Posted on 01/09/2023 5:49:07 PM PST by SeekAndFind
As I’ve said in the past, I’ve never been a fan of the silliness of labeling political opponents. This is not to be confused with humorous “nicknames” — the most clever of which I enjoy, and have coined a few — but rather attempting to paint an adversary into a particular corner defined by you. Third-party “you,” that is.
And of course, the most popular label by far among certain factions of the Republican Party is “RINO.”
The definition of “RINO” — Republican in Name Only — not only used to be easy to understand; it was easy to identify Republicans who fit the RINO mold. In the 1990s, Pennsylvanian Senator Arlen Specter was a perfect example. While Specter was a registered Republican, he generally sided with the Democrats.
But in the Age of Trump, everything changed, including the definition of RINO — for which Trump himself was responsible. So now, any Republican who isn’t sufficiently “Trumpy” is immediately labeled a “RINO” by Trump and/or his followers. Fine. Labelers gonna label.
Fine, that is, until four days and 15 ballots last week, finally culminating in the election of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
Throughout the back-and-forth deal-making, which nearly lead to at least one physical altercation, the definition of RINO got really confusing. Trump and Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, both of whom have tossed out “RINO” ad hominems more times than filmmaker Michael Moore has been to McDonald’s, staunchly supported McCarthy, who multitudinous Trump supporters have called a RINO, with even far-right One American Network News calling the Republican Leader a “CCP (Chinese Communist Party) RINO.”
“Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander called Marjorie Taylor Greene a “harlot and liar” for supporting McCarthy’s bid, as innumerable MAGA Republicans.
And Trump being Trump, he’s now taking credit for McCarthy’s win, which is not to suggest he didn’t play a role. Before anyone goes off on that statement, let me clarify: Crediting others for a job well done is one thing. Constantly taking credit is another, McCarthy credited Trump, ironically two years to the day after the duo allegedly got into at least one expletive-laden argument over the Capitol riot as it was occurring. No value judgment, just sayin’.
So again, who’s a RINO, and who’s not a RINO in the GOP? Or, can Republicans be RINOs sometimes, but not other times, depending on who they support or what positions they take at various times? Very confusing. Silly labels: you gotta love ’em. Or not.
Incidentally, Trump-backed South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace absolutely blistered fellow Trump-backer Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fl.) for his performance during the four-day, 15-ballot marathon, calling Gaetz a “fraud“:
Matt Gaetz is a fraud. Every time he voted against Kevin McCarthy last week he sent out a fundraising email. What you saw last week was a constitutional process diminished by those kinds of political actions.
On a side note, while Gaetz has been lauded by some as standing firmly on his demands throughout the marathon, at least until the final vote, he reminds us of that spoiled kid we knew in high school who was always the loudest in the classroom as if the volume of his voice made what he said seem to be more important than the other kids’ voices.
Either way, I’m out on this one.
1. Mike Miller
bush league chamber of commerce worshipping republiCAN’Ts...
Dan Crenshaw.
Mitt Romney is the poster boy of all RINOs.
It’s easy. A RINO is a Republican that any other Republican disagrees with.
The term has become as meaningless as “racist”.
pretty much
ever watch Anger Cops? he’s an Army Sgt/Bflo PD and a riot!!!
he bought a house that, as expected, turned into a money pit, but he is winning...
This Old Crack House
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7ICeSKFc18&list=PL6oR_ROanz9GxH-zJsQx9XehzQ_apIBGn
his military videos sopt on/funny as hell
A RINO is a Republican who does not understand nor care about the depth of the ideological divide. Thus the RINO is sometimes found calling darkness light (or a shade of gray) and evil good (or a shade of gray). A RINO does not understand that the left is out to destroy the right. A RINO feels that coexistence with the left is not only possible, but desirable.
If you have to ask what a RINO is, you might be one.
Apologies to Foxworthy
idk. Red State = RINO ?
I have bright line test for a RINO: If they supported Trump’s reelection, they are not a RINO. That would mean people who don’t have a perfect record in support of conservative positions are not RINO’s.
Its easier to name the ones who aren’t RINOs.
I rely on the Justice Blackmun Test. You know one when you see one.
Just having a picture taken next to a Democrat is enough to make you a RINO. If you don’t believe Mike Pence should be executed, you’re a RINO! If you don’t believe everything is a conspiracy by the ‘deep state’, you’re a RINO!
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but in my humble O, a RINO is a Republican who has sold his political soul to the U.S. Chamber of Crypto-Fascist, Crony Commerce. The term “GOPe” refers to establishment Republicans (Chamber Republicans). When the RINOs and the Democrats work together to pass liberal agenda, especially when it comes to spending taxpayers’ funds, they are referred to as the Uniparty.
One last thing, MTG is not a Rino in any sense of the word.
From whatever I know, the worst of RINO’s are still a lot better than the best of Dems!
If you have to ask, then YOU are.
Unless they are freshly elected (and even then, you have to be suspicious), the deep state has figured out what they have on them and then bought them, blackmailed them, or threatened them into doing their will. If you don’t have skeletons in your closet that they can hold over you, they will create them through honey pots, Russian collusion hoaxes, and so on. DC changes everyone. You can’t trust any of them.
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