and say, “Well, that’s Rhode Island for you.”  And as I commented to the post, there’s much from which Rhode Island politicians and progressives generally want to distract the public.

But this, I think, is plainly not right, and in a healthy polity, it would be seen as such across the political spectrum:

On Thursday, Chafee spokeswoman Christine Hunsinger confirmed the governor’s decision not to go on any WPRO radio show as long as DePetro works for the station.

She also confirmed that Chafee had signed the group’s petition urging Rhode Island-based jewelry company Alex and Ani to withhold its advertising dollars from the station.

It’s highly suspect for Chafee to deprive WPRO’s audience of his participation because he’s made the decision that one on-air personality “has to go.”  But the governor of the State of Rhode Island should not be urging one private entity to sever its business relationship with another private entity based on a single product that the latter produces.

By doing this Governor Chafee pushes Rhode Island one step farther into the realm of Banana Republics and Lord of the Flies — not to mention giving business owners one more reason to think that Rhode Island might not be the business environment for them.