Posted on 02/05/2008 6:35:23 AM PST by Mobile Vulgus
That’s right, you read the title to this piece correctly. I am admitting that I am a RINO. I admit it openly, freely, with relish even.
For those unfamiliar, RINO is not only shorthand for rhinoceros, that great beast of the African plains, but it is also an acronym. It stands for, “Republican In Name Only” -- RINO.
Now, I am not going to pull a fast one here and spell RINO out with other words. No, I’m happily sticking right with the words “Republican In Name Only.” So, there it is. I am a RINO.
Some of you reading this may already be feeling your stomach curdle at the very mention of the word RINO. After all, it’s really gotten some bad press. Rush Limbaugh and his brethren have really done a disservice to this fine descriptive word. Heck, even I have hurled it as an epithet when confronted with a politician who hasn’t lived up to my standards.
But, after reflecting on recent events, I realized that I myself am a RINO. At first I bristled at my own thoughts. But, after a time it appeared obvious that I am, indeed, a RINO.
I’m just going to have to accept it. Own it, as our pop psychology spewing friends on the left so earnestly say.
I am a RINO and here’s why…
Let me explain further why I now feel ready to accept my RINOness. (Or is that RINOcity?) Yes, I am proud that I won’t vote for a candidate who happens to claim the mantle of Republican if he does not support keeping the Guantanamo Bay terrorist holding facility open.
I am proud to oppose a Republican who thinks our troops are torturers as bad as Saddam Hussein.
I firmly stand against any Republican who is for open borders, opposes a border fence, and refuses to believe that this country faces self-destruction through cultural dilution.
Further, any Republican who works with Democrats to place moderate judges on the bench, or doesn’t want judges that are “too conservative” will not get my vote.
If the GOP candidate is for quashing free political speech, that candidate will find me ready to quash his vote totals.
If a candidate is only picked because the party “says so,” or because he is pals with the “right” people and not because of what he actually stands for, that candidate will find that no vote from me will go his way.
You see I won’t support a Republican just because he somehow was able to affix the appellation Republican to his name. I will not automatically vote for a Republican merely because he claims to be one.
I vote for candidates that happen to be right on the issues, not the ones that happen to just be a Republican. Mere Republicanism is not my way.
I support life. I support the Second Amendment. I support English as the national language. I support religious freedom. I am for school choice. I am high on defense and tough on crime. I am for smaller government, fewer regulations, less government spending and low taxes. I am for untrammeled national sovereignty and would love to see the UN cast into the ocean.
I oppose union thugs, socialist programs, unconstitutional powers, abortion for any reason, the so-called doctrine of a “living Constitution,” open borders, unearned paths to citizenship, anchor babies, high taxes, uncontrolled regulations on businesses and bans on religious expression in schools… any schools.
And, I am really against working with Democrats just to “prove” I am “reasonable” so that the liberal media establishment will love me.
Also, I will not vote for a Republican, merely to stop a Democrat from winning. The reason for that is, that such a practice leads to candidates the feel no compunction to buck the principles that the electorate wanted him to observe when he ran for office. After all, why would a candidate hold himself to such stringent standards if he won’t lose his votes anyway? Why not just do what is easier, or might benefit his wallet -- or campaign coffers -- more? Since there wouldn’t be any consequences for belying his claimed principles, what stops him from doing so?
If there are any candidates running for president on the GOP ticket that once said they did not want to seem like Ronald Reagan or once supported abortion, even if only tacitly, then he won’t get my vote. If there is a candidate who freed more criminals than any other governor in the country and was very weak on illegal invaders of our country, well that man is not for me. If there happens to be a candidate, say running for president maybe, who said that Samuel Alito was “too conservative” for him, or once supported amnesty, well he is also out for me.
I really don’t care if he claims to be a Republican or not.
I also don’t care if there are so many people just like me that the Democrat wins the White House (nor do I care which Democrat). My non-vote is NOT a vote in favor of someone else. I am a man of principle, not a man of convenience.
Certainly, our nation is built on compromise and sometimes the proverbial half a loaf is better than none. It is an undeniable truth and one that we shouldn’t try to destroy with unbending spine. But, here is the thing: compromise implies that both sides get a little something out of the deal. And, let’s face it, there isn’t much gettin’ for a conservative out of the GOP these days.
Oh, they claim to be conservative during the campaign. They say all sorts of comforting things, stand on lots of first principles and pretend that without them in office all sorts of things will go awry.
And then as soon as they take office they begin to forsake nearly every position upon which they ran. Then they start palling around with the Democrats and hobnobbing with denizens of Hollywood and skulkers in the press. And, then it’s all over. They’ve become Washington. Suddenly, being liked by the illiterati of the left becomes more important than principle.
And we, those who were foolish enough to vote for them the first time, are left wondering what happened? Yet but a few years later, we vote for that same apostate politician all over again.
After these last few primaries, I finally came to realize that I just cannot vote Republican just because. It turns out that I have realized that my loyalty lies with my conservative principles, not a political party. If there happens to be a candidate here and there that agrees with me and they happen to be a Republican… well, then that candidate will get my vote.
So, it’s no more for me. I will not blindly vote Republican just because I often canvass with them. I will not be a fool for the party while getting nothing in return. I am not a Republican first. I am a conservative.
And I am a RINO, remember?
I didn’t ask for your big mouth response,nor were your invited to give it. So stick it.
Sure. Your the big man, right. Mr. Know It All. Right punk.
Oh my gosh....the world has spun in reverse!!!
A newbie FReeper..( heck, ANY FReeper..) admitting they were wrong!!
I'm SHOCKED!!
SHOCKED...I tell ya!!!
Sure punk.
The GOP elephant isn't just cooperating, she's put on perfume, lipstick, fishnet stockings, and high heals.
She even brought the beer...
You amuse me. I think I’ll keep you around.
Hey dufus, you’re a liberal ‘Rat.
All aimed at Warner Todd Huston who wrote it, not the person who posted it , unless of course your WTH ?......pretty clear IMO.
Ah, but the True Believers will tell you that a vote for third party is a vote for Comrade Hillary
We don’t have to go back 100 years, the definition is as fresh as today. Just read the platform. If you agree with it, you’re a republican. If you don’t, you’re a RINO. RINOs read it and go, “yeahBut” a lot, and hope to rewrite the platform.
http://www.gop.com/images/2004platform.pdf
Name calling and dart throwing are all part of the process of the destruction of the coalition that built this great party. It’s the separation of the believers & non-believers, the sheep & the goats, the pretenders and the invited (Matt 22:13).
Then it is obvious you never bothered to read the piece. Do you really want people to think you are that stupid?
This not- NOT- about being a “Republican” for me. It IS about being a conservative. I’m sad that I haven’t voted with enthusiam since Ronald Reagan and angry with myself that I have settled for the “non-demonRAT” in every election.
Well, I’m getting a little old for the fight now.
I got my obligatory phone call from the GOP asking for money to beat the ‘RATs and told them to send the envelope on. However I am holding on to it until I see who the nominee is. If it turns out to be McCain, I’m not sending money and I will not vote.
Whether it’s McCain or either one of the ‘RAT socialists, the damage will be the same and I would like to see the RIGHT one take the blame.
McCain thinks he doesn’t “need” conservatives...
Let’s see him beat the demonRATs without us.
Maybe he should ask Bob Dole about that.
Nope, I'm not a RINO. Even though I share many of the same ideas you espouse. I don't consider myself a republican. I will vote FOR republicans when I agree with and support their positions.
I'm something of a conservative leaning, small 'l' libertarian. But that doesn't really define me all that well either. I suppose that Dr. Walter Williams' definition of a Jeffersonian Liberal fits me about as well as anything. But not completely.
Mark
Sorry...done holding my nose and voting for liberals just because they have an 'R' by their name. If anything, it's time you liberals (AKA "moderates") were made to hold your nose and support REAL Republicans for a change.
Did you even read his post? Hey! Posting responses without reading the original post first is MY JOB!
Mark
This brings up a very important difference. Dem/Repub are political affiliations. Conservative/Liberal are values philosophies.
There have always been liberal republicans, the best known being people like Jeffords and the Rockefeller clan. But even the label "conservative" as a whole is not that good a definition... There are "social conservatives" and "fiscal conservatives." And many others, I imagine as well.
Just being a republican has NEVER made a person a conservative. However the republican party has been a more welcome "home" to conservatives than the democrat party. But it looks like conservatives of all stripes are being evicted from that home.
Mark
Me too.
If there were no Socialist/Democrats, there would be no need for incremental winners is a better way of looking at it.
We can all rail about the lack of good, conservative leaders, but the truth of the matter is that we’ve got who we’ve got, and I have to ask myself whether it is better to sit through another 4 years of the Clintoons, or support a less than perfect candidate.
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