Need some help here...
Ok, after reading a number of posts and news reports on the recent Dorchester Conference in Seaside, I'm seeing a lot of that good old term "RINO" pop up. For those uneducated folks, this term stands for "Republican In Name Only". To my knowledge, this stands for folks that lean have declared their support for the GOP, yet still have a mind to vote for themselves and take issues as they come. This may be a reason its hard for me to hop off the fence and put that little (R) next to my name. The "if you're not with us, you're against us" mentality.
So please, I'm asking for some help here from my fellow bloggers; educate me on what exactly a RINO is. Those of you who've followed my posts please tell me if you think I would fall under that category, should I ever drop my Non-Affiliated label.
posted by HRV Football Blog @ 9:34 PM
9 People have commented
9 Comments:
traditionally, RINO was meant as a derision of people who are solidly democrat, but run with the R after their name because they lived in solid R districts and did what they had to in order to get elected.
The same used to be true, in reverse, in the old South, where only Ds could elected from the end of the Civil War until the Reagan Revolution.
Hence people like Strom Thurmond being democrats in the old days, then changing parties when it became acceptable to do so.
So usually, when so see the term RINO, it applies to someone who is not "independent" but decidedly liberal. Lincoln Chafee is the epitome of the RINO.
However, recently, a movement has started to eliminate the religious right from the party. this is essentially a group of disgruntled, disenfranchised ex-libertarians, who gave up on the LP because they never won anything. so they became Republicans, and then immediately began a push to get things like abortion off the party platform.
These folks decided to embrace the term RINO and are trying to take control of the word, to use it to their advantage. Do a search on political blogs for the phrase "raging rinos" and see what you find.
so to understand what the term RINO means, consider the source:
from a traditional conservative, it means "democrat in R clothing." but from many modern fiscal-conservative/social-liberal types, it really means "libertarian in R clothing."
if you are unsure, see if the person being called RINO embraces the term or rejects it. when they embrace it, they are libertarian-republican. when they object to be called RINO, they are democrat-republican.
by the way, time is running out... please consider registering as a republican to support Jason Atkinson. You can always re-register independent after the primary.
But if you do change your registration to an R and vote for Atkinson (and I hope you do!), you can't then sign a petition for Westlund. Which is more important to you?
Gully, are you for real? You would actually want me to change my voter status and join the GOP just for the primary, and then switch back when I've voted?
Doesn't that just seem very...I don't know...slimey?
I don't exactly know what a RINO is but I would probably agree that it might be a clear left of middle who ran in a clearly Republican district (of course these people loose primaries).
As for in action in Oregon (being that Ben Westlund is the closest I can find to this description but still is far right of many Portland democrats) I don't really have an answer.
I can say that I've been called a RINO on occasion (bloggin on NW Republican) which to me makes the phrase just an insult used by those without the intellectual ability to argue what conservative is or really should be.
And by the way Gully - Abortion is far from a true litmus test of conservatism. It is a religous issue most of the time. Also, Ron Saxton is being called a RINO for alot more than just being pro-choice (say endorsing and campaigning against conservatives/issues inside of Portland). I also abstain from throwing shallow insults including RINO when I can just as easily disagree in depth point by point.
Though I disagree whole-heatedly with Roe v. Wade (and the Griswold case that preceeded it creating a "zone of privacy") abortion as a state by state issue leaves much room for conservatives to argue without abandoning our core values. If Roe v. Wade is overturned watch as both the D's and R's fracture over this issue state by state upending the litmus test.
Oh, sorry I lost the point I originally started posting.
Mr. Diesel-
You should register as a Republican if you want to see Jason Atkinson in the general election and potentially as governor (you don't have to want him as governor if you really just want his message debated in the general).
If you believe in his message or find an attraction to his leadership - guess what - your Republican. It may only be for one election cycle but this time around the GOP party's tent has expanded to include your perspective.
Its not slimey to support someone you believe in, like, or even dislike less than the other guy; even if it is fair-weather or even fair-port in an extreme storm. Its politics.
Actually, I would rather see you join the Republican Party on a permanent basis, because as a member can you truly have a voice with the party and influence the party platform.
When too many people choose to be independent because they can't agree with a small percentage of the party platform, then the party becomes more densely packed with group-thinkers who believe that their limited view is the ONLY view.
We need to be a big tent party. Otherwise, we risk turning into the Jerry Falwell party. And as you can imagine, that will result in more democrats getting elected.
> by the way Gully - Abortion is far from a true litmus test of conservatism.
Actually, I would say that it is not related to "conservatism" at all. What I mean is that it is one of those wedge issues that divides the party into different factions. In this case, I was describing the "religious right" of the party versus those who rather not let religious values be campaign issues.
When you talk to someone at the OR-RA, they will tell you than anyone who is not 100% against abortion is a RINO.
Because we have seen an influx of ex-Libertarians into the party, and because many of these ex-Libertarians are pro-choice while remaining firm about low taxes, reduced spending, etc., we can now see a loose coalition of fiscally conservative but socially liberal Republicans who would like to take the party in a new direction. These are the folks I am talking about who are embracing the RINO name. Check out the RINO Sightings blogs.
check out the blogs listed here:
http://www.truthlaidbear.com/communitypage.php?community=rinos
link
Gully,
"When you talk to someone at the OR-RA, they will tell you than anyone who is not 100% against abortion is a RINO."
Good point, but for them it is even a step further...
You have to reject the concept of incremental change as well. To them, anything that advances the cause forward, but is less than a total cessation of all abortions, is considered traitorous. If you pass such a law (like parental notification, or you cut abortions in half but still fund some), they call you a pro-abortion person.
This is the mindset we had with the OCA in the 90's, and many of the same players relocated to the OR-RA and the legislative coalition. It is the same mindset over there at OFF as well.
All or nothing leads to nothing. Lobby for all but do what moves us forward, that is my view.
-Andy
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