[bigbob]

If you feel they are “in name only” because they’ve abandoned the principles that underlie the Republican party, then that’s weakness and there’s your answer.

I’ve said for year that “RINO” is a misnomer. I’m one who still does embrace the conservative principles that once were strong pillars of the GOP, thus I am the one who is tied to the current part “in name only”.

[Phlyer]

I’ve said for year that “RINO” is a misnomer.

I agree, and have been saying the same thing. The Republican party leadership - often called the Republican "establishment" is the very definition of Republican. What they are instead of "RINOs" are "CINOs" - Conservative in name only.

They are - on today's spectrum - "moderate." Which means they are where the Democrat party was prior to McCarthy and the 60's. They want to 'get along' and be 'collegial.' That makes them weak relative to the extremist ferocity of the current Democrats. But a moderate position is inherently weak anyway - a compromise rather than a firm stand based on principle.

But most of all, they are politicians. As such, their primary goal is power. They love concentration of power in the federal government as much as the Democrats - they just want to do slightly different things with that power. None of those 'different things' involve actually shrinking the federal government. They just think confiscatory taxes keep the economy from growing, and a growing economy will - eventually - provide even more power to the federal government.

All the rest - social causes like abortion, for example - is noise to convince the peons to put them - rather than the Democrats - in power.