Looks like it:

.S. Senator Lincoln Chafee may lose his seat to challenger Steve Laffey, according to a new statewide Republican primary voter poll released today by the Bureau of Government Research and Services at Rhode Island College.

The survey was conducted August 28-30, 2006, at Rhode Island College by Victor L. Profughi, director of the Bureau of Government Research and Services. It is based on a statewide random sample of 363 likely Republican primary voters in Rhode Island. The sample was proportioned among the state’s geographic regions to reflect the likely voter contribution from each portion of the state. Overall, the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.1 percentage points.

If the September 12 primary were held today, 51 percent say they will vote for Steve Laffey, 34 percent support Senator Chafee, and 15 percent are undecided. A BGRS survey of Republican voters conducted in June had Laffey at 39 percent and Chafee at 36 percent. Chafee’s base is virtually unchanged since the June survey, while the number of Laffey supporters has grown 12 percentage points.

If this holds true, then what does it mean? Well, it means that GOPers - even blue State GOPers - are tired of RINOs. We're tired of giving the Chafee's of the world our money and votes, only to have them turn around after election day and do everything they can to thwart Republican programs. It is getting to be worthwhile to lose the Rhode Island seat - better to have it in a Democrat whom we can work openly and constantly against.

We'll have to see how this comes out in the primary. One thing I'm curious about: Laffey is considered dead as a political doornail in conventional wisdom - he's held to have absolutely zero chance of winning against the Democrat in the general. I'm not so sure about that - and anyone who is familiar with Rhode Island politics can give us a heads up on this.

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