Posted on 01/14/2014 6:51:09 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Apparently someone applied this term to Huck himself and it brought him up short. You’d think he’d be used to it after the millionth time.
I’m fine with swapping it out for another term, but how do I describe myself then? “Candy-ass … centrist”? That’s too vague. “Candy-ass … establishmentarian”? Better, but still a mouthful. Few substitutes have the pithy poetic zing of “candy-ass RINO.”
“Many of you used a term that I’d like to see outlawed from the vernacular of the party: RINO,” he said, calling it a “pejorative term” that questioned one’s purity…
“With all due respect, I’ve fought in the trenches of Republican politics for over two decades, but I wouldn’t pretend that I’m lord over determining who the real Republicans are versus the so-called RINOs,” he said…
Huckabee reminded his readers that Jesus once said that “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” referring to the Gospel of Matthew…
“I’d rather have a loyal dog who licks me than one with a pedigree who bites me,” he added. “I’d rather go to battle with someone who isn’t perfect than with someone who thinks he is.”
How Jesus ended up in a scolding about RINOs versus true cons, I don’t know. I don’t understand the dog analogy either. The point about conservatives and RINOs isn’t that the former has a “pedigree” and the latter doesn’t, it’s that the latter frequently advertise themselves as one thing and then vote as another. They’re the opposite of loyal. Although maybe that’s an insight into where Huck stands on all this. From the perspective of, say, John Boehner, it’s true — the RINOs are the loyal dog and tea partiers are the pedigreed ones who bite. How does that analogy work from the standpoint of conservative voters, though? Who would Huck’s erstwhile constituents in Arkansas regard as having more of a “pedigree,” tea-party freshmen or Beltway Republicans who’ve been in Washington gladhanding rich lobbyists for 25 years?
That’s a key irony about Huck, though: He’s really not a “RINO” in the sense that the term’s usually used these days. He’s no more a creature of the Beltway than those tea-party freshmen are; on the contrary, one of the core grievances of his 2008 campaign was that the GOP establishment disdains the sort of rural, religious, blue-collar voters that it purports to represent and that he connects with. He gets slapped with the “RINO” label because of his big-government heresies but there’s got to be another term to distinguish a social-conservative warrior from the sort of status-quo D.C. slicksters we all think of when the R-bomb is dropped. How about “Pope Francis Republican”? There’s a market for that out there. Not enough to get him close to the nomination in 2016 but enough to keep politics interesting.
Exit question: Isn’t there some support among tea partiers too for jettisoning increasingly outdated labels like “RINO”? Read this Erick Erickson post from October before you answer.
Update: A friend suggests “Eeyorepublican.” I could live with that.
It should probably be CINO, anyway.
Huck’s faith in the GOP Establishment, RINOs, and Moderates are Huck’s topic of issue.
Huck brought up the topic of RINOs and wants to change the Republican dialog, which convinces me that he has chosen to be on the side of the same sorry Neo-Democrats that have allowed Commie Obama to be as successful as he has been.
Should he decide to run for POTUS or Veep, he will be a formidable adversary to those of us who want to rid the Republican Party of the RINOs, Neo-Democrats, and clear cut Obamacrats.
Huck may appeal to the hold-your-nose-when-you-vote voter segment of the GOP, but the odds are that the final results will be similar to McCain and Romney.
Huck wanted to bring the RINO battle to us early, and I for one am more than happy to oblige!
I agree, Mike. Let’s call things - and people - by their proper names: Vichy Republican swine. In the mirror, Mike. You.
Fine. I think the term CINO (Conservative In Name Only) is more accurate anyway.
How about A$$hats!
I don't know Huckabee’s reason but for me, focus on the budget! STOP THE NONSENSE! Huckabee on wrong path, it's not about an acronym, it's about actions and accountability.
Okay, Huck. How ‘bout DIROs...
Democrats Imitating Republican Officeholders
That better?
Fine. I think the term CINO (Conservative In Name Only) is more accurate anyway.
Exactly... if you don't want to be a RINO than stop being a CINO!! Huckabee, you there? No, I'm afraid...
Huck thinks he’s going to take Christie’s place as the RINO bet for the nomination.
He should be preaching that to the republican establishment, not to conservatives.
me too Huck!...”Homosexual” has become such a “pejorative term”..lets call them candy ass fudge packers and pee-pee suckers...We'll all feel better about them!
I prefer the term “FRAUDULENT REPUBLICAN” Let’s start using it. Otherwise, only Republicans even know what RINO means. Let’s be transparent.
Not just No but HELL NO ! you made your RINO bed lay down and shut up !
Undocumented Democrat seems to fit.
Lets just call them what they are.
Democrats.
Ok Mike... the new term then is “Democrats Impersonating Conservatives Knowingly”
I tend to agree. Republicans are simply “democrat-lite”. As a conservative and a federalist, I feel more like the “RINO”.
He should be preaching that to the “United” States.
like, oh I don't know
F'en traitors to the Constitution
and although accurate I just don't know people are ready for that.
what say you, RINO!
Huck is running radio ads supporting Lindsey Graham is South Carolina.
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