Please remember something important: Most all RINOs are from places where decent, conservative, hard-working, free enterprise, anti-enviro-whacko people have tried to get at least a nominal Republican, because the alternative was an ultra-liberal Clymer Rat. I have two Rat senators here from WA, one is Osama Mama Patty Murray, an embarassment not only to the people of this state, but to the whole nation. The other is Maria Cantwell, who pledged as collateral for loans her falling RealNetworks stock to buy Slade Gorton's Senate seat in 2000. The giant debts she incurred were paid off by Hillary throwing fund raisers for her the week she got to Washington, D. C., and now the Beast owns her, lock, stock and porkbarrel.
I'd gladly trade either of them for a McCain, a Specter, or even one of Maine's two RINO senators. More often than not, the RINOs end up voting for a Republican president's court picks, and tax cuts. The only time they "go off the reservation" is when pushed on the social issues. RINOs know that they have to walk a fine line in states with extremely liberal populations, so they have to talk pro-abortion, while voting anti-abortion in non-obvious ways.
Until we can change the hearts and minds of those members of the mushy middle who sometimes hear the siren song of the Left, we will have to tolerate RINOs. It's much better to try to oust Rats in states with truly conservative voter bases. Then the RINOs won't make any difference.
I'm certainly not advocating cutting off the nose to spite the face! I'd rather have (all things being equal) a RINO than a Democrat. But I'm getting sickened by RINOS such as all the Northeast RINOS. McCain is also rather tiresome. The more Republicans the better, and the more real conservatives, the better.
good post on #16. Note my screenname, I'd happily vote for a Maine RINO over a Hillary type senator.