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I once had some back and forth going with another Freeper about RINOs.

That FREEPER told me, that there were about 10 GOP senators who were true conservatives , out of a little over 50 GOP senators.

AND that out of approximately 220 Republican members of the House, between 30 and 40 are strong conservatives. So, based on that, the vast majority of Republican office holders in Washington are some version of RINO.

That’s what we are up against as far as trying to get conservative legislation passed.

I agree with that assessment.

Democrats posing as Republicans will do whatever it takes to keep the facade going. They’ll vote for Republican nominated Supreme Court Justices. They’ll go along with popular legislation. They’ll say whatever they need to say but their primary goal is to advance the Democrat agenda.

Republican voters are naive. They think a person who is elected under a Republican banner is ipso facto a Republican.

“The worst RINO is a thousand times better than the best Democrat.” ~ Naive Freepers

Dilbert San Diego: "That FREEPER told me, that there were about 10 GOP senators who were true conservatives , out of a little over 50 GOP senators.
AND that out of approximately 220 Republican members of the House, between 30 and 40 are strong conservatives.
So, based on that, the vast majority of Republican office holders in Washington are some version of RINO."

Everything depends on your definitions of such words.
What does "conservative" even mean today?
What does "Republican" mean, and how different is that from "conservative"?
Certainly not the same things those meant in Ronald Reagan's time, or in Barry Godwater's time.

Arguably, Republicans have never been a strictly "conservative" party, however you define the word.
Republicans always had our "moderate", "liberal" or "progressive" wing, sometimes disguised as:

"Kinder & gentler Republcan" -- George HW Bush, 1992
"Compassionate Conservative" -- George W. Bush, 2000

Rock solid conservatives were often a minority within the party and always depended on Republican Presidents to support their agendas.

In today's world that means MAGA Pres. Donald Trump who is, arguably rock-solid conservative in some respects, not so much in others -- or better understood as redefining exactly what the word "conservative" even means today.

Neither "Mr. Conservative" Barry Goldwater nor "The Gipper" Ronald Reagan could ever even imagine having to defend against allowing men to play in women's sports, etc.

Today, what matters for Republicans is not "conservative" vs. "moderate" or anything else, its whether Republicans will work together to pass Pres. Trump's agenda, or will they squabble amongst themselves and turn the country over to Democrats in November.

Which side of that are we on?

Defining "conservative:

1) 1950: "Mr. Republican" Ohio Sen. Robert Taft, 2) 1952: Pres. Eisenhower, 3) 1964: "Mr. Conservative" Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, 4) 1980: Pres. Reagan, 5) 1994: "Mr. Speaker" Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich:

2026: Pres. Trump: