There ain't no way she's a real Republican, even a RINO.
But yes, it's just local politics, and her ass is now grass.
The county GOP may need to reassess their bylaws so as to be able to sanction her if in fact they don't have that authority now. She maybe able to get her precinct to continue to vote her in. Some of those precincts don't have but a handful of people to show up for events...
By my definition she is the epitome of a RINO. Someone who does not support the party, but who is a member only for personal expediency.
I get annoyed with people being called RINOs who have devoted many years to supporting the party and their candidates, but disagree on a particular issue with the person calling them a RINO.
As much as I detest Specter, I couldn't call him a RINO.
I had the misfortune of encountering Ms. Carter at a GOP campaign event a few years ago. She struck me as a fat, cranky old wino who's angry at the party because most of its members tend to ignore her when she's ranting, which she does often.